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September 19--The side-eye of disapproval
Sep. 19th, 2016 09:36 pmAt the end of each week my students make a journal entry and email it to me. They are generally about two pages long, typed. I encourage them to avoid describing what they did, and focus more on how they are feeling about what they are doing. Most of the time they just write about what they did, but every once in a while I am presented with the most honest and remarkable insights.
Years ago, when I first started teaching, the journals were in the form of a notebook. The students would turn it in to me and I would make comments and return it. I had one student who would write pages and pages of whatever came into her head. She would put illustrations in the margins. She would occasionally comment on my teaching style. "When you walk onto the floor, you just start asking questions, you don't even say hi. It's intimidating."
I learned a lot about being a teacher from her. I always gave the journals back at the end of the semester, but I wish I had hung onto hers. I would love to go back and re-read it.
I was looking for some pictures from 2006 for my nephew and came across one of the illustrations from her journal. That was the year when I really got into photography, and I took pictures of everything. It is such a treasure trove to dive into those archives.
That was what this post was going to be about--some pictures I found, then I was reminded of Hau Ting's journal, and it resonated because of a student journal I read today from a current student. It was 6 pages long, and really dove deep into how she was feeling about the semester. She described the "side-eye of disapproval" from me whenever she has to perform under my supervision.
And I can see myself in everything she describes. I know what she means. It was one of those rare moments where you get to see something clearly for second or two, like looking in a mirror and really paying attention.
I don't want to be one of those teachers, but sometimes I think it just happens without my paying attention. That's why I encourage my students to be honest in their journals. I need to know, and it is how I grow as an instructor and as a person.
Maybe tomorrow I will write about how I discovered natural light.
Years ago, when I first started teaching, the journals were in the form of a notebook. The students would turn it in to me and I would make comments and return it. I had one student who would write pages and pages of whatever came into her head. She would put illustrations in the margins. She would occasionally comment on my teaching style. "When you walk onto the floor, you just start asking questions, you don't even say hi. It's intimidating."
I learned a lot about being a teacher from her. I always gave the journals back at the end of the semester, but I wish I had hung onto hers. I would love to go back and re-read it.
I was looking for some pictures from 2006 for my nephew and came across one of the illustrations from her journal. That was the year when I really got into photography, and I took pictures of everything. It is such a treasure trove to dive into those archives.
That was what this post was going to be about--some pictures I found, then I was reminded of Hau Ting's journal, and it resonated because of a student journal I read today from a current student. It was 6 pages long, and really dove deep into how she was feeling about the semester. She described the "side-eye of disapproval" from me whenever she has to perform under my supervision.
And I can see myself in everything she describes. I know what she means. It was one of those rare moments where you get to see something clearly for second or two, like looking in a mirror and really paying attention.
I don't want to be one of those teachers, but sometimes I think it just happens without my paying attention. That's why I encourage my students to be honest in their journals. I need to know, and it is how I grow as an instructor and as a person.
Maybe tomorrow I will write about how I discovered natural light.
