Thoughts on Senior Project

I am so excited about senior project!! 

Lately I have been stressing about what I am going to do about my lesson. I wasn't sure how I could teach my first answer to my audience. And how could I keep them as I excited as I was about stories?

It felt like a chore rather than an opportunity to share what I have been learning. In reality, I am always waiting for someone to let me unleash the dam of built up excitement about stories. So why worry? The only thing I should be worrying about is how I am going to pick which things to talk about and which ones I cannot. The worst thing should be the thought of limiting myself.

Sometimes, I think that maybe my first answer is wrong. But then I remember that I am allowed to change my answer and that no one will tell me that I cannot. Then I worry that maybe I won't be able to back up my answer. But then I realize that nothing is concrete in literature. There are no set rules, not even to grammar and spelling. There are hundreds of possible interpretations to everything, which means that no matter what I decide, I can't be wrong. I just have to believe it.

My last thought just happened a few hours ago. I was reading one of my books, The Glimmer Train by Susan Brown and Linda Davies, which is an absolute gem. I was getting all bubbly because of all of the wonderful quotes when it hit me. I really like the senior project. Like, a lot. I always hear the other students complaining about how they are done with it and just ready for it to end, but I can't get enough. I am literally being given a grade to read books and talk to cool people. I get to spend a few hours of school every week just talking about what I love. And then at the end of the year I get two hours to share all of this with everyone else! How is this not something to love? The independent component is your chance to explore your passion however you'd like. The essential question is something that you truly want to know, that you get to explore for a year. This is such a good project!! All I have to say to those other students is, I'm sorry you picked the wrong topic. And to the teachers, thank you for giving us this opportunity, I appreciate how much work you put into this just so that we can enjoy school.