My Lit Block Roxs!

Well, not really, but it is a provocative title, isn't it?

I'm inspired daily by the conversations I overhear from my students. I have a group of boys this year - 21 to be precise - that daily challenge me. They crave structure and freedom - and thrive or rebel within this balance.

The other day, I had to intervene in one particularly intense conversation - before it escalated into a full-blown argument. These two boys were arguing about a writing piece they were collaborating on. They couldn't agree on the voice. One insisted that since it was a formal, professional report, the word "I" didn't belong in it. The other argued that since they were writing as a professional engineer, giving an environmental assessment, they could use the word "I" since this person was giving the report.

There are instances daily where I'm re-affirmed that boys can learn in a literacy environment. This environment needs to make sense to them. It is a tough balance to maintain. I am known for giving my students a lot of freedoms and independence. We create daily, because I give them the space to do so. There are high expectations within our space, and all can achieve these.

As the year winds down - and as EQAO looms in my very near future - I'm amazed by how far we've come. On paper, my class is "That Class". We shouldn't be successful, yet we are. I believe it is because we have the space to create.

M.