Like many of my fellow English teachers, I am an office and school supply addict. My retail therapy after a hard day is much more likely to involve buying colorful new pens, post-its with witty sayings, or notebooks that catch my eye rather than making a trip to a department store. I think these things speak to me because they are full of promises of fresh, new possibilities. Perhaps that is why I have always enjoyed school supply shopping each fall. It is not just a signal of a significant new beginning but is also a concrete symbol of chances and opportunities to come. As a secondary teacher, I know some of the students who arrive at my door each August will come unprepared-- some missing supplies, some missing skills, some missing
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In the beginning, students are blind to its possibilities, and its usefulness is just a murky idea that most think exists only in the mind of the teacher. After a few dozen entries, they begin to notice it is decidedly different from its initial days. It expands not only in size but also in usefulness.
They begin to see both it and themselves in a different light because this rather ordinary school supply becomes an extraordinary record of what they have learned and can do. If they are not immediately successful on a task in class, it empowers them and stands alongside them in support as they try the skill again. They do not have to muster their courage or risk the embarrassment of asking for help because they have what they need right there at their fingertips.
Knowing you have everything you need to be successful is empowering. Having a tangible item that shows an impressive record of what you have learned is emboldening. Finally succeeding after many years of struggle or even failure is liberating. The notebook is not just an effective teaching strategy, but it is a harbinger of hope. It provides students who need it a means to get back into the game of school and play their best. They are no longer dormant on the sidelines but are engaged and
In the beginning, students are blind to its possibilities, and its usefulness is just a murky idea that most think exists only in the mind of the teacher. After a few dozen entries, they begin to notice it is decidedly different from its initial days. It expands not only in size but also in usefulness.
They begin to see both it and themselves in a different light because this rather ordinary school supply becomes an extraordinary record of what they have learned and can do. If they are not immediately successful on a task in class, it empowers them and stands alongside them in support as they try the skill again. They do not have to muster their courage or risk the embarrassment of asking for help because they have what they need right there at their fingertips.
Knowing you have everything you need to be successful is empowering. Having a tangible item that shows an impressive record of what you have learned is emboldening. Finally succeeding after many years of struggle or even failure is liberating. The notebook is not just an effective teaching strategy, but it is a harbinger of hope. It provides students who need it a means to get back into the game of school and play their best. They are no longer dormant on the sidelines but are engaged and