They only had a little blurb about organizing a classroom which bothered me a bit. In all my workshop classes in college (granted thats only 2 so far) we did this half-circle model. This still allowed the teacher to sit in front of everybody and allowed for all the students to see each other. I know it wouldn't work in some classrooms because of size or desk types but I really enjoyed that format and would like to impliment it in my classroom. Now, I realize I might be a little off topic because, of course, the type of workshop they're talking about in this chapter isn't the same thing we do in college workshops. However, their definition of workshop would easily segway into the collegiate definition of workshop.
I loved the Quick Tips on page 47, especially the slogan writing exercise. It really opens up our understanding of what is done with writing besides novels and research papers. I admit that until college I never seriously considered the fact that ad agencies would hire people with English degrees; I didn't think much about the relevance of English outside the classroom and that may still be lost on some students today. In my school we would take a field trips to power plants or art museums and see the respective class material put to real life situations butI seldom remember getting a chance to experience English practically (Although it was obvious to me that behind every sitcom sat a nerdy writer, I didn't really think of that as practical, everyday work). Plus, the practicality of english education can't be made readily apparent when you're reading Oscar Wilde. This slogan writing exersize could be a great place to start to get students past that I'm-never-gonna-use-this-stuff mentality. I believe that once students begin to see writing as it applies to the real world, they will begin to break their willingness to write and reticence on writing.
I'm a little wary of the conferencing worksheet presented on page 57. I know we talk about a lot of those things in collee - distinct voice, flow of a paper, appropriate vocabulary - but those terms to a high school student may seem pretty vague. It's frustrating as an adult sometimes when told "your intro isn't very interesting," but I ask myself "what is interesting?" There must be some reasoning behind those vague remarks but that reasoning may end up boxing the students in. After all, debating a statement like "this is/ is not interesting" make writing and reading worthwhile. Part of me wants some formula where I can assess the quality of students work in a determined structured way but at the same time I want to absorb their work on its own terms, respect what they are doing and let them experiment. However, I feel this may be a double-edged sword. If you stick to a formula then students will only manipulate that in a way to get a good grade, but if you leave it open students will see it as an opportunity to slack. This can be managed...right?
A lot of the prompts offered in this chapter (esp the list on 50-51) are autobiographical exercises. I know the chapter said students will be willing to write if they write about something personal, but I find myself more comfortable when its not necessarily comfortable - when given freedom to create fiction. I'm wondering if some students (or anybody in class particularly) feels the same way? Don't get me wrong, writing nonfiction stretches me, takes me out of my comfort zone...which is good. Although, ironically, when I write fiction I feel that it comes out more honestly than when I write non-fiction/ autobiography; whether or not that feeling is justified through my writing is another story (no pun intended). I think thats why I like the advertising exercise so much.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Good grief, Linus! You packed a lot into one post. I'm just going to respond to one facet of your posting, the most overarching point. Getting students to not only see but recognize and internalize the many ways that a firm grasp on communication can benefit their future through their relationships and job opportunities is by far one of the most pressing tasks of being an English teacher. In some ways knowing how to communicate will color everything they do after leaving high school. And it's one of the highest listed traits future employers look for in possible employees and use as a reason to promote an employee or not.
The other stuff--how to situate your classroom, the types of assignments generated--will change from year to year. What works for you and your students one year may not work at all the next. It's best to have a large reservoir to cull from when needed. The primary concern I tried to remember was to make my lessons tailored to what my students needed, not necessarily what I was comfortable with (even though I gravitated to my comfort zone). It's a difficult balancing act, but you'll do great!
Post a Comment