Hit the Books

I was making my bed this morning, when I looked over at the daunting pile of books that are stacked neatly in my room. I love books. I like them piled high on the floor, shelved carefully on bookshelves, and even shoved into my backpacks causing sore backs. It doesn’t matter if I’ve read them or not, I just love everything about them. There are tons of possibilities placed on the pages of every genre. Ahh, the life of an English teacher.

I may sound like I’m in heaven; however, the books I’m talking about are the beginning of a lot of work for me. They are the textbooks that I will be teaching out of next fall. After a conversation with my mom last night, I started to hit the books. I was thumbing through the pages, searching for short stories and poems that will grab the attention of my students. Tough job, let me tell ya.

I have had exceptional training from the University of Northern Iowa. I have immersed myself in different ideas and teaching philosophies in the past few years; however, now it is time to put it to the test. I will have quite a few preps next fall, so I am getting a head start. I have toyed with a few different ideas on how I want to structure my classes. Once I have a clear vision, I believe it will all fall into place. Until I find that vision, I need to hit the books!