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Salvete omnes! nomen mihi est magistra Jennifer Jarnagin et in Dallas doceo.  I've wanted to make a blog for a while, but I was never sure what to call it, how to get started, what to include...the list went on and on.  I was chatting with my husband, who happens to be an incredibly talented writer and journalist, and (not shocking, given his job) he asked me several good questions that made me really think about what it is I wanted to say, how I wanted to say it, and what parts of myself I wanted to share with you all.

I decided to call my blog "The Perks of Being a Latin Teacher" as an homage to my Number-One-All-Time-Very-Most-Favorite-Book, Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  It's a YA epistolary novel that I fell in love with in high school.  The main character, Charlie, is such a beautiful person.  The writing is deceptively simple, charmingly funny, and profound.  I think my love for Perks probably started me on the road to becoming a teacher: its treatment of empathy, compassion, and reflection resonate with me and have challenged me to examine my life and decisions.

Charlie strives to see the humanity in everyone and in every situation, which leaves him to occupy a sort of grey area on the fringes of his high school.  He sees everything, and thinks deeply about it, but he spends much of his time in his own head.  His English teacher notices this and challenges him to not just observe, but participate as well.

I think as teachers we are a bit like Charlie; we are constantly monitoring kids and their dynamics, striving to see the good in all of them, reflecting on our practices, dealing with our own lives and families and responsibilities.  But do we participate in our own lives?  Are we remembering that our job is supposed to be fun?  Are we taking the time to practice self-care and avoid burnout?

In this blog I'm going to share how I try to find the balance between the two.  I'll share some classroom activities and strategies, materials, and research/resources that allow me to have fun while doing such a demanding, draining job.

valete!

sine cera,

Jenn