Monday, April 5, 2010

A Monday And the Start of Two New Units

I read so much today, you can't even believe it. I started by reading an article on American Drama in the dull American Lit textbook I occasionally use. Then, I read synopses of the four plays I'm teaching in addition to Death of a Salesman. The kids get a choice of those four, which include Fences, The Piano Lesson, The Glass Menagerie, and A Raisin in the Sun.

After that I read some comments by Arthur Miller on the nature of tragedy, which he claims is the highest art. Also, I read a poem by Auden and one by Dickinson which we'll discuss tomorrow to develop the concept of tragedy.

Later, I read some background information on Chinua Achebe and the Ibo people of Nigeria. Later tonight, I'll re-read chapters one and two of his novel, Things Fall Apart. I might also re-read Act I of Death of a Salesman, which I mentioned above.

After school, I read some marginal essays on In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. I also skimmed a bunch of creative writing projects that I'd already heard presented aloud.

Finally, I read some complainy emails about the grades some kids EARNED ALL ON THEIR OWN.

Being a literacy educator can be a lot of work, but it can also be rewarding. That's just my opinion.

4 comments:

LH said...

Geezlouise, you read a lot. I've never read Things Fall Apart, but I remember TD liked it a lot. What say you?

Shannon Clattenburg said...

Good job for keeping up with the challenge over the Easter weekend!

I slipped off the wagon a little, but should be back on the ball here now.

Also glad to know somebody else reads just as much as I do!

I only wish I had more productive things to do with all the information I seem to take in, in the run of a day. Sometimes it all seems to go to waste until I spend time with a few of my teacher friends - then it seems worth it to have so many opinions.

Happy Monday!

kc said...

TFA is a fascinating read. Achebe gives these sort of detached, anthropological-type descriptions of his characters. You end up feeling like a watcher, more than a reader - involved, but removed. I like it.

UL - we all tend to get stuck in our preferred genres. You are really good at reading nonfiction. I am better at reading fiction and drama. (I'm not really that great at reading poetry).

Shannon - I'm looking forward to your new posts!

mm said...

I love the comment about the e-mails. Students do "earn" their grades as opposed to teachers giving them.

I read Things Fall Apart a couple of years ago after I realized high school students were reading it (with frequency), and I had never read it.