Welcome to our English Department Blog!
I’ve had visions of writing different aspects of our department’s experiences, our highs and our lows, showcasing the stories that mark who we are. But I keep waiting for the right time, for the idea to be perfect, which means I don’t even start. So I decided to just hit pause and think of what is happening today, this week, and start writing. Working on our team feels different. When I came to Sage Creek I had eight years of experience at three different schools. While each of those experiences were incredibly impactful and meaningful, they were often experiences I had mainly with my students and one or two partner teachers. There are myriad ways in which working at Sage is unique, but I wanted to put my finger on one of them and tell that story. So, here it is: The story of the Sage Creek English department and what makes us unique. --- It was August of 2014-- the second year our school was in existence. We sat in my new classroom at our combined desks and poured over the plan-- the plan to create a united department whose goal was to become better versions of our individual selves for our students. There were five of us who had a combined 37 years of experience. We sat together, each with our own previous context and experiences, our own strengths and strategies. And we decided to set those aside. Let me pause right here. Our goal was to take five different English teacher’s experiences and make a collaborative, unified team. If you’ve worked on a team of English teachers before, you know that we can be, well, stubborn. We love our literature and our knowledge of it, we love our students and our experiences with them, and it can be very, very difficult to merge ideas. Again, if you’ve worked on a team of English teachers, or any teacher for that matter, you know that I’m being delicate. You see, from the very first meeting, we had to practice what we practice on an annual, monthly, even daily basis: The humbling, challenging, and inspiring practice of working together towards a goal outside of our own personal pedagogy. Given that the majority of us had taught for awhile, we knew that coming together to create a syllabus would be challenging, but I don’t think we fully grasped the impact and power that first meeting had. We were, in essence, negotiating a contract. It was a contract for ourselves and for our future colleagues. Some items were written, and some were unwritten. While we deliberated over what a gradebook would look like without the traditional Tests/Quizzes/Projects categories in favor for a skills-based assessment system, we were essentially negotiating what it meant to set aside our ego. Because, as is true whenever creative minds merge, we were attached and comfortable to the things we had done before. It was familiar and, well, easier. But we discovered, while explaining and listening, pausing and clarifying, that really, what’s easiest for us is not always best for our students. Our group of five has turned into nine. The faces have changed a bit, but everyone embodies the same passion and drive the five of us had on that just-barely-still-summer afternoon day. We’ve revised and revamped the contracts, but the foundation stays the same. We are continually improving and growing, vividly aware of our shortcomings and how we want to do it better next trimester. But the reason we can do that at all, the reason we can know when to stick to a contract and when to renegotiate is because of the unifying concept we learned on that first day, the truth that unites us all, regardless of our personalities. It’s not a magic potion that covers all wounds and it’s not a catch-all that ensures everything we do goes off without a hitch. It’s embedded into our individual and collective nature: Our genuine and active desire to do what is best for our students. That’s our only true litmus test that every decision is funneled through; it’s the truth that causes us to think introspectively, opening ourselves up to new ways and new ideas. We do all this because our students give us hope. We believe they will become successful college students, employees, voters, mothers, and fathers. We are devoted to creating a space that allows average teenagers to become heroes- even geniuses. We are unwaveringly focused on the goal of urging this generation of students we’ve been gifted with to believe in who they are and then go be it, as best as they possibly can. Everything we do and believe individually and pedagogically comes second to what is in the best interest of our students. In short, we are a team. A team is always better than a solo experience. A team means you’re inspired, encouraged, and supported. When one person’s heart breaks for a particular student, we all feel it. When one person is feeling overwhelmed, we all jump in. When one person has a breakthrough moment with a student, we all celebrate. We share the good and the bad, trusting that because we’ve all signed this proverbial contract, because we all keep showing up and being our whole selves, we’re in it together. And so, going to work isn’t easy. But it is fulfilling, rewarding, empowering, and invigorating. I’ll take that contract any day of the week. - Corrie Myers
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AuthorHi! I'm Corrie Myers, English Department Chair at Sage Creek High School. The purpose of this blog is to share our story. We've learned a lot along the way and know that writing helps cement the learning experience for us. We never want to stop learning and growing, so this is a step in that direction. Thank you for reading! Archives
September 2017
CategoriesSage Creek High School is a comprehensive high school in Carlsbad, CA.
Click here for our school's website. |