You've alluded to admin-enforced bans between newer and older teachers fraternizing before - is this actual district policy that you're depicting, or is it more of a plot device? I can't imagine a district not wanting to leverage veteran teachers' know-how in mentoring younger ones. Maybe there's a part of the picture I'm not seeing, though.
Regardless, this was excellent - good, durable mysteries established in plot and theme, and a strong call-to-arms for teacher mental health 👏
In the first conception and draft of Why Teach?, the 'bureaucratic' angle was further developed and played a larger role--frustrated with difficulties the veteran had caused, the administrators had gone out of their way to prevent the new teachers and first-years from communicating at all, and in addition to the Head of Literacy, there was a "Literacy Coach" who marched the latter around the school, escorting them in and out of meetings and to their own, private debriefing meetings. I wanted some of that to come out in this little tale. Thanks, as usual, for the close read Cameron!
It does seem plausibly close to a tactic an insecure and paranoid admin would deploy. I shudder to think of what sort of Gestapo-ass place would stoop that low - especially the escorting. And the piece is dead on the money in capturing the psychic effects that environment would produce on a new teacher, particularly one without close communal or family ties.
Thanks for the trip back through Plains City: always good food for thought there 🫡
I had to look up "Margery Kempe," I'm afraid. Had a lot of trouble naming this young lady--was partially inspired in the title by a Cheever story I'd read years ago: "The Troubles of Marcie Flint," and wanted the name to be a bit of an homage. Tried a bunch of different ones. At present, kind of wish I'd given her the last name "Klement"--I don't quite know why.
Deeply appreciative of your comment on the narration. It's different than what normally goes for short story style these days, but felt really good to me in the drafting. Looking back afterward, I wondered how it would go over. I decided just to hit publish -- sometimes you can only tell after you put something out there and let some time pass.
I really love how the narration makes the community itself become a character (incidentally, I felt this a bit too with Why Teach, which I read as a kind of love story between Will and his home). I just read The Virgin Suicides so was thinking of the narration there, but like if Barbara Pym did it!
You've alluded to admin-enforced bans between newer and older teachers fraternizing before - is this actual district policy that you're depicting, or is it more of a plot device? I can't imagine a district not wanting to leverage veteran teachers' know-how in mentoring younger ones. Maybe there's a part of the picture I'm not seeing, though.
Regardless, this was excellent - good, durable mysteries established in plot and theme, and a strong call-to-arms for teacher mental health 👏
In the first conception and draft of Why Teach?, the 'bureaucratic' angle was further developed and played a larger role--frustrated with difficulties the veteran had caused, the administrators had gone out of their way to prevent the new teachers and first-years from communicating at all, and in addition to the Head of Literacy, there was a "Literacy Coach" who marched the latter around the school, escorting them in and out of meetings and to their own, private debriefing meetings. I wanted some of that to come out in this little tale. Thanks, as usual, for the close read Cameron!
It does seem plausibly close to a tactic an insecure and paranoid admin would deploy. I shudder to think of what sort of Gestapo-ass place would stoop that low - especially the escorting. And the piece is dead on the money in capturing the psychic effects that environment would produce on a new teacher, particularly one without close communal or family ties.
Thanks for the trip back through Plains City: always good food for thought there 🫡
Misread the title as "Margery Kempe" and was so confused for a hot minute (absolutely loved the narration btw!!)
I had to look up "Margery Kempe," I'm afraid. Had a lot of trouble naming this young lady--was partially inspired in the title by a Cheever story I'd read years ago: "The Troubles of Marcie Flint," and wanted the name to be a bit of an homage. Tried a bunch of different ones. At present, kind of wish I'd given her the last name "Klement"--I don't quite know why.
Deeply appreciative of your comment on the narration. It's different than what normally goes for short story style these days, but felt really good to me in the drafting. Looking back afterward, I wondered how it would go over. I decided just to hit publish -- sometimes you can only tell after you put something out there and let some time pass.
I really love how the narration makes the community itself become a character (incidentally, I felt this a bit too with Why Teach, which I read as a kind of love story between Will and his home). I just read The Virgin Suicides so was thinking of the narration there, but like if Barbara Pym did it!