Day 1 - Rachel

What is something you did that you loved?

First, let me apologize for being a day late with this. I was at the American Classical League Institute last weekend and It was amazing but also exhausting and yesterday I spent most of the day traveling from Montana to Georgia so I was (and am) exhausted. And really exhilarated--it was a really fantastic conference!
Last year I taught Latin IV, AP as well as Latin I. One thing that all three had in common was a chance to connect with students. 
​So this is a more vague, less-easily defined thing that I'm reflecting on, but I think that I did it fairly well: I connected with my students. I made it a point to get to know my students. I talked to them while they worked on assignments and asked them about their interests. If someone drew in my class, I checked in to see what it was about and if I recognized an influence (a show, an artist) I discussed it with him or her. I asked about bands they listened to and shows they had pictured on their shirts and listened when they told me about their families and their friends and the places they liked to go or how they liked to get time alone in their rooms or sometimes how it was really hard to get time alone in their houses so they usually escaped outside.
The thing is, I do this because I really love it and really love my students and I care about their passions and interests, even when I don't always share them. I also have passions and interests, so I at least understand how that feels, and I think I communicate that to them.
I love Latin.
But I love my students more. And I'm okay with them figuring that out. Sometimes I think that it's essential that they do.
So, yeah. I'll end this awkwardly, journal style.