We are trying to write something that is worth publishing, to polish a piece we have already written for class or write something completely new. I am feeling stumped and frustrated. I don't feel that any of the writing I have done this year is lengthy enough or thought-provoking enough to try to publish. We have been given many options from posting a book review on Amazon. com to writing an op-ed for the Washington Post. I feel depleted because things at my school are so up-in-the-air and I have so much going on in my own life that I just don't have energy/enthusiasm left over to craft a piece of writing.
I felt bad going to class with nothing to workshop. My critical friends, Dan and Cassie, were counting on me to come prepared with something to share and get feedback on and instead I have nothing. What I really need is help thinking of a topic that I feel strongly about. For example, Dan has been doing this amazing work with student voice; his initial idea has exploded into a fantastic x-block class called Make a Difference where the students are running the show and truly making a difference in their lives and the larger world. He is so genuinely excited about this class! Although he comes to class with a piece of writing from a past homework, it is easy to see his eyes light up as Cassie and I make suggestions to tweak his writing into something that captures what he is doing. Cassie, too, is passionate about her topic: she wrote thoughtfully about the challenge of coming to terms with the environment at High Tech High in contrast to the highly-structured, score-driven school she comes from in D.C. She wrote a whole new piece as a way to explore and reflect upon the conflicts she's feeling about what is the "right" way to educate (and whether there is a "right" and "wrong" way).
Luckily, my critical friends are supportive of my needs and help me pin-point a topic I do feel strongly about: the benefits and frustrations of grad school! Beyond just the work and collaboration of the GSE, being a non-High Tech High teacher, as Cassie is finding, adds a whole extra layer of stresses and effort to the GSE. Dan and Cassie encourage me to explore this dynamic and to share my experiences to help others understand what life can be like as a member of the GSE.
So here it is, a chronicle of experience, triumphs, and tribulations as I work my way through the unit "Fostering Adult Learning Communities."
