Jesus Renteria
Sep 4, 2018 · 3 min read

Gezus I already missed one deadline… FML..WTF..TBH?

I have wrapped myself into a bubble of “ Get er done” for the last three weeks and I have been successful at times, and have failed miserably at other times. I do not regret completing the SJVWPISI 2018 this summer because it was a goal that I had set for myself since back in 2010. Back the I was accepted into the program, but I dropped out for personal reasons and always wanted to get back on that horse, as some say. Many of my friends and family told me I would be tired coming back to work and that I was losing my summer. I still disagree with them now, because I had three full weeks off after the ISI finished and I had another three weeks before it began, so I still had a whole month off.

I think what has had me in a a haze is that I spaced out and did not think about anything related to being back in my classroom. But now that I am back at my job I have been hit with the reality of many things that I left undone or obligations that simply didn’t go away because I stopped thinking about them. BUT on a positive note, my students have been writing in their journals almost daily and I will reflect on that now.

In a perfect world, all my students would LOVE me making them use a journal to write down their thoughts and responses to my questions and quotes. I have actually dealt with dirty looks, complaints and comments like “ can we just do this online”. I’ve kept adamant that I want to have students disconnect from technology, even if just for a few minutes a day. That is why I am having them physically writing in a journal. I felt that this summer my most concentrated work was completed when I disconnect from my phone and laptop and just wrote.

Some students are giving me in-depth response and others are still giving me one liners and blank pages. This is an issue I have addressed and so far it’s getting a little better.

Giving students quick and honest feedback is also an obstacle for me at this time. I can’t respond to 60 plus students weekly, but I am currently giving them short hand responses, checks marks etc. I also trying to take a good 5 or so minutes every other day to get students to share. I’ve had mixed responses so far on this journey of journaling .

    Jesus Renteria

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