At times this semester seemed to fly by, and then, looking back, it seems like it has been ages since we met for the first time. Overall, this experience has been successful and rewarding.
First off, working with the middle school students was an experience I will never forget. I had some negative opinions of a couple of the kids, having met them under less than ideal circumstances, fortunately, through this experience I was able to see the good in even the worst of them. Kids that would never have even picked up a poetry book were not only reading it, but performing it in front of others.
Next, the second half of the semester was just as rewarding as the first, but in a different way. We had two very different guest speakers but both brought very interesting information to the class. The book list that required us to read 100 kids books was wonderful. I have for years used the excuse that I had no time to read, but this forced me to. As a result, I have rediscovered a passion for reading that will hopefully be infectious. Compiling this website, while frustrating at times, has been a rewarding experience as well. It has given me a chance to look back and realize just how much effort I have put into this semester and how far we have all come from that first day, so many weeks ago.
While I was sceptical from the initial class, overall I have been satisfied with the experiences I have had in this class and am grateful that I decided to take it.