November's End

Friday . . .

I’ve turned my juniors loose to devise questions for our fist TKM test. Well, it’s not really a test. A colleague showed us at a common prep meeting how to design a powerpoint in the form of a game show. So I have them stockpiling questions for a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” version of Part 1 of TKM. Then next week each student will have their turn in “the hot seat.” I’m hoping to be able to use the actual life lines too.

I’m being a bit lazy because I borrowed this idea from my Lit and Language 12 class. They did the same thing for “Dorian Gray” yesterday. But the kids really got into it. So I decided to get the hell out of their way and turn them loose to devise their own questions.

We’ll see how it goes. So far, so good.

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Kristie is leaving her job at UND. Something better has unexpectantly come up in RLF. She will be working in the personal department for the insurance company branch of our local bank.

I think this is a wise move because while the benefits at UND are a little better, she was spending around $300 a month in gas. Plus she will save herself about two hours a day by not having to drive. Last Monday’s snowstorm was too harrowing for her (and I can’t blame her. That drive east on 17 is not good. She once ended up in the other lane facing the opposite direction). Plus, she can practically walk to work, and she will be able to make most of KoKo’s and Casey’s games now. I just want her to be happy. I think she will be too.

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The new English Journal has a snippet called “Coming to Teaching” from Tom Romano. It is a preview of his newest book, “Zigzag: A Memoir of Reading and Writing, Teaching and Learning” which will be out in 2008. Can’t wait.

I’m only two pages into the excerpt, and I’ve already found something interesting. Romano is reflecting on his final day of student teaching. I have no doubt how vividly he may recall it, for I can recall mine just as quickly. I even have a picture taken with the class somewhere. I bet I could even name them all still. I couldn’t do that for a class from two years ago. But something about all the struggles I went through with those sophomores that they were burned permanently into my memory.

Romano looks back on what he liked about teaching his first few years. This is ironic, of course, because what he liked in the beginning was quite different from what he likes now. One of the things that he used to value initially was content over kids.

Now this is interesting.

Content vs. Kids

I just like the sound of that. Sometimes it is literally the content verse the kids - in the very combative sense of the verb. But often times it comes down to the teacher’s take -- content over kids or vice versa. I guess it’s not really an either/or proposition. At least it shouldn’t be that way. I think it’s a delicate balance one must find. Initially, I was more on the content side of things. Like Romano, I had my fancy interpretations that I wanted to expose my kids to that showed off just how much I knew. I guess I felt like I had a lot to prove to them back then. In particular, I remember filling my white board with notes full of analysis for “A Separate Peace.” There was the Finny as a Christ figure. There was the symbol of tree. There was Gene’s rebirth. This was a good 45 minutes of me blathering on about it and seeming very fancy and professor like. Of course, this was pretty much how I had been taught literature. So I just emulated what I had been exposed to. Wouldn’t my students just do the same?

No. I’m sure most of what we learned was forgotten within a matter of minutes after the test or paper was due. Just last weekend I ran into one of my former students, Nate. He was one of my favorites, and we became quite close over the years. So when I saw him, I asked him, “So what is ‘Beware the Ides of March’ from?”

Nate promptly shouted, “That’s from ‘The Oddysey’!”

Ha. Now I chose that quote because one of the highlights from my first year was Nathan storming into my room all distraught. I asked him what was wrong. “Man, I have to take my behind the wheel test today.”

“So?” I asked.

“It’s the Ides of March! I’m doomed.”

We had read “Julius Caesar” a few months earlier.

But now he was convinced Oddysseuys had said it. When I told him he was wrong, he simply said, “Well, who cares about all that crap anyway?” I guess there is some truth to that too.

It certainly puts my view of content in perspective.

After ten years in the field, I’ve swung away from focusing so much on content. I’m more in the kid realm now.

That doesn’t mean I just sit and visit with them all hour. Only about 10-15 minutes. I’m mining their lives for potential content. I guess the kids are mostly my content now.

Which brings me ot how I spend most of my classtime now. Instead of trying to show off to my students with my $100 words and profound theories, I focus on two thinks: skills and relevance. Analyzing this film or poem or story will help them acuire this skill. This film or poem or story is important because it relates to their lives and our world today.

I guess this explains why I get so frustrated with apathy and “This stuff is so gaaaay.” It’s not gay because learning it will help you learn develop higher order thinking skills. Something you will hopefully use in your life and job. It’s not gay because though it was written a century ago, the author might as well have written it for us here today.

Either way - it’s a never ending battle. One that I still enjoy and look forward to.