Email+from+Lillian+Reeves+to+461

Good people of 461,

If you didn't catch this in the New York Times, I have to say it is one of the best I've read. (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/taking-emotions-out-of-our-schools.html) I think we have shared some variations of this in class discussion and in your writing, though we've also talked about ways to invite kids to literature and literacy, and what the most effective strategies for that might be, some of which might include NOT using ONLY the "best" literature. I think, if anything, we have to devise our own best practices, and I would add to that that best practices in the education literature (in my opinion) refer to a fixed set of "tricks" and are just another trend-setter, put out by money-grubbers who package ideas supposedly based on SBR (scientifically based research), which often has very little to do with actually growing the cultural capital of young people. In other words, I am skeptical of best practices when they are viewed as a complete set of guides that cannot be altered.

Beyond that, I've read all of your 461 reflections, maybe a half-dozen times by now, and the one theme that unifies almost all of your essays is community. You all created an unmatched environment of collegiality and if you choose, you can always be a part of it (facebook, twitter, listserv, emails, etc. -- develop a way to hold on to each other). You all show the mark of true literature lovers, as you have celebrated each others stories and shared your own, despite the insecurities we brought with us on the first days of 461. You are each others resources and friends, even if you enter (or don't enter at all) the classroom at different times, your ideas right now are unencumbered by all the things that have at times been known to eliminate teachers' creativity. So burn bright. Stick to your big ambitions about what kids deserve and the ways in which you are ALREADY prepared to go about guiding them to success. Be organized. Even if keeping up the 461 binder was annoying for some of you, developing and maintaining well-marked and easily identified resources will only ever aid you as you move into a classroom setting of your own. As far as working within a district, successful teaching is 90% organization and efficiency.

Twitter got mixed reviews, though all of the feedback that everyone gave was useful to me. There were a few thoughts about wanting to do more with the verses, and one thing that I have thought about would be to choose a verse -- after every 3 or 4 tweets -- and develop a poem, a short story, a play, a drawing, a photograph, (anything really) around the verse. You all are much more creative than that, but I think there would be a lot of worth in encouraging some further writing around the verses so they can carry on a different though parallel life outside of the digital world. The original intent was to challenge you to be concise, to have a beginning, middle, and end in 140 characters. That seemed daunting to me and I wondered if it could be done. You all rose to the challenge beautifully. I think there is a great deal to be learned from restricting word counts in certain writing events. Often times when I was reading your tweets, I felt as though I were reading the best 100 literary quotes from the 21st century; *chills*.

I finally met Dr. Gieskes and got to tell him how fabulous 461ers were/are. He acted like he wasn't surprised. He said, "they are a self-selected group," I think implying that by then YOU should be awesome if you are choosing to take a 400 level engl class (rather than being required to take it). Perhaps that is true, but I can also assure you that I've taught/worked with graduate students and doctoral students at a number of different institutions in English and in Education, and there is something about you all in particular which is totally unmatched; even when you were tired, your creative energy was most appreciated and eye-opening, and being part of this class is something I will personally always cherish.

A quick note at the end: self-grading is the worst thing ever and I thank all of you, whole-heartedly, for participating in that informal assessment. Some of you were far too modest, most of you spot on, and a few of you were not critical enough of yourselves. There is always a tug-of-war, in my mind anyway, between being creative at all costs, however much or however little, while ALSO going through the motions of checking off the requirements for a course. In school, you have to be BOTH AND. You have to be BOTH creative at all costs AND check off the requirements for the course. That's not just in college and grad school, but in high school, middle school, even elementary school -- as student and as teacher. You also have to be willing to take the most for YOURSELF from each experience -- educative or otherwise -- and to try if you're able to give something back to those who are learning with you. Some of you have already mentioned that you are considering professions other than high school English or you are pursuing other interests in addition to a career in high school English; I think heading out in different directions and using your well-established language love in other fields is brilliant and much-needed. I read a wonderful article when I was still in undergrad about "Shakespeare in the ER," encouraging English majors to join the medical field and to bring with them a new heightened level of compassion. Amen. I guess what I'm trying to say here is follow the path that calls you and that you long for, go where you're willing to expend the most energy and effort and let it have nothing to do with a paycheck (though everyone needs mad cash!). Do what you love and do it exceptionally. I say again, I understand language and learning more fully because I had this experience with all of you. I am in your debt.

Please know when I say if I am able to help in any way, I am happy to be a contact/letter-writer for all of you for your future adventures in education or otherwise. I've got some really great connections, from Dixie and Shirley and beyond, that I'm always thrilled to get on the case for ambitious young people. After the semester officially ends, I'd love to be facebook friends with you and to keep in touch as you make your way through...

All the best to all of you and I'll see you Wednesday!

Lillian