Looking back on these three intensive weeks, I feel I’ve grown. Both as a writer and a human being. Paintbrush in hand, I’ve been nurtured to bring life to my experiences. For the first time in quite a while, I’ve found joy in writing. Amidst all the expectations for foot-noted research papers and peer-reviewed expository texts, I’d long since taken any pleasure in writing.
Given the current emphasis -both in HCPS and Common Core- upon expository and academic writing, I fear that our students are also being deprived of this bliss. How can we as teachers balance “fun” and “creative” writing with the college-bound demands of academia? Where can I find time to slip in a bit of poetry writing or narration of personal events? I already feel pressured and overwhelmed by all we have to cover; how can I force in even more?
And therein lies the dilemma of teaching: how do I teach the curriculum required by state and school while still finding time to include elements of enjoyment? If I had all the answers, you’d all be buying my book.
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