Brainstorming Subject Matter for Photographic Essay

I started out with a list of things that I like and let ideas form from there.
This was my list:

Love stories
Music
Movies
Food
Children
Schools
Historical things
Landscapes
Books
People
Magazines
Clothing
Environmental Portraits

I’ve always enjoyed interacting with children and my little sister of 9 has kept me young. As she grows I worry about the things she interacts with what is going on in her school and how the people she comes in contact with will help her grow as a person.

I could not settle on an idea for my Photographic Essay, so I set out to read and see what would come from there. I read an article from the October 2008 edition of Oxford American by David Ramsey called “ I Will Forever Remain Faithful – How Lil Wayne helped me survive my first year teaching in New Orleans.” Ramsey used to work on the staff of Oxford American and taught 9th and 10th grade Social Studies in New Orleans. I am not sure if he is still teaching although I am curious to find out. In this article he talks about how he uses Lil Wayne to relate to his students. The article is set up into small numbered paragraphs, like tracks and lyrics. In number 8 Ramsey says,
“ Our students are afraid of rain. A heavy morning shower can cut attendance in half. I once had a student write an essay about her experience in the Superdome. She wrote, without explanation, that she lost her memory when she lost her grandmother in the storm. I was supposed to correct the grammar, so that she would be prepared for state testing in the spring.”

It evolved into something like this:

Children/school aged/ schools

Teachers that come in are “White and out of town”
Learning styles of students
Do Teachers have to alter their teaching styles?
Has Katrina affected the way schools are run now?
What things affect attendance?
Living situations of teachers – salaries pay nothing

I am in love with this idea so hopefully after research I can find many ideas and things to shoot.

I think I have to give an honorable mention to the burlesque idea that Colleen brought up because that would be a good idea too. They have to have day jobs, I hope that someone does this it would be a very interesting subject to shoot.