"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go." - E. L. Doctorow

Week Three.

 "Where does my writing take place in my teaching?"

I've decided I'm sticking with this whole jungle metaphor because the classroom really is a wild, exciting adventure and, perhaps more relevant at this moment, I’m finding myself exploring and navigating the jungle of my own ideas and expectations.



Draft pictured above. Slightly less drafty draft below.

It's hard not to see the value of writing with my students (even if part of me, loudly fussing "but I don't wanna write, I hate writing," tries to ignore the studies and the stories). After seeing how significant "being a teacher who writes" really is, I have a responsibility to be a teacher who writes. However, I don't yet know what that means for me. 
The theory is invaluable because it's a treasure chest from which I can grab the ideas and methods that sparkle for me. In those pedagogical gems, I find brilliant ideas that I couldn't have produced myself. Therefore, applying theory begins with me- what can I make work? But it does not and cannot end there. The very next step (the most important step) is asking, "What will work for the students in front of me right now?" (I have a passionate interest in this question, particularly as it relates to culture.) I'm hoping I will begin to learn how to answer both of these questions through this class.
Consequently, I'm not yet able to answer the question of how my writing will function in my teaching (and the stakes are too high for me to unconsciously commit myself to an expectation that isn't well developed), but I do know that writing will have a place in my teaching. With the studies and the stories we've begun to delve into, I know it has to have a place. I'm not without my uncertainties and reservations, though. I've never seen a "teacher who writes" before just three weeks ago. I'm not sure what to expect.
My questions, then, are brief at this moment:
What do I need to know before entering a classroom as a teacher or teacher-to-be? How will I learn that?

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