June 3, 2008 Scribe: Jennifer Gomez
It was the first day, a sense of excitement and anxiety was felt in the air. I could see the faces eager for interaction and welcoming new ideas that would help them later on enlighten their students and inspire their yet hopeful futures with a hint of motivation. During breakfast I overheard several conversations of people talking about what they had accomplished over the year, and even though everyone was tired having just finished the academic year they seemed happy to create friendships and receive advice. As we started the day it was inevitable to notice how cheerful teachers get when they receive materials. These gifts although simple in anyone else’s eyes to a teacher mean a world of possibilities. The teachers exchanged the binders that would be one of our many tools for improvement over the summer session. People got re-acquainted as they signed the attendance sheet and we got to know our new comers. I found it particularly refreshing to know that I could speak in the language that I felt the most comfortable using. Living in a bilingual setting it seemed inevitable to use two languages simultaneously. It allowed me to feel free from any restrictions. It was also nice to be briefed on what would be happening throughout the week. I felt that gave me something to look forward to. I was personally interested in meeting the guest speaker and felt excited over the idea of having someone come-in to help us develop the artistic part of our anthology.
As everyone started getting into their Who am I posters where they stated their claims over their writing, reading and personal territories I could hear the teachers sharing their life experiences and talking about their likes and dislikes. It was refreshing to know that some people had the same taste in writers, movies, shows or music as I do. This activity was a creative outlet that allowed people to show and express who they are, who they were or who they hope to be. What we did seemed like work but in order for us to become better teachers we also have to partake on the role of student. The technicians walked around asking if we needed anything; for me that was comforting because it allowed me to see that I was not alone and if I needed help I would get it. Team work is important; the world is not composed of one but many that create a whole.
Then we worked in groups for a KWL Chart. Where as a team we had to discuss what we already knew about writing, and what we wanted to know about writing so that throughout the other lessons we could add to the section on what we had learned. It was fun to share what we knew and to compare among the different levels the different parts in which more emphasis was placed. In my group for instance we all came to a consensus on the idea that writing is a process. This entails brainstorming, drafting, proofreading and editing. It is also cyclical in nature as we may often start again until we obtain the desired results. We also agreed that there are different types of writing such as narrative, descriptive, expositional, informational, and argumentative. As a writer one must also take into consideration the purpose which can be for entertainment or expression. Likewise there are different approaches or teaching strategies that allow us as teachers to create activities that will promote student writing, for example the integration of technology and cross-curriculum. The questions we had were probably too many to write down so we selected those we felt were the most pressing matters or the ones that were being overlooked. When we finished I got to see that what others wrote was similar to our own and that there were several different ways to express one idea. The FAMA group was particularly outstanding in their endeavor to incorporate art into their chart.
The three activities for the day let us experience first hand what expressivist pedagogy is about. The last one however caught the hearts of many. Teachers had their turn in the author’s chair to read from their journals. Cedrick began with “Business as usual” recalling an event that forever marked our history and our lives. Frances went on “a bike ride with her dad,” an experience that many can relate to during childhood or will come to face as parents. We proceeded with “that day in May” and moved on to “hug” to finish with “a fragment on innocence.” All good and moving in their own accord; as Ariana commented good writing makes you feel, or as Ellen said, it lets you create a picture.