Teaching through Stories — Writing about Old Friends

School years begin and end. This one has been a new adventure for me. Teaching while serving as a coordinator for a department of 20 teachers. Trying to be the glue and not the gasoline. Trying to connect via zoom and email while sometimes probably being viewed as the new enemy (the dark side). I like supporting people and organizing information. It’s easy to attempt to coordinate things without much face-to-face interaction, but the lack of human contact doesn’t work well for everyone. Zoom meetings can help. Trust develops slowly…or not at all. The work has been difficult, but I’ve learned and I’ve apprecaited the challenge and opportunity. Meanwhile, I’ve been teaching. One of my favorite moments from my evening ESL class came a few months ago. One of my students described meeting an old friend who she hadn’t seen in a long time. By asking questions, we found out she had met the friend when they were both 6 year-old girls. Now they are 70 year-old grandmothers. I created a writing assignment for the class. Write about an old friend. Go into depth. Consider the beginning of the relationship. Describe the friend’s personality, both positives and negatives. Consider the history of the relationship — what it has meant over time and why you still care so deeply about the friend today.

They came up with some beautiful stories. Click the link to see the document or scroll down to read within the post.

Another wonderful group of students who inspire me, make me laugh, and keep me going through the long nights of teaching Monday thru Thursdays, even if we’re all connecting through Zoom. The community we develop is real because they share their realities openly and honestly. I’m lucky to teach them.