Reflections on Myth Study and Creating a Myth

 When we began our study of myths, we learned the purpose that myths fulfill and why they are so important to cultures around the globe. Myths exist to answer fundamental questions about the universe. In this, I was able to understand that myths existed as a source of comfort for people. The unknown can feel scary and overwhelming, and in ancient times where science was not advanced enough to explain many of the experiences which affect our daily life, a story of explanation could have been comforting. 

When it was time for me to create my own myth, it was my turn to explain a phenomenon. This task immediately overwhelmed me. It felt so incredibly broad, and I was intimidated by the burden of explaining the origins of something that I absolutely had nothing to do with and for which I was not present. This gave me some insight on how people must have felt in creating these myths; they must have been so intensely looking for answers in order to be inspired enough to come up with these stories. While the burden of explaining natural phenomena feels impossible to me because I live in a world where science has already explained a whole lot of our experiences, early people who did not have as much information or education were inspired by their intense curiosity to piece together reality in a way that makes sense for them. 

This was a joyful reminder for me about how naturally inquisitive and exploratory humans are. If people do not have access to an answer to a question they have, they tend to go out of their way to fill in these knowledge gaps with myth, art, and research. This gives my role as a teacher a joyful weight to it. My classroom will be buzzing with curious minds ready to try their best in piecing the world together in a way that makes sense. I am excited to aid in their journeys of natural curiosity and I hope that the knowledge they gain in my classroom will help them make sense of and prepare for the big world ahead of them.

Reflections on Writing About Poetry and Writing Poetry

It was very useful for me to write about poetry prior to writing my own poem because it provided me with the proper support I needed to write a poem myself.

Writing about poetry was so useful because it tasked me with first, reading the poem and thinking critically about it. Reading the poem engaged me and gave me an idea of the author's perspective, making me want to explore more, especially because I did not fully understand the poem on my first reading. Upon reading the poem, I felt moved and intrigued by the poet's words. In order to write about this emotional experience, I had to examine the poetic elements used in the poem and how they accomplish the vivid experience. I also chose to explore the historical context of the poet's author and what their life must have been like. In becoming curious about the author and their circumstances, I was able to research and gain a better understanding of their perspective and what my chosen poem may have been saying to its readers. 

From learning about the poetic elements and how an author's circumstances are reflected into their poetry, I was given a glimpse of how I may also chose to express myself. Metaphors, rhyme schemes, and all the poetic elements I had to learn about in order to understand my chosen poems was now not just for famous authors, but for me as well! I now have these elements in my pocket, which prepared me in giving me ideas for how I could formulate our own ideas. Writing my own poetry was similar to writing about poetry because I was also tasked with understanding poetic elements--only it was a bit harder and a bit more vulnerable, because I had to be creative and find my own way to employ these elements. I was also the one to choose the poem's topic and events, which felt daunting at first. I knew that my experiences and perspective would certainly be reflected in my poems because they were my own creative expressions, which came more from my heart and was more loaded with my personal life than my argumentative essay. This felt much more vulnerable than examining or arguing for an interpretation of someone else's work. 

From this experience, I learned that thinking critically about poetry and its elements prior to writing my own poetry was helpful because it prepared me with the tools I needed. This gave me insight on how I can teach students to write poetry with the proper support so they do not feel like they are starting from nothing. I also learned how vulnerable it can feel to write poetry, which inspires me to make sure that my classroom is a safe and welcoming environment where students feel safe to express themselves. 

An Introduction and My Thoughts On Technology in Classrooms

Hi, readers! I am Lily Searcy, a student majoring in English Subject Matter with a Focus on Linguistics and a Minor in Teaching English as a Second Language at California State University, Northridge. This blog was created for my English Subject Matter Capstone class (Hi, Dr. Overman! ☺) I will be graduating this Spring of 2026 and moving forward with earning my Teaching Credential for elementary school. I love literature, language, linguistics, reading, and all things teaching!

Come talk to me and tell me your thoughts on my posts! 

My first thoughts are on technology and its role in classrooms. 

I believe that technology, specifically screen-based attention-grabbing technology, is very powerful and should therefore be used mindfully and sparingly in the classroom. I believe that, ideally, only the occasional low-stimulation smartboard activity should be used and technology should be kept as a group or class activity rather than an individual activity. 

Screen-based activities can be tempting for schools to implement as they are able to so effectively capture the attention of children, getting them to sit still and quietly for long periods of time. Children also tend to be enthusiastic about these screen activities, making it seem like a win for both educators and their students. However, screen time among today's children is already very high without educators adding to it, and it does not come without consequences. When children are tethered to screens all day, they often suffer from difficulties interacting and socializing with others, along with an increase in emotional volatility and weakened impulse control. This makes these children harder to teach and less likely to be ready to learn when they are not on screens; these issues only make behavior management even more difficult, which in turn increases both student and educator reliance on screens.

Screens also stand in between teachers' and students' ability to connect with one another. If a student completes a lesson on a computer and receives a bright and colorful "Good Job!" message sent to them by an algorithm, their entire lesson and its rewards were devoid of human connection (and not to mention highly addicting). Children are also often rewarded by their teachers via a screen, being sent digital points and "badges" like a "Good Listener badge" rather than being verbally praised. When screens are implemented, students are also less likely to goof off and talk with their friends, which is convenient for behavior management but terrible for their social development. Overall, a routine reliance on screen time in the classroom creates a lonely and isolating experience for students.

Even though it may seem less convenient for us as educators, children are better off snickering with their friends during a lesson while we try to get their attention than they are silently staring at a screen all day. Our children deserve to be loved, educated, and rewarded by humans, not an algorithm programmed to steal their attention. This is why we as educators should aim to lessen the screen time of children in order to promote their mental and social well-being.

What do you think about technology in classrooms?