Personal Legend

Rereading The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlho with my Honors English 10 students while preparing for the Reynolds Institute causes a bizarre train of thought. I think mostly of how the words of Santiago and his guides and mentors will hit my students, but now and then I think of them for myself. In a way I am new enough at my pursuit (teaching journalism) to be encouraged by the refrain "when a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream."  Many times this is called "beginners luck." One would think that, at my age, my personal legend was nearly completed. Yet, apparently, the legend has chapters, and even "parts", and I'm working on a new Part.

What makes a deadline matter?

No grades for a journalism club, so what can make the deadline for copy mean something? I thought it would be the layout day. That is, after the writers missed two deadlines designed to give the editors time to read the articles before layout. Not effective, when the writers just don't show up for layout and those who do show up have very little to work with.

My friend and InDesign coach Jay Gamel suggests that layout cannot be scheduled until articles are in hand. (Of course, they told me the articles WERE in hand.)  Would that make the deadline count?

Dodging the Interview or Efficient Fact-Finding

I'm pondering this question, still, after a week.  The badminton coach, who happens to be my teaching partner,  mentioned to me that he had to complete a questionnaire for my paper.  News to me.  I thought my sports reporters were interviewing the coaches.  No, they devised a questionnaire for their Spring Sports Wrapup.  With so many coaches to consider and so little time, maybe this is a good idea. Or, maybe they will just add to the coaches' burden and not really do the job the reporter is supposed to do, gather the facts.  At this point, it's a matter of all of us learning from the experience.

Starting a new high school has been an experience of collaboration and creativity, collegiality and intellectual challenge like none other in my life. When Stella, a student in my Humanities 10 class, asked me to be adviser for the new Journalism Club she wanted to form, I think I didn't realize how she was changing my life. Of course I had thought of teaching Journalism, but the class had not been offered in year one for lack of enrollment. So, a Club? We did it. And the students and Jay, an old friend with valuable skills in the field, and I produced the first ever American Canyon High School student newspaper, "Wolf Prints" in February of 2011. We will produce the 2nd edition (and final for our first year) later this month. AND I'll be attending the ASNE Reynolds High School Journalism Institute at Arizona State University Cronkite School in June.

Next year?  We'll see, but right now the budget will not allow me to teach a class in Journalism, though I have 17 students enrolled. I am still hoping, but I am also formulating a way to do more teaching in the club format.