Emergent Things

I suppose it's only appropriate that I take the time to explain the title. As an English teacher, it probably isn't entirely appropriate that I title my blog with nonsensical words, and although "emergent" has a number of pages on Wikipedia ranging from albums to plants, mine has an altogether different meaning.

During my second year as a yearbook adviser, I took a day off work to tend to my cat, who was suffering from depression and anxiety (yes, the vet told me this) and needed his anti-depressant filled. I had other things to do that day, too, but the cat was top priority. So, I woke up early and went to the pharmacy to get his prescription filled. Upon arriving, I decided to check my school email on my phone. To my surprise, my account had been flooded with emails from yearbook staff members with questions about photos, copy, deadlines -- all sorts of yearbook stuff. And, to address these, I found a corner in the store and sat so that I could respond to each email. And sat I did.

Once I finished, I filled my cat's prescription and left. While driving home, I checked my email again to make sure everything had been settled. And, much to my dismay, one new email subject read:

                             EMERGENT! PLEASE ANSWER IMMEDIATELY

I didn't know what "emergent" meant, but I figured it was some sort of combination of "emergency" and "urgent," so I hurriedly braked and pulled over my car, sweating, heart racing, to read the email, thinking that one of my editors had snapped and hit a staff member or something (not really...my editors were always pretty awesome).

The email had been sent to the entire faculty asking for club rosters. Not quite EMERGENT, but important nonetheless. The staff member and I spoke about this the next day, and, if I remember correctly, she was both humored and proud that her subject line succeeded in grabbing one's attention.

As the year wound down and I announced my decision to leave, I forgot about that day and other EMERGENT things. It wasn't until the last day of school, when I had said my good-byes and received a fair number of awkward hugs from students who didn't know how to say good-bye, that my yearbook editor-in-chief presented me with what is probably the coolest notebook I've ever received. I was so captured by it (it was decorated in 90's comic book clippings -- my favorite) that I didn't even notice the letter inside until she had left. And, in her letter, she reminded me of that day, my cat, and my EMERGENT life as a yearbook adviser.

I read that letter a lot. And, while I can't pin the reason I teach to one thing in particular, I can say that the EMERGENT moments have a great deal to do with it. And so, again, I've decided to write them here.

When I started teaching four years ago, I found that I had a lot to say but not enough understanding to say it well. Since then, I've gotten married to another teacher, worked in a couple different schools with a lot of different people, and even taken on a few leadership roles.

Having recently started my newest endeavor in a new state, I find myself returning to the idea that I have things to say about teaching, albeit this time with a little experience. See, while I've taught in two different schools, two and a half of those years four years were spent at one school. I know this isn't a great deal of time to work at a school, but I developed as a teacher at that school, having been hired on as an aide and eventually promoted to English & Journalism Teacher. Since moving on from that experience, I've realized that I had a lot of worthwhile experiences that I never took the time to write down. And, well, I don't want to make that mistake again.

So, here I am, hoping to have more worthwhile experiences and a place to record them.