Mrs. Reed’s “This I Believe” podcast
Mrs. Reed’s “This I Believe” podcast
Take a Risk
by Mrs. Reed
I believe in the importance of taking risks. I have loved the thrill of rock climbing and white water rafting and I think I’ll go skydiving some day, but that’s not the type of risk we have to take. Risk is definitely taking adventures you never thought you’d take, but at the same time, it doesn’t have to be overly adventurous, putting your life on-the-line, but every day pushing yourself beyond what you thought you were capable or comfortable with.
As a child it was easy to take a risk. So much is new that it’s almost necessary to do so. I took a chance and put-on my courage when I believed my brother and sisters’ stories of the boogieman and carefully crept down the dark basement stairs to find him. I used to risk getting in trouble when my siblings told me it was ok to draw on the side of our house with chalk. I got in trouble of course, but that dare was worth it.
We take the chance of failure when we try something new. We dared to step up to an unfamiliar person and ask them to be our friend. As young adults we risk asking another person out on a date or telling a secret to a friend we’re not sure we can trust. As we get older, I find that it doesn’t get easier to take a chance. We get stuck in usual routines with work, school, social engagements, family events, and other aspects of the daily grind, because they are familiar. While familiar can be good, we still need to take a chance on new experience.
As a high school English teacher, I value the risk that students take when they try something new in their writing. Yet, with grades on the line, this type of risk in general may not be favored or easy. I want my students to learn to be critical, make their own meaning and discoveries and to learn more than they expected. When I started writing my “This I Believe” essay, the topic I chose, is one that I feel very passionate about, literacy learning and the power of voice. True, I have written about this topic before. My students immediately caught on to that and didn’t allow me to go back to my usual topic; instead they told me that I should try something new. And so I took that risk.
By taking a risk and trying something new with this podcasting project, I believe that my students and I have learned about technology’s influence on communication in our world today. We’ve also learned a great deal about the value of taking our voices from the front of our classroom to the ears of the world.
About Mrs. Reed
Mrs. Reed is an English Teacher at Charlotte High School and a Red Cedar Writing Project Teacher Consultant.
This spring she wanted to provide opportunities for her speech class to have a larger audience and extend beyond the walls of the classroom and therefore she decided to embark on this podcasting project and explore the ways in which technology is influencing communication in our world today.
Mrs. Reed is grateful to everyone that helped with this podcasting project, especially Charlotte Public Schools and Red Cedar Writing Project. She is inspired and energized by her students for taking this risk with her.
Special thanks to…
National Public Radio for the inspiration to compose spoken essays following the “This I Believe” series and the “This I Believe” staff.
Jon Schmidt whose album provided music for our podcast. Schmidt’s album Powerful Exhilarating Piano featuring song “All of me” is from the Podsafe Music Network.
Thank you Jack for the introduction.
Thanks Sarah L for closing remarks.
Thank you to Charlotte Public Schools, especially the technology department for your assistance in this project.
Thank you to the Red Cedar Writing Project for your assistance with this project.
March 27th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Hey, blog
March 28th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Mrs. Reed,
What a FABULOUS project this is. Thanks for the risk that you took to share it with the world. So right you are that taking a risk doesn’t get any easier the older we become. But even small risks have huge returns, like your risk to join BC has returned as “All Seasons Friends”
March 28th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Dawn, I just love this assignment. This personal essay invitation is so enagaging and accessible for all ages to “have a go at.” I enjoyed your risk taking topic and I appreciate that you are determined to model your own writing for your students. What a treat for your students to have you as their teacher.
I am sending your podcast site to my colleagues in Evart, Michigan. I hope some of the students there will respond to a few of your essays. What wonderful work you are doing.
March 28th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Good topic.
I admire the work you and your students have done this semester. It makes me want to write a “This I Believe” essay too. Your topic makes me think about the ways - and excuses - we use to avoid risk. This inspires me to just go for it.
Nice job.
Carlin
March 28th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Dawn,
I admire your podcast project and I appreciate your piece on risk. I know it’s hard to get a project like this off the ground (I’ve tried myself) and your success renews my interest and desire.
Taking a good, healthy risk feels ‘wonderful-scary.’ Any teacher knows how integral risk-taking is for lessons to be engaging and forward-thinking; I wrote a poem on the same topic that’s on my website homepage. Also, I love the NPR “This I Believe” segments; thanks for translating them into a practical, powerful lesson.
You (and your students) rock!
March 28th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Krista, Toby, and Carlin,
Thanks for your responses and encouragement. I really appreciate it. It’s nice to hear back from our audience
Krista, you are so right that small risks help us to find rich experience.
Toby, this assignment is wonderful. Taking part in a larger project, such as NPR’s “This I Believe” is a neat experience to consider being part of a global writing community focused on the same goal.
Carlin, I remember someone in our RCWP cohort wrote a “This I Believe” essay. I remember thinking what a challenge. My students and I noticed the challenge of the assignment and embraced it. It’s been a great experience.
Thank you all for your support!
March 28th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Aram,
Thanks for your response. Yes, good healthy risks are important for rich experience. I hope you’re able to revisit the podcast project with your students.
At first my class and I were a little hesitant to travel in this direction, but once we started my students have soared. Their interest in revision has been so neat with this project too. I’ll have to check out your poem.
Thanks for your response.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Wow, this is an awesome project! You and your class did a super job, and big congrats go out to all on your hard work.
March 30th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Dawn….how proud I am of you. You have accomplished dreams and goals that were voiced in a quiet voice. Your risk has enriched not only the lives of your students but also those who read and share in this podcast.
I am enriched as your mother. Thank you for sharing your risks with me. May there always be a risk waiting for your courage to tackle it with grace and the ability to learn so much more.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Dawn,
This is such an impressive and influential endeavor! I am so excited to work with you and absorb your innovative ideas and passion for teaching. So many people are so proud of you for taking this risk, but the true testimony is in the voices of your students, who are so proud of their accomplishment, and so thankful for your leadership! You inspire me!