Reflections on a Summer of Collaboration, Chaos, and Creativity – Sofia
Sofia is a senior at John Carroll University majoring in English and early childhood education. She spent summer 2021 as an intern at Lake Erie Ink teaching, designing the display for the Creative Community Challenge, helping with camps and marketing, and organizing the Growth anthology.
When I applied to be one of John Carroll University’s Summer in the City interns back in January, I had no idea where I would be placed for nonprofit work. After months of anticipation, my supervisor finally made the announcement: I would be working with Lake Erie Ink! I was shocked and thrilled; as a double major in English and early childhood education, LEI was the perfect fit! This feeling was confirmed as soon as I walked into LEI and met Amy, Jill, Melanie, Catherine, and Eli, who were welcoming and energetic. I at once felt at home among the colorful bookshelves, messy supplies, and giant duct tape pencils.
My first task, of course, was organization: I mapped out a 12’ x 5’ calendar of all the camps and events LEI was scheduled to host over the next three months of summer, the sheer number of which surpassed overwhelming to become absolutely awing. While Amy and I brainstormed how to design the calendar, she assured me a number of times that it was alright if it did not come together, to which I would respond that “I’d just have to fiddle with it until I figured it out!” This attitude embracing experimentation and problem solving was one that I picked up from the other teaching artists at LEI, and which I brought to all the new things I tried this summer. From putting together the anthology to designing the storefront display to simply bleaching the sink, every new thing I tried this summer taught me new skills, introduced me to wonderful people, and created funny memories (like the four times I accidentally sprayed myself in the face with the faucet at the storefront, because I did not learn my lesson the first time).
The scariest and most rewarding new thing I tried, though, was teaching my own poetry classes at the Shaker schools. I spent the three weeks beforehand writing lesson plans and reading poetry books, but once I met the students on the first day, I completely revised all my plans in accordance with their abilities and interests. As I began building relationships with the students, I was able to use my knowledge of their favorite stories, rappers, and games to create fun writing activities tailored toward each class. I was also lucky to work with two other teaching artists, Vivian and Story, and I learned so much from them while helping out in their classrooms during my free periods. I especially enjoyed our daily debriefing sessions, when we would gather for a few minutes and talk about how the classes went. It was wonderful to be able to talk about our worries and successes together, and I enjoyed their funny stories and benefitted from their wise advice.
Teaching at Shaker confirmed my decision to pursue a career in education. Coming from a long line of doctors, deciding to become a teacher was a risky choice, especially after hearing many cautionary tales from other teachers. On my first day at Woodbury, I knew that there would be tough days and happy days, and I was right; but reflecting on the six weeks of teaching, I believe that I successfully conveyed to students that writing is fun and creative, and that there are teachers in their community who value student writing. Whenever I teach, I know that even if everything that could go wrong does go wrong, at the very least, the students had an adult come in who gave them attention and support. Even if they still protest that they do not enjoy writing, they know that their teachers want to hear their voices and that their ideas are important. This is the philosophy that the other teachers at LEI share as well, and it is why the organization has been able to cultivate such an accepting and encouraging community.
Now that the summer programs have come to an end, I can hardly believe that we accomplished all of those events that cluttered the calendar back in June. I am grateful to have been a part of the team that made all the programs a success. I hope to continue to cultivate friendships with the remarkable people I have met at LEI, and I know that I will use the new skills and lessons I have learned throughout my teaching career. I am extraordinarily thankful to have spent the summer learning and writing with LEI, and I will bring LEI’s relaxed energy and spirit of collaborative experimentation to every class I teach in the future. Thank you, Lake Erie Ink!