Miss Macdonald's Blog

Looking for Alaska

2009-09-20T16:33:00.001-07:00

!! AWESOME BOOK ALERT !!

Thanks to the wonderful Miss B.R. (ex-student of mine) at the end of last year I was the happy recipient of a copy of Looking for Alaska - a young adult novel by John Green. As usual, I planned to read far more than I did this summer (Yes, even English teachers need to take a break from reading) and never got to it. As the school year came closer I knew I had to read it before B.R. asked me how I enjoyed the novel. Well, I read it in about a week and recommend Alaska to everyone - students and parents alike!

The plot line follows a slightly awkward teenage boy as he ditches his public school in Florida for a private school in Alabama in search of "the great perhaps" (basically he wants to get a life). He meets some very cool friends, falls in love with a gorgeous and crazy girl, pulls off some really good pranks and everything comes to a slamming hault on one fateful day that changes his life forever.

Its an easy, enjoyable read with some very funny and real teenager moments. Yes, I will admit to laughing out loud at certain points. Yet, the novel also gets at the core of how awesome and horrible it is to be an adolescent simultaneously.

Please, please read this novel and let me know what you think. I have an extra copy if anyone wants to borrow. I warn you there are some very inappropriate jokes & some drug abuse so make sure you're up for those before reading.

Back to School

2009-08-23T12:35:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite TV commercials of all time is for STAPLES. A dad and his two children are shopping for school supplies and the holiday song "Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is playing. The dad is skipping through the aisles with joy while the kids look like their lives have ended.

Even as a teacher I find this hilarious because I know that feeling.

No one likes the summer ending - the free time, the hot weather, and the opportunity to do absolutely nothing is heavenly. It is also important for us all to take time off, appreciate the hardwork we have put in and enjoy the simple things. Too many times during the school year it feels as if life is flying by and summer helps slow us down.

Yet I will admit to having the back to school itch which includes buying more school supplies than I need, reorganizing my electronic folders, redesigning my website and even posting a blog entry. I'm excited to meet my new students and tackle all the literature for another time. Each year I evaluate what worked and what didn't, making assignments and activities better and better. I like that feeling of - progress.

I have to say when I was teaching a while ago, I worked with middle schoolers. I loved their energy and positive attitudes - which for high schoolers is dependent on how much sleep they've gotten - but the problem was the middle schoolers were very black & white thinkers. They also never challenged what I said - that was fun for a while but got "old." What I love about teenagers is their desire to discover things for themselves, weigh the options and decide what they believe - not just mirror what I believe. Watching that process is why I come to work every day.

You end up seeing someone become themself.

Humans Love Stuff

2009-05-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

Now for most of you the alarms are probably going off: "Stuff?Stuff! Miss Macdonald is using one of her banned words!" Right you are, but to prove a point. Usually, I banish such a vague word from writing but this time - it is worthy. Go with me...

In Lord of the Flies one of the major topics we look at is how the boys interact with the island. We see them crash land creating a deep scar, set the mountain on fire, manipulate and kill creatures as well as break rocks. There are no "tree huggers" here. As the boys claim the island as their own "This belongs to us," it becomes apparent that the boys lack a certain awareness of how their behavior affects their surroundings. They burn down their own natural resources 'for goodness sake!' (Shakespeare phrase).

I was recently sent this link by a friend and mentioned it in class. To my surprise, I had actually seen a youtube video that you all had not! It starts a little slow but it is a video showing us the "Story of Stuff." All the stuff we buy comes from somewhere and has a deep impact on our planet, similar to how the boys have a lasting impact on the island. Note the comparisons that neither the boys nor modern American culture seems to fully grasp what they are doing to the only environment they have to survive on.

Movie Magic by Krissy McCusker

2009-05-04T17:08:00.001-07:00

As I have previously posted I have a deep affinity for the Frou Frou song "Let Go" and believe it would work perfectly for the final scene of Catcher in the Rye when Holden has his epiphany at the carousel scene, that being: all children need to "fall" in order to learn from their mistakes. I have thought about this so much that I can see the scene playing through my head when I listen to the song - even when I'm not teaching Catcher.

This was getting to a point where I needed to do something about it and lacking any knowledge of filmmaking I went to the only film source I had: Krissy McCusker. A former MVP of Miss Macdonald's G Block class, Krissy was most well known for her film "Lady of the Flies" which will be shown in June. "Flies" demonstrates McCusker's own ideas of what would have happened if girls, not boys, had been stranded on the island. It also has phenomenal bloopers and end credits.

The question was: would Krissy dismiss my idea as that of an overly ardent English teacher or would she accept the proposal to craft my daydreaming into a reality? With a big sigh of relief, I hereby announce the film version of "Let Go" - the Catcher in the Rye version by Krissy McCusker. One million thanks to Krissy for taking me seriously and truly bringing to life what has been in my head for the past several years. I LOVE IT!

Happy Birthday, Will

2009-04-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many students happened to realize that today is when we observe Shakespeare's birthday. I also wonder how many will wander onto my blog expecting an entry. For those few, I would not want to dissapoint...

I have tried to explain my completely normal appreciation for The Bard before, but on what many historians believe to be his birthday I shall try again. I have this quotation on a poster in my classroom (which sadly falls down all the time - how did the builders not realize that nothing sticks to cement block?!). It is taken from a memoir called Will & Me by Dominic Dromgoole, a theatre director. I added a few items in parentheses to help illuminate his point:

Shakespeare stains every surface of English life. He is woven into our history, our most private selves, even our landscape. Since our primary tool for understanding and expressing all these is our language, and since he dominates that language so completely, it is foolish to underestimate his influence.

Many of the words we use he invented (monumental); Many of the cliches we fall back on were his new minted truths (eaten me out of house and home); and many of the sentiments we live by he first thought (for goodness sake!)...

Shakespeare's great volcanic eruption of words (1700 invented words & phrases) carved out the verbal landscape within which we have lived ever since. Other languages and cultures have vitalized and reinvigorated that wordscape, but, thus far, they are only pitching their tents on Shakespeare's broad plain.

If that does not sell you on the importance of Shakespeare, here is a condensed list of phrases we use now (400 years after his death) every day. Some of these we use so often you might even be surprised that one man gets the credit for inventing them!

A fool's paradise—Romeo and Juliet
A foregone conclusion—Othello
A tower of strength—Richard III
All the world's a stage—As You Like It
An eye-sore—The Taming of the Shrew
Beware the Ides of March—Julius Caesar
Breathe one’s last—Henry VI, part 3
Budge an inch—The Taming of the Shrew
Come full circle—King Lear
Come what may—Macbeth
Cowards die many times before their deaths—Julius Caesar
Crack of doom—Macbeth
Dead as a doornail—Henry VI, part 2
Devil incarnate—Henry V
Dish fit for the gods—Julius Caesar
Dog will have its day—Hamlet
Done to death—Much Ado About Nothing
Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble—Macbeth
Eaten me out of house and home—Henry IV, part 2
Elbow room— King John
Et tu, Brute! –Julius Caesar
Every inch a king—King Lear
Fair is foul, and foul is fair—Macbeth
For goodness sake—Henry VIII
Foregone conclusion—Othello
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears—Julius Caesar
Give the devil his due—Henry IV (In the song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia")
Good riddance—Troilus and Cressida
Green-eyed monster—Othello
I have not slept one wink—Cymbeline
In my heart of hearts—Hamlet
In my mind's eye—Hamlet
Into thin air—The Tempest
It was Greek to me—Julius Caesar
Kill ... with kindness—The Taming of the Shrew
Laughing-stock—The Merry Wives of Windsor
Lean and hungry look—Julius Caesar
Lend me your ears—Julius Caesar
Lord, what fools these mortals be!—A Midsummer Night's Dream
Love is blind—The Merchant of Venice
Merry as the day is long—Much Ado About Nothing
My own flesh and blood—The Merchant of Venice
Not a mouse stirring—Hamlet
Now is the winter of our discontent—Richard III
O, Brave new world—The Tempest
One fell swoop—Macbeth
Out, out, brief candle—Macbeth
Parting is such sweet sorrow—Romeo and Juliet
Pomp and Circumstance—Othello (Think graduation song)
Sorry sight—Macbeth
Star-crossed lovers—Romeo and Juliet
The be-all and the end-all—Macbeth
The course of true love never did run smooth—A Midsummer Night's Dream
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers—Henry VI, part 2
The naked truth—Love's Labour's Lost
The play’s the thing—Hamlet
The lady doth protest too much, methinks—Hamlet
The world's mine oyster—The Merry Wives of Windsor
Though this be madness, yet there is method in't—Hamlet (we say: method in the madness)
'Tis neither here nor there—--Othello
To be, or not to be: that is the question—Hamlet
To thine own self be true—Hamlet
Too much of a good thing—As You Like It
We are such stuff as dreams are made on--The Tempest
We have seen better days—As You Like It
Wear my heart on my sleeve—Othello
What’s done is done—Macbeth
What's in a name?—Romeo and Juliet

Happy Shakespeare's Birthday! Celebrate by renting a movie based on his work like: '10 Things I Hate About You' or 'O' or 'Loser.'

I too, Sing America

2009-04-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

This year the poetry unit looks a little different. Instead of going over a random smattering of poems from the textbook, the sophomore teachers revamped the selection to focus on "man vs. society" a major concept in the curriculum. Stereotypes in categories of gender, race and social class run rampant in poetry. One poem we looked at as a class is "I too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes - an itty bitty poem that packs a punch. Here is a video made based on the poem that shows the power of using images, music and words.

Cell phones love English!

2009-03-26T14:02:00.001-07:00

This morning I had an epiphany: cell phones love my English class. And if you really stop to think about it, it makes total sense. Often disregarded as just another technological device, a cell phone's sole purpose is to help you communicate with others. They listen to you laugh, cry and tell the stories of your life. They help you reach out and text someone.

Before, I used to get upset when cell phones went off in my class - breaking my train of thought, distracting my students, not to mention breaking school policy- but now I see there's a reason for it: cell phones desperately want to participate in my class. They want to share their opinions and feelings about the characters communicating in the novels. And so, they call out in song, buzzes or beeps. Imagine being so limited all you can do is hum the latest Kanye West song when you want to make a contribution to a discussion? Tragic.

I consider the close to 20 cell phones I've taken from students this year (and placed in my desk until 1:55 when they can be picked up) and realize these cell phones WANT to be in my desk. They WANT to spend the day listening to others discuss and communicate. I mean, let's be honest: who wouldn't?

I think it best, for now, to silence cell phones so that they may listen and learn in quiet - where they can be left, snug in your bag, to ponder whether Holden's life would have been different if he had a cell phone as opposed to going into phonebooths repeatedly.

Or, better yet, at the beginning of the class, give me your cell phone so I can put him (or her) in my desk to enjoy the cadence of my lessons as they roll on throughout the day.

Theme-tastic!

2009-03-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Over the year, one of my main goals is to have my sophomores leave my classroom with a firm grasp of what a theme is (a moral of the story or message from the author). To drive this point home on their last test for The Catcher in the Rye one of the short answers questions was this: Name the theme Salinger is trying to get across, why he thinks it is important, and whether you think that theme is still relevant today. Back in September I would have gotten a lot of answers that sounded like this "Salinger's theme is love because love is an important message and thing to remember in life. Love is important today, too, because people love each other a lot and they are happy." Now, in March, I laugh in the face of that answer (Ha!) as do my students. Check out the themes you all came up with. Incredible stuff:

* Be yourself because you'll never know the amazing people and good life you may lead if you don't.
* Do not be afraid of failure because there's always a way to get back up, or make your situation better.
* The only thing that matters is the present
* Never lose hope
* Money can't buy happiness
* Helping people is good
* Young people do not need to rush away from their innocence
* Just hang in there. Life is going to suck at times, it happens, but if you can ride it out you'll end up a wiser, better person.
* Never give into the pressures of society
* Never give up
* Only you can change your problems
* Everyone has to grow up some time
* Life is unfair and not completely perfect
* Find a purpose and go for it
* Everybody has hard times in their life, but they are what you learn from and they can make you stronger
* If you spend time dwelling on all the bad things your life is going to be miserable
* Fitting in isn't everything
* Don't hold on to your past because you can't change it
* Live life with no regrets
* You are not alone
* Everything happens for a reason
* Don't let your emotions get the best of you
* Hold on to what you have because you never know when it could be gone
* In order to become an adult, a child must go through rough times on their own
* Change is unchangable
* Rely on your friends and family and you will make it through anything
* You need to persevere even when things get tough
* Hold to what you believe in
* Life keeps moving and doesn't wait for you
* Don't be afraid to cope and move on with past struggles in your life
* Do not let society overpower your personality and take control of your life
* All people long for social companionship
*People need someone to talk to
* Be different in a world that tries to be the same

34 different themes total.

Me = Happy teacher :)

Soundtrack for the future Catcher movie

2009-03-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Last year while lesson planning for Catcher and listening to music I realized that "Let Go" by Frou Frou would be the perfect song to have playing during the carousel scene in the movie version of the novel. Now sadly, Mr. Salinger refuses to take interviews let alone sell the movie rights, but that allows us to be creative and consider how we would make the film. This song would be a definite not only for the lyrics but the sound as well. While looking for the music video of "Let Go" to post, I found something even better. Below is a homemade music video that someone has done with a series of drawings. Some are a little depressing (and gory) so I'm giving you a heads up, but the novel is depressing and Holden's imagination can be gory. I like the simple style of the artwork and it makes me feel like I'm going through a lost sketchbook of Holden's. I can see him relating to almost every image that comes up. Now, I doubt that the artist made this video with the intent of putting in Catcher in the Rye references BUT there are a ton of them! We will watch this video in class and I will ask you to find the images that fit the novel. Give yourself a head start and check it out now. We'll discuss the lyrics, too.

Lyrics:

Drink up, baby down
Mmm, are you in or are you out
Leave your things behind 'cause it's all going off without you
Excuse me, too busy you're writing your tragedy
These mishaps
You bubble wrap
When you've no idea what you're like

So let go, so let go, jump in
Oh well, whatcha waiting for
It's alright'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
So let go, let go, just get in
Oh, it's so amazing here
It's alright'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

It gains the more it gives
And then it rises with the fall
So hand me that remote
Can't you see that all that stuff's a sideshow
Such boundless pleasure
We've no time for later now
You can't await your own arrival
You've 20 seconds to comply

So let go, so let go, jump in
Oh well, whatcha waiting for
It's alright'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

The Catcher in the Rye video - Part 2

2009-03-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

"The difference between people and dogs is that dogs know how to be dogs." - Peter Berger, Sociologist

Catcher Analysis Ch. 1-16

2009-02-27T04:16:00.001-08:00

Et tu Jay Z?

2009-02-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

The never ending question 'Why do we have to read Shakespeare?' 'Miss Macdonald, who cares about Julius Caesar?' Well, cherubs, my answer is 'Jay Z does!' and if it hadn't been for our glorious unit on The Tragedy of Julius Caesar last quarter you would have no idea what Jay Z was talking about in his remix with Coldplay to their song 'Lost.' The song, to me, is about exactly how quickly someone can fall from success - 'just wait until the shine wears off.' If you climb the ladder of ambition (as Brutus tells us) you will be killed by those who oppose you or feel you are a threat. Look at the examples of historical figures and celebrities he uses to make his point:

With the same sword they knight you,
they gon' good night you with
that's only half if they like you
That ain't even the half what they might do
Don't believe me, ask Michael
See Martin, see Malcolm
See Biggie, see Pac,
see success and its outcome
See Jesus, see Judas
See Caesar, see Brutus,
see success is like suicide
Suicide, it's a suicide
If you succeed, prepare to be crucified

He is rapping about the very theme of Shakespeare's play. If you succeed in life, prepare to be crucified either metaphorically or actually. When you consider Shakespeare's own experience in the theatre business he was an overnight sensation. He flew up the ladder of success and was ostracized (Holden's word) by rival playwrights. They despised him solely for how talented he was. It wasn't until just now that I realize, perhaps Shakespeare could identify with Caesar - the alienation - the suspicion - the inability to be content with what you had acheived for fear of what others might do.

Here's the video for the song 'Lost' - Jay Z starts rapping at about 2:25.

Metaphors are awesome!

2009-02-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

A student of mine mentioned a favorite author of hers whom she YouTubed and found videos of him talking about The Catcher in the Rye. [insert Miss Macdonald being really excited here] So, this is the first installment of three videos I'll be adding to illuminate some of the details of this novel. The author is John Green and this first video is on what is important to notice at the beginning of the novel. Green is VERY funny. Watch it all the way through.

What Good Fortune!

2009-02-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

While growing up instead of getting pizza my family ordered chinese takeout instead. Often. Ok, all the time. We ordered from Chang An a fancy chinese resturaunt in Concord Center.
Now the English connection: When I try to teach my students about themes (the author's message or purpose for writing a text) I ask them to think of a fortune cookie. Have you ever cracked open a fortune cookie and it just says 'Racism' ? or 'Friendship'? or 'Lying'? I certainly haven't heard of anyone who has. My guess is the reason why no one has, is what good is a topic? That doesn't help you at all BUT fortune cookies do have helpful phrases or reminders on them that either are themes or can easily be turned into them.

After a PuPu platter, fried peking raviolis and white rice, I cracked open my fortune cookie (always eating the cookie before reading the fortune) and it read: Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude.

IT WAS A THEME!!!

I got pretty excited - as you can assume - and instantly stole my friends fortune cookie and read: If one desires recognition, one will find it.

IT WAS A THEME!!!

So, I have come up with a plan to decorate the cork board at the top of one of my blackboards with fortunes from fortune cookies. This will help further remind my students to never ever write in their essays "A major theme of Julius Caesar is lying."

FAVOR: When you get chinese food please, please save your fortunes, steal your friends fortunes, and bring them in! I want to cover the cork board with fortunes!

What Do You Make?

2009-01-31T17:39:00.000-08:00

I still find it amusing to hear people's reactions when I tell them I am a high school teacher: "Oh, my god" or "I could never do that." Once in a while though, I get "Be honest, what do you make?" I am not totally sure why people find it more appropriate to ask a teacher what they make as opposed to someone else. Have you ever met a dentist and wanted to know what they make? My guess is no (or at least if you did you didn't say it out loud) but for some reason - some - people think it is completely appropriate to ask me how much I make; its as if people automatically envision movie scenes from Dangerous Minds or To Sir with Love - as if I'm in a room with 40 students, with bars on the windows, and two textbooks with half the pages ripped out being duct-taped to a chair. All this I find laughable given the school I do work at: I have a huge sunlit classroom, a brand new computer, an InFocus projector mounted on my ceiling, countless supplies and books, and some of the nicest people I know (my coworkers and my students).

When I get this question - which I did this weekend - I smile graciously, but in my mind I think of a poem by Taylor Mali entitled "What Teachers Make." Mali is an English teacher and performance poet. You can easily YouTube him perfoming this poem. I get emotional every time I see it - in a good way. I'm not posting it here because there is a certain hand gesture at the end I don't think is appropriate for my blog. Here is the written form - the image he creates at the beginning is a dinner party he was at and someone asking him the fatal question...

"What Teachers Make"

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you're a teacher, Taylor," he says. "Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy about honesty:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a difference! What about you?

Caesar Materials - Best Supporting Roles

2009-01-15T16:47:00.000-08:00

Since I have started teaching The Tragedy of Julius Caesar I have focused my own education on two supplemental materials:

1. Memoirs of Cleopatra - by Margaret George. When I was in high school I took a history course titled Ancient Greece & Rome. We were given an outside reading assignment and a list of books that pertained to the course. I liked the idea of reading about a powerful female and went to the bookstore for Memoirs. When I found the book there was one minor problem - it was 957 pages long. Now I was reader then as I am now, but everyone has their limits and that seemed to be mine. I spoke with my teacher and he allowed me to read the first 300 pages and that would suffice. Other girls got wind of this and liked the idea. Can you guess what happened? We got addicted. A young female ruler of a powerful, exotic country has a love affair (and possible illegitimate child) with the world's most powerful - and married -man (Caesar) who ends up being murdered by his best friends and then the same woman ends up having a love affair with his other best friend (Antony). 10 girls - including me - carted this monolith of a book around school for about two months, reading before the bells rang, being asked to put it away during class. I have picked it up again and am having the same reaction. I have read several of George's books since but still love Memoirs the most. It helps give a new perspective to the story of Caesar and is far more historically accurate than my dear Will.

2. HBO Rome series - During December break, while at the video store, I decided to try ROME on dvd as I thought it may help add another layer of insight to Caesar's world and boy, did it. I cannot technically recommend this series due to content (it would definitely be rated R) but I found it truly enlightening - not just of the plot to kill Caesar but of the time period. Often times movies and TV tend to glorify and romanticize the "olden days." We know better, though. Shakespeare's theatre alone had up to 2,000 bodies cramped into tight quarters with no public bathrooms. People did not bathe and household waste was thrown out windows onto the streets. Rome was not very different and luckily, the series stays true to the nature of the time. One scene that is important and visually appropriate is the depiction of Caesar's murder. I plan to show this in class when time allows. I think it is important to look at a moment in history from multiple people's perspectives. You sometimes see things you had not before. Plus, HBO has a bigger budget than the Brando movie did.

QUESTION: What historical story do you find most shocking or compelling?

Better Essay Writing - BRING IT ON!

2009-01-07T10:59:00.001-08:00

One of my classes asked for some help on how to make their essays stronger. They gave me four categories and here is what I came up with for each:

1. TRANSITIONAL PHRASES – Consider the difference between ballet and cheerleading. Ballet consists of a series of fluid motions, each dance move flows into the next. Ballet partners even synchronize their movements to coincide or look like one moving body. Cheerleading is very different. While still incorporating dance moves these moves are held by the cheerer for a moment before abruptly moving on to the next position. Cheerers usually shout one or two syllables at a time while keeping their arms strong and powerful, not gentle. Hopefully, you see where I’m going with this. The English equivalent of a cheerleading would probably be a brainstorming list of bullet points. When writing an essay you should not be shouting at me or abruptly moving from sentence to sentence without explaining how they connect; an essay should be like a ballet. A very rudimentary set of transitions would be: Firstly, Moving on, Finally, etc. Perhaps we could see them as elementary school students learning ballet? Strong transitions that fluidly weave one paragraph with the next usually references the point previously made: An even stronger example of this, Another character that reinforces the author’s message to the reader, etc. If you do not feel confident in your transitional phrases, use the web! A site you could use as a jumping off point is: http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm.

2. QUESTION IS TOO BROAD – Whenever you receive a writing prompt, always break it down into pieces; it makes life a lot easier. So, let’s take a look at the prompt I give you for essays: What is the author’s message to the reader/ purpose for writing the novel? What does he feel so strongly about and what must the readers do with this information once they understand the message?

This would be my train of thought: The focus is the author’s message – so I need to identify a theme from the work. And it’s the message to the reader, so I need to mention “the reader” in my essay. So, what is the author writing about? I know that, usually, authors are upset with the way the world is and they write books to warn us. What is the author trying to warn me about? And once I figure that out, what should I change about my life or my behavior?

So, in cheerleader form:
1. Identify a theme
2. Consider why the author thinks this theme is important for the reader to know
3. Predict how the author wants the reader to change

Now, just start with step 1. Think back on what we have been discussing in class. What have I, as the teacher, been emphasizing? Come up with a theme you feel confident in explaining. Here is an example:

1. People need to be more accepting of others’ differences
2. Currently, the author’s readers are too judgmental of others
3. Readers should not stereotype others based on their appearance or social standing in the future so as not to lose out on potential friendships and romantic relationships.

Can you guess what work I chose this theme from? Too general? That is the sign of a strong essay. If you have character names, locations, scenes, etc. you are being too specific. Save those details for when you need to find examples to back up your thesis. And lastly, when in doubt, ask me! I am always hear to help and sometimes all a student needs is someone to listen to them talk out their ideas.

3. THEME/READER’S ACTIONS – This is a leap in inferential thinking. It is not easy. I completely realize I am pushing you a great deal here, but believe me - you will get so much more out of literature if you can train your brain to be more aware of the messages the author is sending to you. I relate this to my sister’s job. She sells and promotes high end contemporary art in New York City – very glamorous. Sometimes I will go to visit, she will show me the latest exhibition, and I will enjoy the work but not truly get it. The last work I saw was a sculpture made to look like a cloud of black velvet. Birds were placed in and around the velvet to look as if they were flying in and out of the cloud. Obviously, it does not translate well to the written word, but I found the piece very moving, despite the fact I had no idea what was going on. Then my sister began to tell me the artist’s purpose. The artist had taken her inspiration from the epic poem “The Divine Comedy” by Dante (and, I, a literary geek! How cool!). In the poem Dante describes the three options for the afterlife Christians’ had: Heaven, Purgatory or Hell. The black cloud sculpture was actually an interpretation of one of Dante’s layers of Hell. The birds were symbolic of humans in Hell, constantly in a state of trying to escape and being sucked back in. It was AMAZING. As I moved around the exhibition my sister continued to describe each of the sculptures, explaining another layer of Hell from the epic poem. Once I had gotten the artist’s purpose I was able to experience the work on a completely different level than I had before. We must train ourselves to do this with literature.

4. CREATIVITY – The most difficult thing to teach and the reason why despite my artistic abilities I am in the English, not Art, department. I will do my best, though: First off, you need to put yourself in my shoes. Imagine you come home from work, sit down at your desk, uncap your purple pen and begin to read 20-70 essays on the same text. You have done this for several years already. Now read the first line of the first essay: “In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield runs away to New York City.” Now be honest: Are you excited to read this essay? Now look at the 19-69 essays you have left to read. Are you excited to read those? THAT is why creativity is so important. Find your voice and manipulate language in creative ways.

Ideas:
1. Think about what you are passionate about and use it as a connection to the text: a song, a poem, pop culture, historical events, soccer, dance, cooking, etc. You will be surprised at how easy this is.
2. Use your five senses when describing scenes or people: Twain shows how vile Huck’s father Pap is on the inside by making him ugly on the outside with scraggly hair, unwashed clothes and a strong stench of alcohol. Utilizing your five senses like this makes a scene or person come alive in a far more interesting way than just saying “Huck’s dad is gross.”
3. Here is a list of others: Play on words (if you consider yourself clever or sarcastic this one is for you), alliterations (slippery slope), analogies (can help with fluidity), creative sentence structure (please do not start every sentence with a subject and then a verb – Oy!!)

QUESTION: How did I make these tips creative and interesting to read?

Friends & Backstabbers

2008-12-19T15:51:00.000-08:00

"The best mirror is an old friend"... unless that friend is Cassius. In which case, I'd ask someone else.

We all do this: Something happens and you question how you react to it. Am I being fair? Should I be feeling this way? Is this a good idea? And so, we go to our friends. Best friends are called that for a reason; they are the best at being honest when no one else will. They tell us the truth about our own behavior. They are our mirrors.

" And since you know you cannot see yourself so well as by reflection, I, your glass, will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of," says Cassius.

TRANSLATION: Everyone knows that you can never really see how you're acting. I'll be your mirror and tell you honestly what I see in you.

Big lie! Cassius is going to say he sees that Brutus is upset about Caesar being offered the crown - that's true - but then he spins it to make Brutus feel as though he, Brutus, has been considering assassination from the being! Poor, poor Brutus. Remember his tragic flaw? Trust. He assumes everyone is as trustworthy and honorable as he is. Can you imagine what your life would be like if you trusted everything everyone told you? Yikes. My guess is you would be horribly taken advatange of. Shakespeare sure is critical of human nature, huh?

And lastly, how does this connect to my life? Well, the image for this post is actually a greeting card I designed. I've told many of you that my hobby is crafting and creating greeting cards. This one is inspired by the artwork of Jack Vettriano - a fellow Scottish native. And if you're wondering how passionate I am about greetings cards, let's just say this is Design #612.

QUESTION: Is the bottom line always about getting what we want?

These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

2008-12-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

I graduated from college in 2005 - which of course feels like a decade ago to me now. To any New Englander or Sox fan, you know this year. It was the year. September and October of my senior year ('04) was spent staying up to watch the Red Sox inch their way into the play offs. By the time the Sox came back to win four straight against the Yankees and advance to the World Series the entire UNH campus - professors included - were totally sleep deprived. As graduation came around in May the class of 2005 was elated to here that Tom Werner would be speaking at our graduation. Tom Werner was the Chairman of the Boston Red Sox.

On graduation day I sat with anticipation among my fellow classmates as we waited to hear from the man who had delivered. We had carried the burden of our forefathers - passionately watching the Sox lose year after year - until now. As Tom Werner got up to speak and donned a Red Sox cap, we all relaxed a little. The future couldn't be that scary - the Sox had one the World Series! And yet it wasn't until the end of his speech that he connected with me personally.

While organizing some school files, I came across a copy of his speech. And I copy it below for your enjoyment:

"Before closing, I wanted you to know I've been reading Shakespeare of late. The great English playwright is always someone to go to for insight. Now, before this year, I had the general impression that baseball is a little over a hundred and fifty years old , and that Abner Doubleday had invented it. Imagine my surprise to know Shakespeare was a great baseball fan and it was he who first wrote about baseball.

For example, in Anthony & Cleopatra, he wrote: "My arm is sore."

In Macbeth: "Fair is foul and foul is fair."

Taming of the Shrew: "You may go walk."

In Hamlet: "A hit, a very palpable hit!"

In Henry V: "And so I shall catch the fly."

In Julius Caesar: "O Hateful Error."

In Henry VIII: "You have scarce time to steal."

And finally in Romeo and Juliet: "I have no joy in this contract."

...You all can guess how the English Teaching Major section erupted into large cheers of applause and a standing ovation.

Layers of Meaning

2008-12-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Shrek: Ogres are like onions.

Donkey: They stink?

Shrek: Yes. No.

Donkey: Oh, they make you cry.
Shrek: NO. Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.

Now, I would never compare Shakespeare to an ogre but someone's previous comment about Shakespeare's language having many layers reminded me of this scene from Shrek.

Shakespeare's plays are like onions. Every time you read a play you have to peel back layer after layer of meaning, whether it be uncovering sonnets or understanding inappropriate jokes. This is why I think some people have a tough time with Shakespeare (the de-layering takes too long. Just say what you want to say!) and yet at the same time I think this is why some people, like me, become addicted to Shakespeare; uncovering the layers is like a game! And once you understand it you feel as though you're on the inside of some joke that no one else gets, which is always a good feeling.

As for Much Ado About Nothing there are three new components I have unlayered this year while reading with my four classes:

1. Claudio and Hero are both referred to as oranges. Beatrice describes Claudio's grumpy yet civil personality at the party to be like an orange. She plays on the word civil meaning both its literal meaning - polite - and referencing Seville, Spain known for an orange that is both sweet and sour: polite and grumpy. Later on, Claudio refers to Hero at the wedding scene when he believes she has cheated on him and yells at Leonato "give not this rotten orange to your friend!"

2. Benedick and Beatrice's friends both use fish imagery when describing how they will trick each of them into falling in love with the other. Claudio says, "Bait the hook well this fish will bite!" If you rearrange the word order I can easily see someone saying this today, 400 years later. Later on Ursula says of Beatrice, "The pleasant'st angling is to see the fish... greedily devour the trecherous bait." In each instance the bait is the lie Benedick and Beatrice overhear their friends gossiping about - that they are both madly in love with one another.

3. Shakespeare has a motif of illness running through the play... Its EVERYWHERE! One of my poor classes had to sit through a whole period of this: everytime a character mentioned a word that had to do with illness I would shout it out, "suffer!" "cure!" "restore you to health" "are you well?" It went on...and on... and ON. Now, why would Shakespeare do this? After much thought my guess is that he's trying to reinforce the idea of love sickness - that love causes one's behavior to change so rapidly that it is as if the person has been taken ill.

QUESTION: Name a book or movie you have seen that upon the 2nd or 3rd reading/viewing you noticed something that you had not before.

Shakespeare in Love

2008-12-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

I have already told this story in class but I will repeat it here as it leads into the second half of my post. A few years ago two of my good friends became engaged and on Zack's ring, Shannon had engraved: IV. iii. 288-289. The act, scene and line numbers are in reference to Much Ado About Nothing when Beatrice proclaims to Benedick "I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest." Beatrice loves Benedick so entirely that she will no longer pretend she does not or hold back; she will love Benedick completely. How sweet, right?

Now, my older sister has become engaged and as her Maid of Honor she has asked me to keep my eyes peeled for possible readings for the wedding ceremony. Her love and knowledge of Shakespeare is concentrated on Romeo and Juliet. I suggested she use the scene when Romeo and Juliet first meet which is actually written as a sonnet. Notice the three stanzas of four lines with the rhyme scheme A B A B finishing with a rhyming couplet:

ROMEO: If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

JULIET: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.

ROMEO Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
JULIET Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
ROMEO O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

JULIET Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
ROMEO Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.

Clever, huh? Remember how this love-at-first-sight-now-I-can-speak-in-sonnets happens to Beatrice when she finds out Benedick loves her?

What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true?
Stand I condemn'd for pride and scorn so much?
Contempt, farewell! and maiden pride, adieu!
No glory lives behind the back of such.

And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee,
Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand:
If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee
To bind our loves up in a holy band;

For others say thou dost deserve, and I
Believe it better than reportingly.

And that "holy band" she talks about - she means a wedding ring!

QUESTION: Do you think when Shakespeare has his characters speak in sonnet form he is showing the strength of love or making fun of them?

The Secret Life of Holiday Gift Giving

2008-11-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

This year I have focused on going green and being more aware of the world around me. As the holiday season slowly approaches I have started to think about my own holiday shopping. This year I want to "think green and globally" when making purchases. Recently, I found The Heifer Foundation . With donations starting at just $10 you can help purchase livestock for people in need. One of the options was honey bees, and of course, I instantly thought of Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd our summer reading novel! So to thank mom for buying you a copy of the novel, you could make a bee donation!
Beyond bees you can donate chicks (also great for moms), ducks, bunnies, cows, llamas, and more. I donated trees in my future brother in law's name welcoming him to our family tree. In the mail you receive a gift card to give to your recipient. The gift card is designed by one of my favorite children's artists Tomie De Paola. A great idea is to buy a small stuffed animal of the animal you donated.

QUESTION: What ideas do you have for "thinking green and globally" this holiday season?

Top 3 Most Misspelled Words

2008-11-21T09:09:00.001-08:00

1. Definitely
2. Beginning
3. Woman

These are the three words I see most commonly misspelled in my students' work. This post is not so much a connection as a query: Why? Why are these three words so impossible to spell? Let us consider each one:

Definitely makes sense to misspell because we pronounce the word 'definately' and so it follows that 'definately' is how I see it misspelled most often. Sometimes it is spelled 'defiantly' which always makes me chuckle because defiantly has its own definition and can sometimes cause a normal sentence to suddenly become rather funny.

Now beginning, it seems to me, is a word that students most commonly want to shorten to 'begging.' The second 'n' is also frequently forgotten, 'begining.'

The third most misspelled word is not necessarily a misspelling as an inappropriate pluralization of the word. Woman implies one, while women implies many. I am a woman. My mother, sister and I are women. I can not begin to count the number of times woman/women are misused particularly on in-class essays.

And because no one is a perfect speller...

My own most commonly misspelled words:
1. separate
2. piece
3. Effect/Affect

I often write 'seperate'... I remember this now by saying "there's a rat in separate." Piece - well, I just misspelled it as I was typing this. Finally, the difference between effect/affect still alludes me sometimes.

Question: What are your 3 most commonly misspelled words?

Using Words as Fists

2008-11-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

" Freestyle rap battles: opponents using words as fists. The words are improvised as quickly as they are spit. They rhyme. They are to a beat. And they are aimed directly at the specific weaknesses of the opponent.” - The director of 8 Mile, Curtis Hanson

Wit Combats were verbal duels that playwrights would partake in while at taverns in Elizabethan England. In front of crowds they would verbally "punch" one another with insult after insult. Speeding ahead 400 years I think of MTV's show Yomama and a movie that was on tv just last week 8 Mile starring rapper Eminem. Here is a clip of the movie director describing rap battles which are essentially wit combats of today. Note: this movie is rated R.

We do have one little piece of wordplay that has survived between two playwrights. Not necessarily insults but certainly playing off of one another's words. After watching the movie director's clip you can almost hear the rap rhythm of today come through in their words:

Jonson: If, but stage actors, all the world displays,
Where shall we find spectators of their plays?

Shakespeare: Little, or much, of what we see, we do;
We are all both actors and spectators, too.

Question: Are rap battles only hurtful or could we see them as beneficial?

How I Fell in Love with Shakespeare

2008-11-19T14:46:00.001-08:00

This month my sophomores have started reading Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. I introduced this to my students by singing, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!" Many of them rolled their eyes - which I am used to - and let out groans of displeasure. So I feel there is something here that I must clear up: I have not always been in love with Shakespeare. It is not as if I was reciting Shakespeare in kindergarten, far from it. No, I did not fall in love with him until much later in my educational career when I finally understood him. I guess you could say we had been "dating" since high schoo,l but I just did not get him. He was confusing, melodramatic, and old. Really, really old. What made it worse was that all my teachers seemed to think he was the world's greatest writer. I must have been missing something...

Another common misconception of my students is that I got straight As in high school. Not true. I was a teenager that worked very hard for Bs (*Note: I did not use an apostrophe there because then 'B' would be owning something: B's new blog). The reason why I mention this is that when I finally got Shakespeare it was like winning the Superbowl. It was exhilirating and unbelievable. I was so proud of myself - I mean - I had gotten Shakespeare! From then on I chipped away at his plays, with the help of a favorite professor, and slowly but surely began to uncover what so many others had already realized: the man was a genius. He was witty, sarcastic, inappropriate, romantic, evil, hopeful and cynical all at the same time, in the same play. And not just once but dozens of times, in dozens of different kinds of plays! And everything he said then, all the topics he covered, are still applicable today: love, friendship, betrayal, jealousy, scandal and so on.

My goal: to help my students get Shakespeare; to help them have that feeling of pride like I did when they are able to explain a quotation that was written 400 years ago because they truly get it. And maybe they will not fall in love, but at least appreciate why I did.

Hopefully this helps explain the Globe Theatre model, the Shakespearean Insult Gum and the Much Ado About Nothings.

Question: What has your Shakespeare experience been like?

Defining English

2008-11-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

English is about communicating ideas and feelings; it is about understanding what makes people tick; and it is about trying to better readers through journeys of personal enlightenment and tolerance.

Question: What is the purpose of English class?