Genre Reflection #1
Dear Meagan,
The time is now. You are so close to graduating and fulfilling your dreams of becoming a teacher. Don’t slow down, don’t give up. So many people are rooting for you, believe that!
These experiences in the classroom are going to shape you as an educator for the rest of your life. Don’t get discouraged when something doesn’t go as you planned it. Allow yourself room to grow, room to make mistakes and learn from them because, girl, you always have room to improve. Give yourself love and grace as you learn what it means to be the best educator you can be. Grow, learn, and encourage others on your way to graduation (seven months and fifteen days until then, but who’s counting).
Let yourself feel stressed and overwhelmed at points but don’t let yourself fall behind. This year will be challenging, but it is a worthy challenge. Don’t forget that your classmates are in the same place as you, stressed but capable of the task. Rely on each other to make it through. They are a pretty great group of people to experience your last year of school with!
Tackle your plans head on, don’t back down from the prospect of challenging discussions in class or because there might be differing opinions. That is what makes the class interesting, and you and your students will grow even more from the experience of defending your ideas. Plus, you have to give those students who are shy a chance to shine just like your teachers did for you! Remember, you are an important part of creating critically thinking, conscious, and informed citizens. No pressure!
Engage in this process to increase in respect, pride, and excellence because at the end of the day, that is what the goal is. Even if it feels like it doesn’t sink in at times, allow the silence to create free thinkers and question askers. This is the time to engage in the conversation for the next generation of change makers and you have a front row seat. As always, engage completely, be intentional, and always be kind to yourself and others.
In other words, Meagan, do not throw away your shot!
Meagan, first of all, thanks so much for you input and support during peer review time. You made me feel comfortable sharing my work and I really appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your final draft! I feel like you really found that inner voice. I know this is a letter to yourself, but I find it to be an insirational message for me as well. I bet everyone in our Core program can relate to this letter.
Thanks again, girl!
Dear Meagan,
ReplyDeleteI love how much I can hear your voice in your writing. My favorite thing about this letter is that it truly does sound like you're speaking to yourself, such as when you say "girl, you always have room to improve". Your advice to yourself in this letter is so true. I can tell from your writing how kind spirited you are and how great of a teacher you are going to be. The advice to yourself is advice that I know I need to take as well. Thank you for this awesome letter!
Camille
PS. That Hamilton reference in the last line is great!
Megan,
ReplyDeleteI think this letter you have written to yourself does a wonderful job of capturing what your mind is going through in this final year, while also highlighting the importance of our job as educators.
I really enjoyed the "seven months and fifteen days, but who's counting" part. I'm counting. I'm counting the days. For so many reasons. I found this letter incredibly relatable overall really. I also liked how the goal of graduating isn't where you stop. You talk about the potential you have for creating real change in your students and preparing them to become fully realized people in our society.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us
Tyler
Meagan, you have done a wonderful job of imagining both the difficulties that lie ahead and the challenges and joys of teaching. Be sure to refer back to this letter to yourself whenever you feel overwhelmed or discouraged. Nicely done!
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