When I'm asked how my experience in graduate school is going, most people are only ready for the reply that pertains to the traffic, the time, and the level of work that I must do in addition to teaching full-time. Some want to know how my wife handles it (admirably, thank you), and some are curious about its affects on my ability to see family and enjoy down time. Rarely, though, does one ask how my learning reinvigorates the critical pedagogy I acquired in undergrad, or how my master's work enhances some of the rhetorical techniques and composition strategies I came to take for granted in my earlier education.
I don't mind that no one asks about the nuts and bolts of composition studies and writing instruction, but as of late, these components have managed to compel my interest in the subject and undermine my day-to-day practice as a secondary English teacher.
It's a particularly vexing precipice upon which to stand. The view into the world of research and study is one of color, light, and possibility. The view into the high school classroom is one of rigid policy, lackluster performance, and unfit practice. (And I'm just talking about my own classroom.)
What started as a quest to enhance my ability to teach secondary English (writing, specifically) has evolved into a weekly reminder that public education is flawed. This is certainly no surprise in a job that demands participation as a regular agent of stagnant practice, fixed processes, and systemic problems. The fact that I've committed to do so unwaveringly, however, certainly is.
