A New Beginning

The more things change, the more they stay the same. A cliche maybe, but cliches definitely have truth embedded in them. After an extended hiatus from blogging in which I had a difficult pregnancy and became a twin mom, I feel compelled to re-visit my musings about literature, education and life in the New York City Department of Education. This, of course, now has an added dimension as I consider my daughters’ early literacy and what the education system has in store for them. My former blog can be found here: https://meditationsonliteratureandliteracy.wordpress.com/, in case anyone is interested. But I am interested in moving forward, not back.

Things are different than the last time I wrote as the Common Core Standards are firmly entrenched as the law of the land, Betsy DeVos is the Secretary of Education and intent on privatizing as much education as she can. Scripted curricula seem pervasive even as we are told to differentiate instruction down to an individual level. And yet…when I am in the classroom with my students and listen to them discussing this text or that, I still feel a sense of hope that maybe things will turn out ok. 

This has been a year of transition for me as I grow into my role as a working mom and keep my priorities in line. It means having to say no sometimes, and that is not usually something that administrators like to hear. There has been a reorganization at my school and the person who hired and supported me is no longer my direct supervisor. It is difficult to acclimate to a new boss in any setting, but it was especially hard because my former boss still works at the school and yet she’s not able to be there for me and my colleagues the same way she was before. This also meant that I had to get to know a new supervisor and understand her expectations all while making sure my daughters were safely tucked away at daycare and in good health. 

But again…onward and upward. I have read some very good books this year and while I am currently working within a narrow curriculum, I hope I can bring these texts into the classroom to share with my students.