#MediaMonday: We are Back at It!
Good Morning,
I truly hope that all of you had a great holiday break away from masking ordinances, forced quarantines and Zoom Calls (put that on a Christmas Card).
For me, starting back has been a little odd. In planning for spring semester, I realized something: I didn't really plan for the fall.
Sure, I put together plans and pacing guides but in my heart of hearts, I honestly would have put my money on "2 weeks" at the great Roulette table of mandatory virtual learning. In hindsight, however, it is easy to see that I was not only wrong, but ill-prepared mentally for what was to follow. I do not intend to make the same mistake again.
Therefore, as I have been planning for the upcoming semester, I honestly feel as if I am starting the school year fresh. In going over the lesson plans for 3rd quarter, I found that I am actually excited about the coming weeks.
Here is a bit of my "to-do" list for January:
I begin interviewing students for next year's broadcast journalism program
I start curating entries to The Central Film Festival
I show Charlie Chaplin in City Lights to teenagers
My film class begins their study on Gender Theories
I get a student teacher! (I honestly think he's misplaced, but I'm not telling anyone)
I need to register my program for the STN Virtual Convention
Aside from the student teacher thing, that list is why I love doing what I do. Each one of those little bullet points makes me remember why Media Teachers have the best job in education; we get to share extraordinary stories and teach talented students how to create. What we do is an extraordinary thing and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
So, when we make our little post-it notes and phone reminders, stop every so often and smile. Remember that, regardless of how weird your mask smells after you brought chili for lunch or how one week of hand sanitizer makes your hands look like a corpse witch, we still get to teach media...and that ain't so bad.
Talk to you soon,
Josh Cantrell