I'm writing to you from sunny San Diego where I am soaking up my second day of summer vacation! My school-year finished on May 29, and I'm really glad as I'll have some time to gear up for this exciting, yet daunting experience.
I've taught journalism for four years and my kids and I've made a lot of progress. When I brought home our May 2009 issue to show my husband, who is a staff writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune, he actually told me he was proud of me. This was a great response compared to the first issue that I brought home four years ago that made him want to "vomit" (he doesn't mince words!).
I still feel very much like a novice because I came to journalism in such a round about way. My real expertise is in teaching English and dance. What appeals to me about teaching journalism is the real-life experiences with the First Amendment and the authentic assessment. I enjoy working with students to create an actual product.
I want to learn practical strategies for motivating my students, producing better quality work, and overall making the paper more student-run. I feel like I do too much of the work myself. I am also on assignment from my husband to find out what people think about the future of journalism since we are living the lay-offs and furloughs firsthand (the Union-Tribune was just sold to a new owner after being family owned for decades).
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and diving into the work.
On a side note, I'm wondering if anyone else is a National Writing Project Fellow?
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Hi Becky,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like we have similar stories, from the first "vomit" issue to work we are proud to be a part of four years later. I share your feeling that the production is centered too-much on me and also look forward to learning ways to motivate a largely unmotivated staff. I have very few staffers who actually WANT to take my class. Most are there because the course is a co-requisite to Digital Video Production, a popular program on our campus.
When I look back at early issues of our paper I feel the "vomit" factor also. Every year you learn something and pass it on to the students and eventually you'll have a sophisticated product.
ReplyDeleteAt what is at the bottom of our ever-growing blog are some thoughts I wrote one night when at the local paper (I work there part-time). I understand the uncertainty your husband faces.
I am right with you and your three goals: motivating students, better-quality work and more student-run. It seems that in the two years I've been adviser, I really have to pump up the students at the beginning and end of each year to get things rolling - and of course in the midst, am helping with advertising, editing, etc...although this has been fun, and necessary for my own learning curve, I think it's time the students took on more responsibility and editors begin taking on the role of pumping up the next group of staffers each year. This is something I hope to learn in our two weeks in AZ - how to advise a better newspaper with less hands-on from the adviser.
ReplyDeleteI, too, have been involved in the National Writing Project -- don't know if I'm a "Fellow" or not -- I've attended workshops and served as a mentor for a few years. Haven't done the intense summer program -- maybe that's where the fellow label comes from? It's a great program and has helped me a lot to create interesting lesson plans
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm a NWP Fellow, so to speak, and have been since 2000 when I did the summer program, which may have been the best (formal) educational experience I have had. My site is Sabal Palms at the University of Texas at Brownsville.
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