A quick writing prompt, and vice versa

 

I am, by most accounts, a high school English teacher. Sure, I have worn other hats during my time, but mostly just because I was losing more and more hair and needed different hats to disguise that sad truth. I am in charge of textbook ordering and distribution (that hat has a feather in it) and I have been an administrator at various levels and done other stuff as well. But the bottom line (and the CBGB) -- the one constant has been that I am a high school English teacher. One aspect of that is that I try to get reluctant students to write more. Practice, practice and location.

There is a well-established way to increase writing. Assign writing. But that isn't so much fun. So another sneaky method is to introduce a writing prompt and ask students NOT to write about it for a few minutes but just think about it, or, if the mood strikes, discuss it briefly with two other people. Then and only then, write about it.

So there I was, 2:45 in the aiy em, letting my mind wander and hoping that that counted as my steps for the day, and a prompt for such a piece of writing popped into my head. It popped quietly as it was 2:45 and the wife and dog were sleeping fastly. [note: I figure that "asleep" is an adjective so the word "fast" must serve as an adverb -- I learned that any word that modifies an adjective is considered an adverb, even if it is otherwise an adjective; of course, that is immaterial as "fast" in this sense is, independently, an adverb. So when I flipped the order of the words, I wanted to avoid anyone's thinking of "fast" as an adjective so I added an -ly. If you wish to sue, contact someone who cares. I do not.] I asked myself the question (and as I was finally on the cusp of sleep, the question was somehow intertwined with my counting hard boiled eggs) "is being a high school English teacher WHO I am, WHAT I am or WHAT I DO." I thought it without all caps for certain words that do not generally have all caps, or even many hats, but I wanted, in writing, to convey the difference between phrasings. More law suits? Thank you very little.

I don't know the exact answer to the question. I wrestled with it (hey, more exercise!) and can find all sorts of arguments for each side. I also don't know if I would want students to discuss my employment, identity in the theoretical or some actual aspect of their own lives, but that's why I have the whole summer to think it through.

But here's something for you all to consider -- is your occupation what you are, who you are or what you do? Don't write about it just yet. Bring it up at the dinner table with your loved ones. Discuss it. Hear out all the opinions and focus on the ones you don't like. Then write about it. I mean, I think that's an interesting topic and worth discussing, but what do I know?

I'm just a high school English teacher.