Teaching Bonus

We all know about the lousy pay given to teachers of all levels. There are moments, however, when I receive a teaching bonus. I read through seventy-five Women and Communication journals this weekend. As a whole, reading journals is preferable to slogging through poorly written papers. I'll have seventy-five papers sitting on my desk by tomorrow afternoon. Journaling, at least in my class, is a three-part exercise. First, students log daily observations regarding gendered communication. This part of the process generates awareness of the issues we're studying in class (in theory, at least). Second, students write responses to the reading assignments for the class. They can agree, disagree, or express ambivilance toward the material we read. All I ask is that they back up their position. At the most fundamental of levels, I'm looking for a minimal level of engagement. Finally, I ask students to generate weekly class concept essays. In a class concept essay, a student picks a theory or idea from class and shows how it applies to their own life. Through journaling I move my students through a process of awareness, engagement, and application. Pretty nifty, eh?

As I neared the never-ending pile of journals, I stumbled across the following entry. The entry is reproduced as originally written.

I guess as my last journal entry I want to do something a little different. I would like to say thank you to the women along the way for everything that they have done to allow me to be in the position that I am today. Without women who were courageous enough to take a stand against the status quo, we would still be in the position that placed us in the home only. The home is a beautiful place and those women who have done a tremendous job at bringing families into this world should be praised as well for the contributions to society. This class has opened my eyes in more ways than I thought possible. There is a lot to continue fighting for. Women have seen a tremendous amount of growth and more is still possible. I have grown into a woman who demands respect as a women from others. I have become an observant woman of the society that surrounds me. I have faith in the things that women are capable of and I am inspired by the things that women before me have done. The beauty of the pieces that we read touched my heart and offered new insight into the ways that other people think. The conversations allowed people within class to voice their beliefs and inquire about the things that were unclear. I have enjoyed this class more than any other before it because it was so unique in what it had to offer women in particular. It has been an inspiration and the lessons I have learned will always be part of my heart, thankfully.

Messages like this one make up for the crummy pay.