Lucie Watkins’ blog

So I just finished reading Delta Autumn and I feel very grateful to have a resource like this.  I loved reading about the history of the Mississippi Delta and how mistakes and decisions from the past have affected both the educational and economical situations today.  reading about that only strengthened my desire to help the schools that are suffering here.  Of course, being an optimistic person, I have a fear that I won't truly understand the devastation of some of these areas until I am actually teaching in the fall.   I just hope that I can hold onto some of that enthusiasm.  

  I loved that this book gave some first year teacher tips.  Even though we are currently in program that trains us as much as it can, it is nice to have something to refer to once we get to our specific school and our minds go crazy during the first week.  I think the most helpful part of the book for me was the classroom management section in Chapter 3.  I think this part of teaching gives me the most anxiety because I am not a very strict person.  I actually starred a couple of tips that I thought would be most helpful to me.  The author pointed out that some management problems are caused by the teacher doing most of the work.  This is definitely something to keep in mind because my only teaching experience so far is with college students, and in college there is always a lot of lecture and not a lot of student activities.  When I start teaching high school in the fall I will try to remember that the students are the ones that need to talk to me and each other, and that I do not need to talk all the time.  

  The other tip that I really connected with was the fact that first year teachers may be too lenient with discipline.  This is definitely true for me because during my first teaching experience in summer school, I was not very consistent with the consequences.  It was very apparent that the rules needed to be enforced in order to keep order in the classroom.  So I will definitely keep this tip in mind.

  The one criticism that I would make about this book is the exclusion of the city of Jackson.  I understand why it would not be included since it is a book about the Delta, but since I will be teaching in Jackson, I would have loved to read something about rural schools versus urban schools.  I could definitely make some connections with the information in Delta Autumn since it discusses issues such as poverty and white flight.  However, I would like a little more information about Jackson or just city schools in general.

  Overall, the book was very informative and easy to read.  I am so glad someone took the time out to write a book that would help first teachers like myself.  It comforts me a little to know that someone else has been through what I am about to go through.

I have to say, now that the first week of MTC is over, I definitely feel like I have been riding a crazy roller coaster complete with upside down loops and cork screw twists.  The first couple of days/nights were the hardest for me because I did not get a chance to meet anyone, my roommate arrived late, and I had to say goodbye to everything familiar.  I am sure I was a sad sight as my friends, who had helped me move in, drove away to Memphis.