Let's try this again

I've attempted, like many of you, to blog numerous times and keep getting interrupted.

I am sitting in a colleague's empty classroom, waiting for her summer-school class to begin. I am subbing for her this week, and having this quiet time has been wonderful for me to catch up on some reading and thinking.

I teach at an Early College high school (and I know there is another teacher out there too!). What this means is students enroll in dual credit and community college classes while attending class here at the high school. They have the opportunity to graduate with their associates degree as well as high school diploma.

I love my job here, but since we have a small staff what it boils down to is we all wear many hats. I teach AP Language/Composition as well as Journalism (and we publish the paper as well), and I co-coach debate with a History colleague in the city's urban debate league.

There are numerous challenges I face with the newspaper, many of which you have already brought up: limited skill with writing, ESOL issues, and little to no budget (I am just now getting a software program to publish the paper).

In addition, our student schedules are jam-packed with high school and college courses, and there are scheduling issues which prevent me from retaining a majority of students with Journalism experience. Every semester is a new beginning, and I feel dizzy with the amount of re-teaching and publication changes we face at any given moment.

I look forward to meeting everyone and picking their brains for all of your expertise and tips.

I cannot believe the trip is coming up so soon. I MUST think of story ideas immediately.

Meghan Brannon

East Early College High School

Houston, TX