I'm Back

Hello all you curious of heart. I am hopefully back on the blogging wagon. Since I started my blog in July I haven't really had any successful postings. So, here I go again. I'm thinking of changing my forum to be more of a writing outlet; a place to post my thoughts on a page.

Being a high school teacher cannot be easy. And believe me, it isn't. So what do I do now that I am one? Write a blog! The topic of today's blog will be "a place to write." Especially in teaching, but in all aspects of life, reflective thinking is very important. Now you may argue that all thinking is reflective but not so fast. Reflective is (as defined thanks to dictionary.com)

2.to give back or show an image of; mirror.
3.(of an act or its result) to serve to cast or bring (credit, discredit, etc.) on its performer.
4.to reproduce; show: followers reflecting the views of the leader.
5.to throw or cast back; cause to return or rebound (Her bitterness reflects gloom on all her family.)
6.to be turned or cast back, as light.
7.to cast back light, heat, etc.
9.to give back or show an image.
10.to think, ponder, or meditate: to reflect on one's virtues and faults.
11.to serve or tend to bring reproach or discredit by association: His crimes reflected on the whole community.
12.to serve to give a particular aspect or impression: The test reflects well on your abilities.

Particularly #10 is applicable. So, while I argue that not all thinking is reflective, I do argue that teaching most definitely should be. Especially as a first year teacher, there are many dangerous things one can fall into. Putting boundaries around myself so as to protect my time and energy are extremely valuable. It is terribly easy in life to become overcommitted. I have a hard time saying no so that goes well with commitmentt. For the first time in my life I seem to be sounding out that syllable a lot more than I thought I would, "n...o." Who thought that a step in the right direction would seem like a step back?

Every day when I think about my job/career, I think about what I've done to either build up or crush the fragile lives of an adolescent. Although they are resilient, I know that a simple comment can stay with them. Being a teacher is a hard job. There is no job like it in the world. It consumes your mind. Your "prebed" thoughts are clogged with lesson plans, ideas, lists of making copies and grading papers. Your drives to work consist of thinking through lessons and last minute changes. Your visits to Barnes and Noble Booksellers is no longer just for "pleasure" reading. What is that again? Suddenly your world revolves around others (in case it didn't already) but around the clock, even when you are sleeping. Welcome to teaching. So, all that long rambling thought to say that this will be my "mirror" if you will. A sounding board of new ideas, of experiments and of probably the same old complaints you've heard before (hopefully presented a little different than before).

Well, Thoughts on a Page is back folks. Here to stay and here to say. Please feel free to respond or comment on anything. Whether witty, strange, or just plain mundane, I welcome feedback of all kinds. Here' s to you my faithful blog readers.