On Teaching: "March-ing in the Classroom"

With the month of March coming on this week, I fell to thinking today about how the word applies to my teaching. Normally, I wouldn't think it does, since I don't often picture my students "marching" as they go through their English work. In fact, I have always liked to think of them as "sailing through" their work, or "exploring" it, or "investigating" it. The idea of marching somehow seemed contrary to what I am trying to do as an English teacher. However, when I started thinking about the word and about my teaching, some new and appealing ideas unfurled. I thought, for instance, about marching bands, those precisely coordinated groups in which young people both follow strict guidelines and enjoy themselves immensely. Yes, they march in a lock-step manner, which may seem to be the opposite of creativity, but in doing so they create a spectacular show -- one that they are no doubt extremely proud to participate in. If only my English students could be that proud, that excited, about their work! And then I thought about soldiers marching in formation during their training. Military organizations insist on this because they know it will instill the sense of discipline the soldiers will need if and when they go forth to wage war. Aren't my students going to have to wage their own kinds of "wars" in future English classes, and in the real world, and shouldn't I help create the discipline that will aid them in those situations? Perhaps, after all, "marching" isn't such an inappropriate word for my classes. Perhaps I do want my students to march along through their work like an energetic, supportive group of learners. Perhaps it's not so bad to require them, at least now and then, to "march in formation" as they prepare themselves for the difficult schooling that lies ahead.