Thing #3

 I am relentlessly pondering ideas of how I can fully engage my future students into my classroom environment when I start teaching. I will use my time during the remainder of my classes at APSU to plan my misson of attack. As a secondary educator, I know many parents feel they are no longer needed in the classroom. Oh my goodness—they are ever so wrong! This is a time when we need to continue to pull parents into their children’s world. If you think about it, 9^th thru 12^th grade is just as important as those first five years. College readiness should be at the forefront of all parents’ minds. I am humiliated to look back at my high school transcripts and often wonder where my parents were. Of course, I would have been mortified if my mother popped her head into my biology class and asked the teacher to return her gall stones (I heisted them after her surgery in my efforts to receive extra credit). I feel the medium of the Internet is the essential means to reach most parents so their students can live without fear of shame.

Here are a list of some of the blog activities that I will use to engage parents and students in and out of the classroom:

·         Monthly newsletter to keep parents and students informed on future classroom events

·         Featuring a showcase of student writing

·         Helpful homework tips and resource sites such as grammar help, 6 Traits of writing help, links to essay writing for college entrance, and links to writing contests

·         Posting of assignments, homework, and links to lectures (great for absent students)

·         Poetry club happenings (Yes, I want to spear-head a poetry club.)

·         Discussions on literary pieces we are working on in class

·         Personal narrative on my educational journey (If I can come this far…so can you!)

I know as the pass and as I collaborate with other professionals, I will find other interesting ways to use a blog to engage students in my classroom and keep parents informed.