I started my vague obsession with writing when I was around 15; short stories and daydreams mostly. They were an entertaining way to get through class. I would constantly be imagining a scenario where ninjas would fall through the ceiling and attack the math teacher, or a portal to another universe would open wide and spill out a blood soaked warrior. Writing was never an issue for me personally because I wrote so many stories and read so many books. I was self taught in grammar, in sentence structure, and in essay writing. By the time I was sixteen I had already scrapped the traditional form of essay writing. I started to integrate my ideas and weave an essay versus write an essay. Very few teachers gave me below a B, and when I actually made an effort in an essay, I rarely received anything below an A.

I think this was the exact reason I chose to become an English teacher. The way other kids struggled was always a mystery to me because I was always so good at it. The more I looked into this, the more I realized the difference in mentality. I loved it because I was good at it. The same way people love math, or playing music, or creating art. Writing took practice and concentration. Many people dismissed it because they assumed they were too dumb to catch on. I started reading when I was in 7th grade and that was what induced the writing. I read and learned how to write. The more I wrote the better I got. The better I got the more I loved writing.

In short, practice makes perfect. We aren't naturally programmed to know how to read and write. It is a learned skill that our brain must perfect just like playing guitar or throwing a football. Muscle memory and practice.

I love writing because it comes easy now after so many years of doing it. I want to show students that they can accomplish the same, if not an appreciation for writing and reading, if they only just practice.

I always loved English, it came naturally for me so class was naturally boring (pun intended). I don't think I ever got anything below a B on a paper until I reached my sophomore year of high school. I re-wrote that paper three times for that woman until she determined it good enough to warrant an A. Keep in mind, I didn't care about the A, she did. Those were the most in depth comments I ever got on an essay and ever would. So far, even the best of my writing has few comments. I wasn't sure was this is due to, laziness, time constrictions, or other issues either personal or professional, but I've learned the real value of thorough comments on an essay.

I've learned how to B.S. my way through many papers, so I know what it looks like. Working with middle school kids who are just learning how to write a thesis really rips away that veil. As a middle school teacher, you have to look past the grammar and the sentence structure to get to their ideas. They often have really great ideas, some of them really understand what they're supposed to do, but genius comes in simple sentences.

This challenged me to reassess my B.S.

As an aspiring English teacher, I write a lot of papers. This semester they have ranged from 2-15 pages in length and had varying levels of complexity. I have read over 1000 pages of material, skimmed probably another 500, and disregarded another 200. I have discovered the true meanings of the word "migraine" and the words "contemplative murder." I've had a few meltdowns and more than enough stress to kill coral.* But a few simple revelations alleviated most of that.

Write simply.

Over complication is what has killed my writing in the past. Take a concept, map it out, and write down your ideas and edit. The fancy language can come in later if at all.

I think the best part of being a teacher is learning all over again.

*Fun fact: If coral get too stressed, they die. What do coral get stressed about? I have no clue... OMG, they get stressed about currant events...