My Journey of Literacy
(This biography is the product of an assignment from WMU)
Just as a quilt is made up of many squares that are pieced together, my development into English literacy is comprised of numerous moments and events. From moments as early as kindergarten, to teaching my own children to read and write, to my current educational endeavors, the love of language, structure, literature – and the love of teaching – have been woven throughout my life. That’s not to say that I did not experience failures and discouragement, but these have also become key elements in my journey of literacy. While this narrative is primarily a retelling of memories and events, I’ve included a few of my past literary works. In addition, after each memory or event, I will offer a reflection on the meaning and value they have to me as an educator of English. Now, I’m a stickler for chronology so I’ll happily lead the way, starting as far back as five years old.
I don’t remember much about my time in kindergarten except coming home to the little apartment that my mom and I lived in and lining up all of my stuffed animals in preparation of their school lessons. Mostly, I remember showing them my worksheets that I brought home from class that day and demonstrating how to write the letters of the alphabet in my wobbly print. As I learned the sounds for each letter, so did they. And they must have been awestruck at what an amazing teacher I was because they didn’t say a word! Of course, that didn’t stop me for making sure that Leo Lion knew the letter “a” or that Rainbow Bright knew that the word “ball” began with a “b”.
What I notice in this memory is that I’ve always had a desire to share what I have learned – even from such a young age. This innate trait is still evident in me today. When I come home from class, I love sharing what I’ve learned with my family. Likewise, I love hearing about what they’ve learned in their classes as well. Dinner conversations are so much of fun in my house right now – there’s five of us and all of us are in some level of college! I’m surrounded by people who are pursuing education, and I have lots of opportunity to share my love of learning with them.
Have you ever noticed that the embarrassing moments are the ones that tend to be remembered best? With clarity and precision? Me too, and this next moment is no exception. As a kid I was always mortified of the little things that I did wrong, but one day in third grade, I did something that gave my classmates license to made fun of me for weeks! All of us in Mrs. Ogi’s class took a trip to the school library where we were to check out a few books for personal reading time. The library was my domain, and I quickly had a stack almost too big to carry. After we each checked out our books, we lined up single file and began walking back to class. At that point, I was already immersed in a Beverly Cleary book and found out the very hard way that I could not trust my peripheral vision since I walked smack-dab into a pole! While everyone in front of me turned left ever so slightly, I kept marching forward and paid dearly for my blunder. I had a huge knot on my forehead for weeks that served as a constant reminder to my classmates that I was a bookworm and a klutz.
In hindsight, I’m proud of that little nerd that loved her books. She could teach me a thing or two today about slowing down to take some time to delight in the written word again. In a media-crazed society, it’s easy to find myself sucked into the binge-watching world of entertainment. But the deep satisfaction of being swallowed up in a story, turning page after page, and tuning out everything but the words that are coming to life in my mind – there’s nothing else on earth like that. Even with a schedule that leaves little room for down-time, that little girl of my past – the one who walked into a pole because of her love for books – is showing me how important it is to keep that love alive.
As we move past this embarrassing yet valuable memory, I must say that my mom was a great creative outlet for me. We were always doing goofy stuff together and she was my biggest cheerleader. She was tough when she had to be, but she knew how to let loose and have fun, even when we were doing chores. She had a collection of some of the silliest songs and would often play them while we cleaned our home on the weekends. One of the songs, “One Eyed, One Horned, Flying Purple People Eater” became the inspiration for a creative writing assignment I had in fourth grade. My imagination went wild as I wrote about a friendly purple monster that flew around the world helping people. I’m a terrible artist, but I was so inspired by this character I had created that I even attempted some illustrations. A few days after I turned in my assignment, my teacher was handing back our papers with her comments and the grade we each received. I was surprised to find a certificate attached to my paper, announcing that I had won a prize in my school for the most creative writing in fourth grade. I was so shocked! I thought that surely someone else would have done a much better job than I did. I remember asking the teacher if the certificate was real!
I learned a lot from that paper: I came to realize that I could actually be good at something, I learned that even the goofiest things could be good inspiration for writing, and I realized that my mom created a safe place for me to be creative (that realization came much later – but still relevant and valuable). As a future teacher, I would love to give place for my students to have those same realities: that they are good at something, that inspiration for writing can be found anywhere, and that my classroom is a safe place to be creative.
I mentioned earlier that even my failures have place in my literacy narrative. Skipping a few years ahead, the struggle was real during my freshman year of high school. I’m not a fan of chaos and, up until that point, I had never encountered a teacher that couldn’t keep a handle on their class. However, Mr. Friedman, my ninth grade English teacher, had no idea how to keep an orderly class with authority and engagement. I don’t know if it was his argyle sweaters, his slight lisp, or his very quiet voice, but ninety percent of the class did not respect him from day one. As much as I tried, he ended up loosing my respect by the end of the first month. Our classroom was like something you might see on T.V. where the kids are throwing paper planes around, talking out loud, chewing gum and eating in class, some of the guys are throwing a football back and forth across the classroom, someone’s playing their music really loud, and all the while the teacher is trying to get everyone’s attention.
This was my every day for an entire semester. I learned absolutely nothing in regard to our intended school curriculum. Mr. Friedman would assign us homework that I had no idea how to do because he didn’t take opportunity to actually teach us. I wasn’t really concerned about my grade in the class until my report card came in the mail. I had received an F in that class! Come to find out, he failed everyone in that class! I didn’t even know that was possible to do as a teacher. This was my first F and I was devastated. My favorite subject in school became the greatest disappointment, and I had to take summer school to make that semester up. Second semester looked very different from the first one though: my high school had let Mr. Friedman go, they reassigned all of us to different English classes, and the principal frequently made rounds in the classrooms to make sure order was being kept.
It took a long time for me to be excited about school – specifically English – after that first semester. I came to realize how important teachers really are in our process of learning and how imperative it is to create a positive, structured learning environment. Now, as an adult and a prospective teacher, I wonder all sort of other questions regarding Mr. Friedman and my high school. Did he have the administrative support he needed? Did he even reach out for help in regard to our classroom behavior? Or was he ignored among his colleagues just as he was ignored in his classroom? Did the school get complaints from students or parents regarding our class? I don’t know the circumstances regarding my teacher and my high school, but as I look back on it now, I am empathetic toward Mr. Friedman. I hope that he didn’t give up on teaching if that was his dream, and that he found the right school to help support and develop him. I also hope to be an empathetic support to my colleagues in the future as well as be bold to receive support when I need it. I never want to experience a classroom like that one again – as a student or as teacher.
As crazy as my beginnings in high school were, my senior year was the polar opposite. I had an amazing 12th grade English teacher than embodied the word “empowerment.” Mrs. Lambert was the reason I returned to all things English and fell in love with learning again. I wish I had had a teacher like her during my freshman year – I truly believe my journey through high school would have looked completely different. She unlocked my writing skills to a new degree and by the end of the year, she encouraged me to stay with English as a career. I remember her saying to me, “You and English were made for each other. In whatever capacity you decide, stay with English.” Those were some powerful words that have continued to keep my feet in education and language arts in various ways. Mrs. Lambert is my inspiration and my launching pad for who I desire to be as a teacher.
During the last semester of my senior year in high school, my mom and stepdad (who was the only dad I had in my life at that point, not knowing my biological father) were heading for divorce. It was a very turbulent time for me, and Mrs. Lambert could see a shift in my work and attitude at school. Since her English class was during the last period of my school schedule, she asked me one day if we could chat after class. I remember her sitting in a desk next to mine and asking if everything was okay. Since she had been such an encouraging teacher and I knew I could trust her, I shared the pain and confusion I was experiencing in my home life. I didn’t really know what to expect from the conversation we had, but what she shared changed the way I dealt with the intensities of life from that day on.
She told me that the first thing to know was that I was not alone in this experience, that support was available for me through the school and through her. She also shared how writers often express their emotions and troubles on paper as a way to release and reconcile with them. She suggested that I write something about what I was going through – even if it was rough or harsh. The important thing was to be truthful and get those things out on paper. That night, I closed the door to my bedroom, pulled out my journal and a pen, and began to write. So many feelings and concerns that I had bottled up came pouring onto that paper, and by the time I was done, I felt a weight lift that I didn’t know I was carrying. Amidst the mess of scribbles and tear-stained paper, there was a poem…
The true divinity of this race,
Is being undeniably replaced,
By the obscurity between love and hate,
To one’s own self who seeks a soul mate.
Trial and error can only tell,
Differences between heaven and hell.
Slander is our profession,
And lies are our confession,
Calling ourselves God’s own creation,
Yet living for pure deviation.
Is this insanity the mark of Christ?
When all who is saved will be enticed?
Could this be the start of what is yet to come?
Father, I pray you will make me comfortably numb.
I didn’t really know what all of those words meant to me at the time, but it made sense for them to be there capturing the confusion and the pain. I shared my poem with Mrs. Lambert the next day and told her how much better I had felt after using writing to process through everything I was going through. Moving forward was easier after that. My work and my attitude improved, and I graduated high school at the end of that semester with a stronger sense of confidence. Mrs. Lambert was not only an excellent English teacher, but she was a much-needed support when I desperately needed someone.
I can’t help but wonder, who else did she impact in my class in such a dramatic way? I’m certain there were other students that were walking though their own struggles. What kind of healthy boundaries did she set for herself when it comes to her responsibility and involvement with students? I can glean from her advice to answer these questions, but I will also have to determine these for myself, especially in regard to more current issues and approaches. Mrs. Lambert gave me some rather practical advice in my circumstance – yet that advice was still in the realm of her career. She taught me how cathartic writing was and kept me in the influence of my English education. Clever! She also taught me how to be truthful with myself and take time to reconcile my feelings and circumstances in order to move forward. Her support in my past causes me to hope that I can be a support for my students as well. I want to develop the skills to identify when students need that extra support and encouragement. I also hope that I have learned a thing or two in the wisdom department to pass along that will actually help a student. Thanks to Mrs. Lambert, I am equipped with this lesson, and it’s ready anytime it’s needed.
Before we move past my K-12 education timeline, it’s important to mention that I grew up and attended school in Southern California. A good portion of my lower elementary education (K-4th grade) was in the little town of Poway, which wasn’t even on the map yet in San Diego. Over the summer of 1989, my mom and I moved to Orange County where I completed the remainder of my primary and secondary education. And why would this information be important to this narrative? One word - diversity. I grew up in such a diversity-rich area in both San Diego and Orange County that I only saw people as people – not based on their race or their economic status. My high school was located in Anaheim Hills, which was considered to be in the affluent part of the city, however there were students from all different economic backgrounds. I had friends that were beyond rich and lived in mansions, and I had other friends that would have been considered poor and lived in a two-bedroom apartment as a family of six. I was one of two white people in my circle of friends; others were African, African American, Mexican, Vietnamese, Japanese, Persian, and Samoan. I loved going to my friends’ houses and eating the traditional food that was prepared. It was at my friend, Sarah’s, house that I fell in love with Pho’, a Vietnamese dish, and Millie’s mom made the best tamales I had ever had. In fact, I could go for some right now!
Academically, what this translated into for the classroom setting was a great deal of diverse opinions, insights, and perspectives. We learned together how to agree to disagree and how to keep an open mind. The faculty at my high school reflected the diversity of our area as well, so I learned from and along with people from many nations, cultures, and lifestyles. I remember sitting in my U.S. History class and we were learning about the Civil War. My teacher, who was Korean, was asking if anyone knew what a civil war was and where else they have occurred in the world. My friend, May, who was Japanese, began sharing some of her Japanese history regarding the internal wars that occurred in ancient Japan. Other kids shared what they knew about their native counties and before we knew it, we were studying world history rather than American history. This type of instance was not rare, but the cultural diversity was infused into our class discussions and curriculum because of who was present.
I realize now that I am very fortunate to have this type of background. The influence this diversity had on me was so natural and typical that I didn’t know that this way of life was unique. It wasn’t until decades later, here in Michigan, when my Anthropology professor asked each of us to share a moment when we directly witnessed a racial issue. I couldn’t come up with anything. And I was shocked to hear the stories of my classmates! How is it that there was so much racial and ethnic diversity where I grew up, yet I couldn’t identify one moment of tension? It was then that I realized that any tension that I had witnessed, I had interpreted as a human problem, not a racial problem. I never saw my friends, or neighbors, or anyone for that matter, based on their race or ethnicity.
Being able to take this moment to really look at what the local society was like when I grew up has really helped me identify a few things that I would like to instill. First, I would like to develop and learn ways to create an inclusive culture in my classroom and at my school that I will be teaching at. Whatever the course content will be, I want to infuse inclusion of diversity in my students in the same manner that my teachers and classmates did. Part of creating a safe learning environment is making sure everyone feels welcome. This is a priority goal for me to hit every day that I am in that classroom. Secondly, when my students do encounter racial, ethnic, or socioeconomical challenges, I want to have already developed ways to gracefully address those issues in a way that disarms and diffuses tension. I recognize that this goal will require me to attend seminars, conferences, and have genuine conversations with educators that have successfully developed this characteristic.
While we’ve pushed pause on the timeline of things, there have been some constants in my journey with literacy that are worth mentioning. These moments don’t have a place chronologically but are a part of my life on a frequent basis. There isn’t a time in my childhood or in my adult life that I don’t remember writing and reading in some capacity. My house is filled with books that I have read, are reading, and many that I still intend to read. My husband often laughs at me when I mention a book I would like to purchase, reminding me that I have a large stack of books at home still waiting for my attention.
In like manner, writing is a huge part of my life. From ministry meetings, to class lectures, to personal writing, and even to more mundane tasks like grocery lists – I am always writing. As a natural-born notetaker, I document everything I deem worthy to jot down. My calendars are filled with notes and reminders, and my grocery lists look more like an essay outline: organized by store, if something is on sale, and priority. My mom teases that I was born with a pen in my hand. I love writing in my books and journaling from my bible and other personal growth books. In fact, as I was looking for some of my past works to share, I counted 43 journals that I have used over the years! I didn’t even realize how much of my life I had catalogued until now. Here are two simple entries that give example to the many uses I gave to my journals. The first entry, “Catalina,” is more of a personal account about the first day of a vacation I took with my good friend, Kristy, her son, and my two boys. We traveled to a little island off the SoCal coast, and it was our first extended excursion together. The second entry, “Two Week Schedule,” gives a more practical account of how I was learning to manage my time.
Both of these entries are rather basic in function and possible seem mundane. However, as I was perusing the pages of each journal, I realized that I had the last 25 years, or so, of my life captured on paper! Plans, dreams, challenges, recipes, phone numbers, meeting notes, bible study notes, and lesson plans all came together in my own personal anthology.
As a future teacher, I want to be able to instill practical life skills that will help my students function well. Time management, personal organization, and prioritization are tangible skills that I have developed through my journaling process. Over time, that process has morphed with technology, especially time management. Yet, these skills can be taught and encouraged through a variety of activities and assignments, utilizing old-fashioned pen and paper or tech-savvy smart phones and watches.
Another constant in my literary journey is my knack for language structure. As I mentioned earlier, I am not a fan of chaos. English has so many words and meanings that it can become tumultuous at times. Grammar brings order to that chaos and allows us to give and receive meaning with our words – and I love that! It is very possible for our language to have clarity and grace as long as we pay attention to how we say things. With that in mind, I have been dubbed the grammar queen in my family. So much so that when we got our first label maker in our home, my son began to label all of my things “Grammar Queen.” They find delight in teasing me about my eccentricity and often roll their eyes when I absentmindedly correct something that they just said or fix the typo in their text messages. But I am secure in my place regarding grammar, knowing that my career has a great need for teachers that are strong in it and that there’s still so much more to learn regarding English’s structure.
With that in mind, my college journey began over 20 years ago with my very first creative writing class. In that class, I discovered a fresh love for poetry that I had never experienced before. I found how wonderful words can be in such short form, with the space on the paper allowing the meanings to be even more poignant. I remember each pause I had in my day that semester was filled with fiddling around with my own poetry. I even mustered up enough courage to publish a few poems online at poetry.com. It was exhilarating and a little scary to put my work out for anyone to read. Would they understand what I was trying to convey? Would they misinterpret my words? Would anyone actually read my work? Lots of questions poked at me while I wrote and posted my poetry that semester, but it was a great time of discovery and adventure in my little literary world. While my poetry in high school was more raw and unfiltered in meaning and structure, my poetry in early college began to take more form and structure. Most of my writings during that time were a product of assignments, and the one I share with you today is a reflection on my name. For better context, I was named after my great-grandfather’s race horse, Misty Rays, and over the years, I have captured what my name means to me as well as other people.
My name is the song that so many people mention,
The words speak of slow, subtle sounds,
My Name is the song that birds sing to in unison,
The tune carries through the heavy fog.
My name is the song that you hear at the races,
The chant in rhythm with the pounding of hooves,
My name is the song that you see in so many faces,
Their eyes watered and slightly cloudy.
My name is the song that my mother used to sing to me,
Her soft lullaby soothing my heart,
My name is the song that Jesus gave to me,
Knowing I’d fit the tune just right.
My name is
Misty Rae Leigh.
With the technology available today, publishing and sharing their works will be even easier and more accessible for my students than it was for me. For those students that find it easy to share, I’m sure I’ll have little trouble motivating them to get their works out into the world. For those students that were like me, maybe lacking confidence or thinking that their voice doesn’t matter in the world of literature, I will be a strong champion for them. And for those students that don’t yet see the value of literature in the practical world, I am determined to enlighten them and help them see how applicable creative writing and non-fiction are in our lives.
Shortly after my college journey began, I became a mother and pushed pause on my formal education to raise a family. When my son was born, I think he may have been the richest newborn in terms of books. I had begun collecting books to read to him long before his birth. Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown was one of my favorites that I began to read while I was still pregnant with him. Dr. Seuss books and Shelby Silverstein’s books were among the favorites throughout his, and shortly after, his brother’s childhood as well. As my two boys grew into toddlerhood, books were a natural part of their lives. My oldest son, Joshua, is 20 months older than my youngest, Jeremiah and one of my favorite memories of those two when they tiny was when Josh would “read” a book to his brother. In actuality, Josh had memorized the stories because we read them so often. They had their own little bookshelf in our living room, and at random times throughout the day, Josh, who was about three years old, would tell his brother that it was story time. He would pick a book off the shelf, sit next to his brother, and recount the story as he turned the pages and showed Jeremiah the pictures. It was the most adorable thing to me, and I was so glad that I had instilled the love of reading in them.
An even greater joy was teaching both boys how to read and write. I had decided that I would homeschool them for the first few years of their education and it was such a rewarding experience. On the first day of kindergarten, I had flashbacks to when I was in kindergarten with all of my stuffed animals lined up on my bed to learn the alphabet. Each boy had a specific seat at the table with their jumbo crayon in hand and lined paper in front of them– ready to write. Really, they began writing on dry erase boards long before the day we started school, but I just wanted that first day to feel official for them – and for me! My kindergarten days were filled with the smells of crayons and fresh paper, and I wanted to create that experience for them too, even if we were at home. As that year progressed, I was so proud to watch them grow in literacy. There were lots of challenging moments of course, but there was nothing so rewarding than watching them learn to read and write. Of course, math and science and the many other subjects we studies were important – but without literacy, the vital cornerstone of education, their education would not be as successful. And of course, being the avid journalist that I am, both Josh and Jeremiah had journals of their own.
As I look back over this time I had with my sons as babies and as young students, I’m so thankful for all of the precious moments we had together. I think about the fears and the dreams I had regarding their education and development, and that causes me to consider the parents and guardians of my future students. What are their hopes and dreams for their children? Are their hopes a safe guide for the younger generation, or are they looking to demand and direct without question or say? Although most of my interactions at school with be with my students, I recognize that I am a partner in the grander scheme of their lives. Interaction with the parents and guardians will come with the territory as a teacher and bringing my insights as a parent will be extremely helpful. I hope that it is possible to be the advocate for my students while hearing and considering the (reasonable) hopes that their parents have for them.
While homeschooling my sons, I looked for opportunities to offer meaningful social connections and settings for their learning environment and social skills. We attended an amazing church that was very focused on child development in the church setting and in the social sphere. We had many school teachers that were part of our kids’ church leadership team, and though I was not a school teacher in a professional capacity, I was invited to the table to develop a homeschool network for the very large homeschool-family population in our community. Out of that launch, there were over fifty homeschooling families that became a part of The Rock Homeschool Network, with an average of 120 students in the K-12 grade range. This was an amazing opportunity for my children and I to be a part of, and the three of us benefited exponentially from the homeschool network.
I was invited to teach a number of courses that were right up my alley: Creative Writing I (4th – 6th grade), Creative Writing II (7th – 12th grade), Classic Literature (9th – 12th grade), Physical Geography (1st – 3rd grade), and a variety of dance classes (all grades, depending on skill levels). What a stimulating and impactful experience this was for me – I had the privilege to be an academic teacher while my own children were homeschooled. Additionally, I had the wonderful advantage of working alongside other teachers and extremely gifted parents. We had parents that had owned successful businesses that taught business classes, we had a genuine rocket scientist that took one day a week to come and teach our high schoolers chemistry and physics, we had elementary teachers that taught specialized literacy and math classes to lower elementary students, as well as teachers that taught social studies, history, and art. The director of the network as a highly skilled organizer that made multitasking look like an artform. I was surrounded by stellar people that I gleaned from constantly. It was here that I learned how to write my own literature curriculum (since we were a Christian organization, we studied more classical works that did not have curriculum developed yet), and it was here that I learned the value of humility as a teacher. My students challenged my knowledge in ways that left me often saying, “I’m not sure how to answer that, but I will find out,” or, “Hmm…let’s look at that together and discover the answer.” That last response was my favorite because the students were more invested in the discovery process and were more engaged in the content. I loved, loved, loved this season of my life and the discovery of how wonderful teaching really was for me.
The following image was an assignment sheet from my Creative Writing I class. The network director, Sheri, had discovered a writing curriculum for upper elementary grades called Writeshop and gave it to me to test drive during our first semester. It was a great curriculum to use with our network format since each class only met once a week. The assignment sheet shows how the content was organized for the class meeting and the homeschooler’s week:
Looking back at my time with The Rock Homeschool Network, I desire so greatly to be immersed in that environment and culture again. I worked hard and I was stretched, but it was rewarding beyond measure. During my five years with the network, a large handful of students were with me each year, and I had the honor of watching them grow into high school graduates. I cherished the fact that I was a small yet integral part of their education. I really did measure my success based on how well they succeeded. Many of my students went directly into college, some pursued full-time ministry, some music, one in performing arts, and one of my students is currently a fashion model and motivational speaker for high schoolers around the nation. Their success and firm establishment of who they were as individuals and members of society allowed me to say that my job was done well. I did, however, come to an awareness that my own education lacked; I wanted to give my students so much more than what I possessed. This is one of two primary reasons why I returned to college in pursuit of my secondary education degree.
Simultaneously to teaching at the homeschool network, I was a Service Leader for our massive Kids’ Church, called Treasure Island. Within this ministry role, I oversaw the curriculum, team, and facilitation of our Wednesday night service for 4th – 6th graders in a class we called J12. At the time, we averaged 75 kids just in this age group, and my team consisted of 10 adults and teen leaders. This was a fundamental training ground for me as a public speaker, a leader, an event coordinator, and more! While overseeing this ministry, I introduced children to reading their bibles and journaling on what they’ve read, how to put together and present projects, and the value of listening to understand. My team and I also made sure that we were all having a lot of fun. After all, fun is a key ingredient to a great learning environment. I had the privilege to lead J12 in this capacity from 2005 – 2012, when my sons and I moved to Michigan.
Within the role I had at the homeschool network as well as in J12, I came to learn the indispensable value of networking with other educators, parents, and community leaders. This partnership influenced so many aspects of how I led, what to include in the curriculum writing process, how to teach well, and how to partner with the community to give students access to the opportunities that were available outside the walls of our learning environment. Sometimes they were my sanity check, and other times they brought correction and encouragement. As I move into the professional and public role as an educator, I look forward to seeking out those partnerships and support. I realize that teachers can feel isolated and unsupported if that network is not in place. Not only will I ensure that I have a well-established network of partners, I will be sure to include those teachers that do not.
I mentioned earlier that recognizing my need to further my education was one of two reasons to return to college. I arrived at the second reason a few years after my move to Michigan. In the spring of 2018, I attended a W.I.L.D. Conference (Women in Leadership Development), where I was asked to take the Top 5 CliftonStrengths assessment from Gallup. While I had, in previous times, taken many strengths and personality assessments, this one was so different that it caught my attention. The results blew my mind and offered concise, concrete ways to move forward in those strengths, as well as how to network with other people with their strengths. Based on this assessment, my top five strengths are, (1) Relator®, (2) Learner®, (3) Achiever®, (4) Strategic®, and (5) Intellection®. First of all, this is the only assessment that I feel like actually fit me explicitly. Secondly, seeing the actual results caused me to come to terms with the fact that each of those strengths fit the role of a teacher so well. After doing more digging into how Gallup defines these strengths, I began to understand that some of the frustration I was experiencing in life was due to the fact that I was not actively pursuing my dream anymore. It was time for me to go back to school! At this point, I was remarried, and to an amazing man that valued education so deeply, and our children (collectively) were all in high school or college. It was a great time for me to make the leap and join the ranks of academia once again.
After seeing the value in taking the CliftonStrengths assessment, I asked my family to take it as well. Come to find out, Kalamazoo Valley Community College offered the assessment for free to all current students, and three of our kids were attending there. When they received their results, we all sat down one night at the dinner table and shared the insights. That night was so amazing as we received clarity to certain tendencies, learning styles, and how each family member processed things differently. These results gave a greater understanding into each person and how my husband and I, as parents, could dream release with strategy (see – there’s my strategic strength!) in our children and our marriage.
Accordingly, I saw how valuable this assessment would as a teacher and for my students. High school is still a discovery season that comes with the pressure to figure out what students want to do in life; all the while, they’re still trying to enjoy the last bit of adolescence while it’s available. In a society where it’s hard for younger people to identify who they are and where to go, this assessment provides a launching pad. It is my hope that my students will have access to this assessment just as KVCC students do, even I have to help make it happen. There are so many projects and assignments that can revolve around the results of the strengths assessment, allowing students to learn more about themselves and the others around them. My mind is exploding with ideas that would dream-release in them and catalyze decisions to pursue passions and be inquisitive. This will be a must in some form or another in my classes!
In the summer of 2018, I jumped back into college with both feet, taking six classes that semester, and it was awesome! I was back in the realm of my passion for learning, and as an adult learner with a clear goal in mind, I was determined to get everything I could in terms of my education. I was no longer the kid that sat in back, disinterested and afraid of the teacher. Rather, I knew I had a lot to learn from each teacher on how to teach as well as the content that was being taught. I began keeping a journal of insights regarding the different ways teachers present content and how they facilitate their classroom.
One teacher in particular, Dr. E. Keith Kroll, rocked my world when it came to the structure and function of the class. He was my American Literature instructor and his structure was focused primarily on discussions of the readings and producing papers that expressed grace and clarity. From day one, I was convinced that he was two parts genius and one part crazy. He was loud and sometimes said things that I never would have expected a college professor to say. However, he created an amazing learning environment that I want to adopt and make my own for the high school setting. I was able to narrow down what I liked to call “the genius of Kroll” to five things that I would like to bring with me into the classroom:
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Kroll set the tone of a discussion-based class by seating us in a circle, with him as part of the circle. This took away any unspoken “hierarchy” that students tend toward and put all of us – including himself – in an equal playing field.
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The first week was dedicated to creating a sort of “honor code” that we, as students, came up with and signed. This included how we would want our interactions to look like, what type of discussion etiquette we felt was safe and appropriate, how to disagree and still show respect and honor, and how to share insights and opinions regarding each other’s writings and thoughts. Throughout the semester, we would briefly review the honor code as a reminder and to address anything that may have been in violation of that code.
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Kroll had each student fill out an index card that included their full name, their preferred name, their major, and a fun fact about them. This allowed him to get to know us in a general way and he utilized the cards in the beginning of the semester to call on students that were not yet participating in the discussion. He would use them randomly so that students didn’t feel singled out, which removed the tension and anxiety from the discussion.
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He gave us index cards that had two questions on them – one question was to help us start a conversation, and the other was a follow up question to the current discussion. If Kroll noticed that the discussion started to wane, he would randomly call on someone, then ask them to read their discussion question and answer it. Then he would randomly call on someone else to read their follow up question. This taught all of us how to have a meaningful academic discussion on our course content, and because the honor code was established, our discussions were facilitated in a safe learning environment.
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As we approached larger papers to work on, Kroll took time to facilitate some brain storming together as a class. Through this strategy, he demonstrated the value of collaborative efforts and learning. He would write the main theme or question that the paper would be focused on, and then opened the board for everyone to offer their ideas. He established ahead of time that each person needed to contribute at least two ideas or questions. There were over 20 different perspectives in that room and with at least two responses per person, all of us walked out of that class equipped with over 40 ideas to get us started. This was such an amazing strategy to help us include points that we would have never thought of individually, and although we had this collective starting point, each paper was unique. The following images are from a collaborative brain storm. This first image is from the first day of class, answering the question, “What is an American?” This topic was for our final essay and throughout the semester we returned to this mind map to add content…
These five strategies revealed Mr. Kroll’s mastermind and gave way to his goal stated in the syllabus: that we would be co-creators of our knowledge. So powerful! Co-creators of our own knowledge?! I had never heard that phrase before, but I latched on tight, realizing that it implied that each person had a responsibility to be actively involved with the creation of their education and understanding. Being present is only one aspect of learning; involvement and inquiry are integral pieces that allows us to invest in our learning – after all, we are the consumers of our education!
Mr. Kroll’s class radically changed my approach to everything classroom related. While I might not be as loud or raucous as he was, I can duplicate his strategies to provide a learning environment where all students are on equal grounds, where they have a say in the conduct and the vestment of that conduct, where the class time is filled with meaningful discussion in which everyone participates, and collaboration is part of our class culture. I loved hearing from those students that would have never said a word, outside of these strategies. Their input was valuable, and in our class, their voice had a place. I want to give each of my students that place. I consider how these strategies might translate regarding their future college endeavors and the workforce – a strong group of people that know that there are valued, how to value other’s – even in disagreement, and that have been empowered to use their voice to impact their surroundings. As an educator, that is a great vision to have, and Mr. Kroll has shown me that it is possible.
Through my college journey, I’ve come to see the cohesiveness of content that transcends the parameters of each class and how knowledge influences knowledge. Poetry has influenced my paintings, Anthropology has influenced my creative writing, U.S. Government has enhanced my understanding in American literature – each content area has created links and doorways to other aspects of my learning in such a way that continually blows my mind. It’s like the light bulbs keep turning on and I’m seeing the unity in everything that I have been studying. Even now, one of my current classes, The Historian’s Craft, has helped me prepare for this narrative. The preliminary skills I’ve learned so far have helped me know how to gather works and sources, which works and sources will be more relevant than others to my purpose in this narrative, and how to create organization out of a mess of content spread throughout a long period of time. I’ve included the following poem to demonstrate this revelation of how cohesive my education has been and how it has influenced my literacy and love for learning. During that first summer of classes that I jumped into, two classes that I took were Intro to Anthropology and Creative Writing. In anthropology, we read The City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre, which is a poignant novel about the life in the slums of Calcutta, India. The stories presented in this book moved me so deeply, and coincidentally, in my creative writing class, we were working on the poetry unit. I took advantage of my poetry assignment to capture the essence of the stories the Lapierre shared.
Kolkata
This mecca of extremely poor,
peasants scratched a desperate living
infertile of land,
disaster takes the same road
at the heart of the richest yet ill-fated regions,
cyclones and apocalyptic earthquakes,
deaths catapulted in famine,
four million fleeing, washed up refugees,
forceful, razing, starving peasants,
waves of destitute people, a concentration of humanity,
consumed with decay, day by night,
a proliferation of filth and devastated landscape.
Yet the best mixed with the worst,
Poverty a culture formed of its own,
A light shines in the inhumane, a hand reaching to help,
Angels of mercy wrapped in leper’s cloth,
Bearing words of comfort, the neglected listen,
Unconditional love sells its bones,
Makes way to hope for deplorable inhabitants,
Compassion comes in unconventional relief,
A spectacle of cheer floods the slums of Joy,
A life fades in the shadows of a hovel,
Offering its sacrifice, the hand of marriage never fades.
While I have found the revelation of how intertwined and unified my education is, I have not found many students that have arrived at this same understanding. I don’t say this to point out anything negative nor to exalt myself, but I share my observation because it leads me to an important opportunity as an educator. English is such a unique field of study because it can touch every teachable subject in secondary education. It’s very practical and possible to allow other subjects that students are learning to seep into their works in their creative writing, analytical, and discussion-based assignments. What they learn in my class will enhance their abilities of compression and expression in papers they write for other classes; likewise, the content that catches their attention in other classes can influence their writings in my class. I would love to be a “connector of dots” for them – so that they can enjoy how their education is connected. This would catalyze in them a greater relevance for their education and hopefully motivate them to explore and dig-in all the more!
Writing this narrative has been an invaluable experience of capturing my literacy journey and identifying skills and attributes that I am already equipped with as an educator. By doing so, I am motivated more than ever to go after my education with passion and dedication. I realize that I can not give what I do not have, and the time I spend focusing on my education will enable me to give so much more to my students and colleagues. This type of assignment would be beneficial to facilitate as a secondary education teacher. By allowing high school students to evaluate their own literacy journeys, this process would help them see the value and growth of where they’ve been to where they would presently be in my class. This is one idea that is definitely going into my teaching journal!