I'm not a fan of war, or of glorifying war, but I am a fan of my late grandpa. He fought in World War II in the North Africa campaign. He received several medals and a purple heart for his service which he kept in a desk drawer next to several slide rules and his sweet, silver harmonica.
And as a man of truth and honor, I know he would be horrified at our actions in Iraq today.
I received the following comment and thought the response deserved a post of its very own:
I must admit though, that the description of your schedule leaves me completely baffled! I'm familiar with the British school system, and currently teach teenagers in a local college, so I naively assumed I'd be able to make some sort of sense of American terms. But nope.
I'm pretty sure that "Lit" is literature, but the rest is largely a jumble of letters. I don't really expect you to explain how all this works, but I felt the need to explain that there is someone somewhere who read this without comprehension.
For example, I've never got to grips with what "ninth-graders" means (presumably it's some indication of progress through the school system -typically how old is a ninth-grader? is this the same 9 that appears in your schedule period titles?) And what does the "Honors" and "Gen" indicate?
Kids in American must attend school until they are 16. Most work to receive a diploma at around age 18. School begins with Kindergarten at age 5. Kindergarten thru 5th grade is elementary school, 6th thru 8th grade is middle school and 9th-12th grade is high school. Kids may earn several kinds of diplomas in high school. Most choose to work on a vocational/technical (training for work) diploma or a college preparation diploma. Some do a combination of both. After high school, 4-year college, 2-year college, vocational school, or jobs await students.
In most high schools, each grade covers specific course material. In English, in my school district, 9th graders do a general intro to different modes of writing and different genres of literature, in 10th grade they study American Literature, in 11th grade World Literature, and in 12th grade British Literature. Most school in the U.S. use these groupings but not all in the same progression.
A typical ninth grader is about 14.
Most schools here "track" students, and there is a huge, on-going debate as to whether this practice is a good idea or not. Basically students are grouped by ability. Therefore, all the low-performing students learn in the same class and all the gifted kids learn together in a different class. On my schedule the type of class is indicated by a G, H or I. General level is for average performing kids. Honors is for high performing or gifted students. Inclusion classes include students that have special needs such as behavioral, mental, physical disorders/challenges. Totally separately, there are special education teachers who teach students with difficulties that are not able to be in regular classrooms. These teachers receive special training to teach this special needs group.
I'm also puzzled that you only seem to have four "periods" for a whole semester. What (and how long) is a period? Is that the same four every day? Do they run consecutively for a few weeks each? Do you have big gaps between them? I just can't get my head round it.
Some schools have 40 or 50 minute classes and students take 6 or 7 classes all at the same time. My school runs on "block" scheduling which basically means students take fewer classes at a time and classes last longer. In the interest of providing students more depth instead of just breadth, students take 4 classes at a time and each class period lasts 90 minutes. More and more schools are moving to this type of schedule but there is lot of variety in the ways schools use block scheduling. In my school, students take the same classes every day. For example, a student may have English, History, Physical Education and Music in fall semester and then Science, Math, Foreign Language and an Elective class (art, music, computer stuff, etc) during spring semester.
Is the "Planning" something that you will teach, or something that you do instead of (or to prepare for) teaching?
Planning is time for a teacher to prepare lessons, grade and generally collect herself/himself to teach again. My planning includes 25 minutes for lunch.
Finally, I'm intrigued that you seem uneasy with "British Lit". When I studied this (OK, we called it "English Lit", but that's just local smugness, I guess) we covered the likes of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Wordsworth. Is John Donne mandatory for you?
Ignore me. It's really a self-confidence thing. I really enjoy British Lit, but it has been the material I've perceived as being "hard" before I studied it. I was scared to death of Chaucer before I took it and I thought I'd hate it. But I read the whole darn Canterbury Tales in middle English (thank you very much), and I loved it! Part of why I love it is because I had a fabulous professor and a lively, intelligent class that really brought the material to life for me. I have an easier time learning some things in a more structured way rather than reading on my own.
Except Shakespeare. I lack Shakespeare. I know it’s a terrible thing, but there you go. I took a Shakespeare comedies and histories class as an undergraduate and I had a terribly abusive teacher who made me sit under my desk if I didn't answer precisely what he wanted to hear. I stopped listening to him after awhile. I just fear, at least as a starting teacher, teaching things I haven't studied really well.
John Donne isn't mandatory, but smart people like to throw his name around as evidence of their intelligence. Very irritating.
I'm sure I'd love teaching British Lit if I had to. I do love a good, Victorian novel and current writers like Zadie Smith. I think my fear stems from questioning my ability to connect Chaucer, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, etc. to the lives of my students in a way that makes the work approachable and interesting.
There you go. I'm only partly knowledgeable. You other people, feel free to add on and correct.
Here is the schedule for this post. First I am going to freak out, and then I am going to explain the American education system. Hopefully it won't take too long.
The freak out:
I happily jaunted off to lunch with the English department. It is far too hot here to wear a tweed blazer, but it would have been appropriate. The teachers helped me order my supplies (glue sticks! markers! whee!), and told me how they are all trying to make my life easier as a first year teacher. Then, my mentor teacher paid for my lunch. I am a lucky, lucky girl. Then we went back to the high school and they showed me my classroom for fall semester. It's in the vocational wing and is normally for electronics or something. Who cares? It has windows and seems cozy. You are wondering why this is the freak out? Hold on, it's coming.
So, glowing and floating, I went to my college to register for the summer term. I began filling out the forms and suddenly, my heart literally fell to the pit of my tummy. I needed an extra class during the summer to graduate this term because I started my program later than everyone else. I was going to take on an online ed class to make up the hours, but I didn't have to because the schedule school sent us a month ago indicated that none of the summer classes were offered at conflicting times, so I could take the extra class plus all the normally scheduled classes and life would be grand.
Except they changed the times. And nobody told me. So, now I'm totally screwed. I will be, count them, two hours away from getting my masters. Without those two hours I won't have a masters and I won't be certified, which means I can't have a job. I left a message with the head of my program and told her to call me promptly as I am freaking out, but I haven't heard from her yet.
They've got to do something. Work with me. Give me random credit, let me do the two hours as an independent study, something.
So I wait for the telephone to ring with a very unsettled tummy. What if she's on vacation? I will lose my mind.
Oh yeah, the American Education system. You deserve a new post. Forthcoming.
An email came today from the high school and it included my schedule for next year. Ask and you shall receive, that's what I always say! (well i don't ever say that, but i might start now that i know it works) It just couldn't be more different than what I thought it was going to be. I was psyching myself up for all the ninth graders. The following will be my life:
1st Semester Schedule:
Period 1 World Lit Gen
Period 2 World Lit Gen
Period 3 Planning
Period 4 Advanced Composition (9)
2nd Semester Schedule:
Period 1 Lit Comp 9 Honors
Period 2 American Lit 10 Gen
Period 3 Lit Comp 9 Honors
Period 4 Planning
I am ridiculously pleased. Harder, indeed. But good, very very good. World Lit has such a broad, non-focus, and I'm rather an anti-canon kind of girl. (Well, not anti, but just not as excited about teaching it) Ninth graders still hug the teacher, and I like hugging. And American Lit, oh American Lit, I know lots about you, and you've always been my first love. I will make students love The Open Boat. I know, I hated The Open Boat in high school too, but I can try.
As a recap, I'll be teaching everthing--except British Lit, which is smart since I get a little attitude-y about John Donne.
They aren't supposed to give new teachers their schedule before they sign the contract. Apparently some turn tail and run. I'm glad they told me. Makes it seem more real. Picking out what things to read in a class is the best thing ever.
Tomorrow I will have lunch with the English Department and order office supplies.
Supplies!! When I worked in the ghetto, I didn't even get books.
Ok, I admit it. I'm sorta ready to go back to school, or teach school, or do something productive.
Having a million things I want to do, that I'm in the process of doing, doesn't mean I actually get anything done.
I need structure. One of the reasons I loved my student teaching experience was because of the schedule. The bell rang and I knew what to do next. I, never up before 1pm on Sundays I, woke every morning at 5:45am, before the alarm sang, and got going. Bells rang, kids went crazy, bam bam bam. Then I read a good night story and slept like a baby. For my over-the-break performance, on the other hand, I deserve an A+ in napping and looking out the window. Maybe a B+ in long cuddle sessions with the kitties.
This is one of the biggest things I've learned about myself over the past few months. I always thought of myself as laid-back and very informal. I didn't just hate lists, I looked suspiciously at those who used them. All that has come to an end. Conforming (!) to the structure of the school freed me, made me secure in the day and open in my mind. The schedule did the thinking about the ins and outs so I didn't have to. The bells, my calendar, the syllabus--gosh what glorious stuff. I appreciate you, tools of the anal retentive. I willingly submit to external forces beyond my control. So, please, please give me a schedule.
Deadlines would be great too.
I thought I'd be working on my online portfolio. Got a book on Dreamweaver and it's going pretty well. Aside from my childish graphics. Even so, most of the teacher portfolios online are abysmally ugly. I've got a couple designerly bones in my body, so hopefully it will look nice.
I got the reading list for one of my summer classes today. Looks pretty interesting:
African American Literary Theory: A Reader by Winston Napier
A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature by Wilfred L. Guerin et al.
The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures by Bill Ashcroft et al.
Orientalism by Edward W. Said
Falling into Theory: Conflicting Views on Reading Literature by David H. Richter
Funny thing. Never heard a word about "theory" the whole time I was an undergraduate English major. Is it like a big secret for graduate students? I guess I'm glad they teach us the way they do. Never depending on major critical modes helped me think on my own.
Now all I need is a pool and a nice, tall, sweet iced tea.
Saw Shrek 2 tonight. I liked it muchly and laughed out loud.
Any movie with a hero kitty pretty much has me at hello.
My auntie lent me a copy of Ron Clark's book, The Essential 55 Workbook: Everything You Need To Help Your Child Succeed In School, and I started reading it night before last. Some of the rules are worded for children of an elementary school age, but I could easily apply his advice to the high school. I love his rules for including school centered things and also normal life stuff, like saying excuse me when you burp. Some of these rules, like saying "Yes ma'am" and "No sir" seem a little formal, but I agree using these rules would set a tone of respect and professionalism in the classroom. Plus, so many kids come to school without knowing basic things about how to handle themselves in the classroom: "You have to bring paper? Every day?" I don't want to take the place of their parents, but I'll be teaching 9th graders, and I will have to teach them how to be students, how to handle themselves in high school. So far, I like Clark's suggestions and the little stories he tells to illustrate the importance of each rule.
Josh Marshall made me look this one up:
tergiversation
n 1: falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language [syn: equivocation] 2: the act of abandoning a party or cause [syn: apostasy]
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University
I love this man.
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