Use Me

As I prepare for classes, one assignment has me stymied. As an introductory activity, and a means of preparing for writing college essays, I asking my Senior English students to write “User Guides” to themselves. I was introduced to the assignment in an article on an educational blogs.

The assignment has both a creative, and an expository side. It will let me get to know them, and it is directly applicable to the type of writing needed for college essays. It seems fair that one of the samples I show them is a user guide to their teacher.

I sat down with the user guide from the teacher who authored the article and several other samples. I began by using her format, but it didn’t work for me. Even though she was also an English teacher, it was clear that the structure was as powerful as the actual content.  

I looked at “real” user guides and imitated them. I tried several formats, and that is when I hit the wall. I can’t say everything. What are the key ideas? What do I want kids to know about me in order to best interact with me? I made a list, but the items felt trivial. I was more focused on my idiosyncrasies, hobbies, and personality than the real issues.

That got me thinking: what is the real function of a teacher? What is my “purpose?” To teach, of course! Duh! But what does that mean? What are my primary functions in class?

Certainly, my main purpose in each of my classes is to teach students a clearly defined set of skills. They need to be competent as readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and thinkers. It is my goal that, as students master these skills, they will become more effective and creative communicators.

But there is more. I’d love to engender a love of literature. I want them to soak up narrative, if not in the written form, then on screen or stage or somewhere else. I’d like them to approach story with curiosity and thoughtfulness.

Of course, every teacher is part entertainer, too. Not everything we do will be fun, but I’d like our time together to be enjoyable. I am also part substitute parent. I will worry if they are ill, encourage them to dress warmly, and remind them to use their manners.

Finally, I am still learning. So I am a student as well. Especially as our classroom becomes more connected to the Internet, I am much more guide than answer-man.

In my classroom, I have four classroom values: our time is valuable and should be well used, everyone must participate, we should affirm and respect each other, and my prime value: we are all responsible for our own learning. Do I need to repeat these? I decided that my user guide was a complementary document to my classroom procedures and I didn’t want it to overlap much.

So how would a student “use” me? Students often say they had me in class, although only rarely do I feel “had.” However, there are times when I have felt used.

I finally forced myself to sit down and write. I wrote about my teacher functions, but also about the rest of my life: I am a member of a family, connected to my local, religious, and fan communities. I have a set of values that goes well beyond any single role or the simplistic statements on the wall.

Each time I look at my “user guide,” I change something. I will probably keep making revisions until the kids see it – and then maybe even more after I see their guides.

If the assignment forced me to reflect like this, I can only hope that it will have half that effect on my students. I am eager to meet them, study with them, and have a wonderful year together.