Welcome English Teachers!

We are about to embark on a new school year, and I know you all have these fantastic ideas because we have attended amazing professional developments and conferences, or we have had a few blasts of inspiration this summer during which a bit of planning might have occurred. Some of us are new to the profession and have completed college programs. That certain mix of euphoria and anxious anticipation every English teacher feels at the start of the year has taken hold. We cannot wait to implement new instructional strategies, embark on new units, and resurrect our tried-and-true lesson plans that always work. As language and literature buffs who have yet to meet a text that we were not compelled to annotate or an essay that could not use a few edits, a fresh six weeks any time of the year provides us with a chance to feed our scholarly souls. We desire to impart learning that our students will confirm to us in their insightful discussions, satisfying verbal epiphanies, and success on formal and informal assessments.  

Then, it finally arrives.

We have been reluctantly checking for it since the first week in August: our principal’s welcome-back-to-school letter.

The letter typically underscores our reasons for teaching and other admin usuals. Our apprehension and excitement are building because we all want to give our students our best. So, we click on the attachment that contains our in-service itinerary, yet this is the moment where our energy level often wanes. Mentally, we become overwhelmed and cannot figure out how we are going to set up our classrooms or move to new ones, finish our syllabi, and organize our technology. Most of these tasks cannot be fully addressed until in-service days are over. So, we take a breath and begin to prioritize and strategize how to prepare for the new school year.

After over 20 years of being an educator, what remains consistent is the fact that if my classroom is not picture perfect, or if I must stay late the day before my students arrive to create seating charts, planned instruction is crucial. I must be prepared to teach my content.

I am hoping to create a space where we can grow, collaborate, share what works or what did not, and basically hone our craft.

Thanks to all who pursue this journey with me.

Miss Witt