It is the end of the semester! Yahoo! And although the conversation I have with everyone I meet on campus this week is “I can’t believe the semester is over already! It went by so fast!” January does seem a long time ago. I began this blog at the beginning of the semester with the intent of posting an entry a week. With the help of some guest bloggers (Thanks Mark, Kate, and Deirdre!), I have met that goal. In January I didn’t think writing a post a week would be too difficult. I’m a writer, I like to write, and I have a lot to say. As the semester moved along I began to joke that I didn’t realize what a demanding pace writing a weekly blog was. It wasn’t really a joke. My plan in January was to write my post early in the week so I would have plenty of time for drafting, thinking, crafting sentences, revising. However around mid-semester I found myself starting my weekly posts closer and closer to the deadline and therefore condensing this writing process. Regardless of a few stressful nights, I’m not sorry I took on this task and plan to continue—well maybe with the help of a few more guest bloggers. But I’ve learned some things this semester by writing this blog, some things I will take with me into the College Writing classroom in September.
Here is what I’ve learned:
1) Facing a blank screen /page every week can be daunting.
2) Despite the best intentions, things like other work priorities & life obligations can and do get in the way.
3) I don’t always write the best I can.
4) I don’t always practice what I teach.
5) Sustained weekly writing does make me a better writer.
Understanding all this may not make me a better writing teacher in September, but it will help me be more empathic towards my students and hopefully more humble in the classroom.