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Dr. Dianna Lindsay's picture
Dr. Dianna Lindsay
After 43 years in my chosen profession, I remain excited, alive, and learning! From an active Twitter Account to blogging, from teaching Constitutional Law to Pre-AP English, from a national winner...
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Enlightenment: Remember Why You Started in Teaching --Making the Work Real Life

  1. I am fortunate enough to work in an environment that encourages me to link academic problems to life-struggling questions. By partnering with experts in an area~ we are solving the realistic issues that academic exercises yield. This is more than a "flipped classroom" I can assure you!
  2. My students are creating a literary magazine from conceptual ideals to realistic challenges. Making our work with life links is exciting indeed! Researching~ reading~ selecting options~ and making mock-ups all happen before students enter their classroom to discuss why an option is appropriate and another is immature thinking. These same skills require thinking about the directions and tasks needed to progress; kids like real problems!
  3. Our first question at all times is to remember why we started this project and who is our audience. While that seems like a simple enough task for a literary magazine~ you would be surprise how quickly we are dealing with a myriad of side steps. First~ we needed a name to offer to our Head of School~ who is in fact our life-link "Editor in Chief". Our committee explored~ detoured~ implored~ and restored our work in a brainstorming session. With timers in hand~ groups in teams~ we created a list of about 48 names. We then set to work grouping and eliminating choices and ultimately making a presentation to her and six others that have a vested interest in our "brand". The wise preparations yielded our new name~ The Mustard Seed.
  4. Second~ we hired a design artist to conceptualize our ideals. The 16 mock-ups presented to us are not to our standard so we are "back to the drawing board with a new commercial artist. The critical thinking skills needed for their comments were extensive and the arguments intense.
  5. Third~ we realized we need legal advice as we selected our name and create a Twitter account. Our lawyer is coming to work with us on trademarks~ copyright et cetera (good thing we have parents who are availablefor free). He too is exploring the name and will present his findings this week.
  6. Forth~ we have design concerns and initial printing layouts to consider; we need an expert printing company to interview. Our imagination seems limitless but we are unsure of the realistic parameters that need to be set; thusly~ a printing company can establish fences around our possibilities.
  7. Last~ we still have no articles~ no revenue stream~ no paintings~ no poems~ no essays and no audience; but~ we do have experience as a small start-up company! I love real life work in a classroom!
  8. This is why we teach and why we love transforming children's lives into the joys of discovery and options! Teach on!