There's a song by Ellen Tipper a Maine artist called "The Juggler" about how many balls she has up in the air at one time and the inevitable crashing that occurs for getting involved in too many things. I feel like I qualify for that right now. The papers are beginning to pile up that I've assigned. The three novels I'm teaching now are getting perilously blurred in my mind. Character names plus 93 new student names are all trying to find the right section of my brain to settle in. Emails are already requesting missing work for students due to medical emergencies, vacations and academic worries. Lots of online discussion forums have been posted by my classes that I still need to read. I have huge faith they are all being "appropriate."After school, because of renovation construction people come in and out of my classroom measuring for radiator grates, taking pictures of stained ceiling tiles and checking on wiring.
Continuing on the construction theme, we drove 75 minutes this weekend to look at stone counter tops, chose one and drove home where I promptly began thinking we chose the wrong one. Which I am famous for. I also think I chose the wrong pair of new glasses last Friday, but they are on order like the granite so I can't say for sure! I have not been to a yoga class all month, but when I finally go that is where I will realize the balls I am juggling are somewhat under my control, are made of soft material which rolls not breaks and I am in a world of fellow jugglers. We just need to make sure not to bump into each other.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Things I look forward to on Sunday mornings
Maureen Dowd- wow can she write like a sharpshooter. She identifies political attitude in Washington and nails it with flair. This morning's column "Egghead and Blockheads" on Rich Perry, Obama, who is the egghead, and the Republican party is excellent. I love writers who make a point with wit and vigor. Not sure if it changes the politics or outcome but it makes me think.
A nice example of personal writing is David Shaftel's article The Food was Great the Groveling wasn't about an apartment in Mumbai that came with servants. The description of adjusting to servants and the final straw resulting in moving transported me to India for a moment and had me imagining the strangeness of being waited on. No maids in my house here in Vassalboro! I know we stayed at a big house for a week in Jamaica that came with a staff of 5. It was bizarre having someone serve us beer and do our laundry and cooking. Big wage disparities is the only way household help is so standard in certain countries. Anyway back to my list...
I do like a clean house Sundays- once I get it done. Laundry hanging on the line, figuring out what to cook to use up some of the garden veggies. Today the idea is to make borscht and apple cake. I have experience with the latter and carried apples home from my walk this morning. Borscht I have only had once and it was at a Russian festival in Richmond, Maine in a church basement. It was yummy. I had heard about this community of Russian immigrants from a Russian literature professor whose class I took at UMA. I doubt mine will taste as good, nor do I have a lace bonnet like they wore, but it will use cabbage and beets which I have lots of!
A nice example of personal writing is David Shaftel's article The Food was Great the Groveling wasn't about an apartment in Mumbai that came with servants. The description of adjusting to servants and the final straw resulting in moving transported me to India for a moment and had me imagining the strangeness of being waited on. No maids in my house here in Vassalboro! I know we stayed at a big house for a week in Jamaica that came with a staff of 5. It was bizarre having someone serve us beer and do our laundry and cooking. Big wage disparities is the only way household help is so standard in certain countries. Anyway back to my list...
I do like a clean house Sundays- once I get it done. Laundry hanging on the line, figuring out what to cook to use up some of the garden veggies. Today the idea is to make borscht and apple cake. I have experience with the latter and carried apples home from my walk this morning. Borscht I have only had once and it was at a Russian festival in Richmond, Maine in a church basement. It was yummy. I had heard about this community of Russian immigrants from a Russian literature professor whose class I took at UMA. I doubt mine will taste as good, nor do I have a lace bonnet like they wore, but it will use cabbage and beets which I have lots of!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Yesterday, I was walking late afternoon with Izzy, my black lab, processing the day's events, trying to get my heart rate up beyond desk sitting range and enjoying the views from the ridge. In between noticing how green the fields were and how heavy the orchard limbs were with apples I was rehashing my two junior English classes of the day.
Here was my first interpretation. It was 85 degrees, 100% humidity and first 22 students and then 20 filed into my room for a mid level American literature class. Four activities planned for an 80 minute block: group work to engage them in the reading (The Things They Carried), vocabulary practice, discussion board forum to write on for 30 minutes. Many(half?) students seemed to degenerate into restless energy, unfinished entries, and reluctance to even open their books for ideas to answer questions. Digressions in conversation were so numerous as soon as I re-focused one corner of the room another few were off. By the end of the day, I was slouched back in my chair wondering how two teaching blocks could so drain a body.
On my walk I recalled some Buddhist teachings from a retreat I went to this summer. What if I looked at that afternoon from a different perspective? The Buddhist theory of emptiness means everything basically has no form/shape/meaning of its own but we impart our interpretation to things and then perceive that as reality. So the unfocused energy of the class, lethargic from the heat and unable to focus on the reading is my own projection. Coming from me this might indicate I am scattered and unsure how to help these teenagers relate to the situation of the draft in the Vietnam War. The fact that 4 students in each block had missed the class before and hadn't gotten the makeup work, compiled with one exchange student from Thailand who didn't understand what we were doing all class and a high percentage of students needing extra one on one help might have contributed to my demeanor. But if this is all my projection outward, according to Buddhist philosophy, my actions now will change how this class will appear in the future and I have to remember my interpretation is only one of 22 in that time frame- each telling his/her own story! Let's see how that affects tomorrow's class: )
Here was my first interpretation. It was 85 degrees, 100% humidity and first 22 students and then 20 filed into my room for a mid level American literature class. Four activities planned for an 80 minute block: group work to engage them in the reading (The Things They Carried), vocabulary practice, discussion board forum to write on for 30 minutes. Many(half?) students seemed to degenerate into restless energy, unfinished entries, and reluctance to even open their books for ideas to answer questions. Digressions in conversation were so numerous as soon as I re-focused one corner of the room another few were off. By the end of the day, I was slouched back in my chair wondering how two teaching blocks could so drain a body.
On my walk I recalled some Buddhist teachings from a retreat I went to this summer. What if I looked at that afternoon from a different perspective? The Buddhist theory of emptiness means everything basically has no form/shape/meaning of its own but we impart our interpretation to things and then perceive that as reality. So the unfocused energy of the class, lethargic from the heat and unable to focus on the reading is my own projection. Coming from me this might indicate I am scattered and unsure how to help these teenagers relate to the situation of the draft in the Vietnam War. The fact that 4 students in each block had missed the class before and hadn't gotten the makeup work, compiled with one exchange student from Thailand who didn't understand what we were doing all class and a high percentage of students needing extra one on one help might have contributed to my demeanor. But if this is all my projection outward, according to Buddhist philosophy, my actions now will change how this class will appear in the future and I have to remember my interpretation is only one of 22 in that time frame- each telling his/her own story! Let's see how that affects tomorrow's class: )
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Blogs from writers I admire
As I've already mentioned I've never been on a blog until 2 weeks ago. I think perhaps I was trying to protect myself from information overload. When I'm working I often don't thoroughly read the daily news, weekly and monthly magazines I already subscribe to. BUT, here are some blogs I might try to follow because I like the author's articles or the collection.
Nicholas Kristof travels the world mostly writing about the underclass in developing countries with a particular focus on women's situations. The power of his topics, the struggles of people he meets and his dedication to reporting about them is impressive.
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/
Paul Krugman writes on economic issues as a voice for the "liberal?" idea that everyman/woman should have the chance to prosper thanks to a government unafraid to create economic policy which benefits the lower/middle class.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/
Mark Bittman has been writing great food columns as "The Minimalist" for years. He now is on the Op Ed page.
http://bittman.blogs.nytimes.com/
"The Stone features the writing of contemporary philosophers on issues both timely and timeless"(NYTimes).
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/the-stone/
Nicholas Kristof travels the world mostly writing about the underclass in developing countries with a particular focus on women's situations. The power of his topics, the struggles of people he meets and his dedication to reporting about them is impressive.
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/
Paul Krugman writes on economic issues as a voice for the "liberal?" idea that everyman/woman should have the chance to prosper thanks to a government unafraid to create economic policy which benefits the lower/middle class.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/
Mark Bittman has been writing great food columns as "The Minimalist" for years. He now is on the Op Ed page.
http://bittman.blogs.nytimes.com/
"The Stone features the writing of contemporary philosophers on issues both timely and timeless"(NYTimes).
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/the-stone/
Sunday, September 11, 2011
unplugged- sorry "Digital Nation"
It's probably heresy in an online class environment, but I admit to being off the Internet and computer for a whole 2 days. Naturally as I attempted to post a blog tonight my somewhat quirky rural internet connection started spinning aimlessly and I was unplugged involuntarily- but the first 40 hours offline were voluntary!
We were in the midst of putting in new kitchen cabinets this weekend, so beware I'm thinking in construction metaphors. When I talk to my students about writing essays and papers I think I begin more with a vision of the finished product. This will be 3-5 pages long, have analysis and textual evidence or convey some aspect of who you are to the college you're applying to.... Kind of similar to saying I need the kitchen redone as it is 22 years old and the cabinets don't work that well. So I envision the end product: the new unblemished cabinets with smooth drawers, a range hood that works, stone counter top to compliment the wood etc... I am envisioning the end product not the stages it will take to accomplish that.
With a paper once we know we want an analytical paper or a college essay how do we get there? I try to get kids to accept a level of uncertainty of what the final product will say. All writing is to some extent a discovery and it can be pretty messy. Many cool points come in the middle of writing and can't be for seen at the beginning. Another thing I make clear is that everyone has a different writing process. The trick is figuring out what works for each person. I'll review different options: brainstorming, outlining points, first draft on computer or paper. My goal as a teacher is to walk students through this process enough that they learn what they need to do to write well.
So from the initial mess I promise coherence will emerge as long as they keep working- revising, conferencing, assessing clarity and evidence for points they are making. Really, it is a routine, a series of steps needed for each writing piece. Luckily I was not in charge of the building routine, just an observer. How's my kitchen coming? Well the cabinets need handles, the floor got scratched from moving the oven, but the cabinets are hung, hinges adjusted and the mess is swept up. It takes patience and work to get to that final vision!
We were in the midst of putting in new kitchen cabinets this weekend, so beware I'm thinking in construction metaphors. When I talk to my students about writing essays and papers I think I begin more with a vision of the finished product. This will be 3-5 pages long, have analysis and textual evidence or convey some aspect of who you are to the college you're applying to.... Kind of similar to saying I need the kitchen redone as it is 22 years old and the cabinets don't work that well. So I envision the end product: the new unblemished cabinets with smooth drawers, a range hood that works, stone counter top to compliment the wood etc... I am envisioning the end product not the stages it will take to accomplish that.
With a paper once we know we want an analytical paper or a college essay how do we get there? I try to get kids to accept a level of uncertainty of what the final product will say. All writing is to some extent a discovery and it can be pretty messy. Many cool points come in the middle of writing and can't be for seen at the beginning. Another thing I make clear is that everyone has a different writing process. The trick is figuring out what works for each person. I'll review different options: brainstorming, outlining points, first draft on computer or paper. My goal as a teacher is to walk students through this process enough that they learn what they need to do to write well.
So from the initial mess I promise coherence will emerge as long as they keep working- revising, conferencing, assessing clarity and evidence for points they are making. Really, it is a routine, a series of steps needed for each writing piece. Luckily I was not in charge of the building routine, just an observer. How's my kitchen coming? Well the cabinets need handles, the floor got scratched from moving the oven, but the cabinets are hung, hinges adjusted and the mess is swept up. It takes patience and work to get to that final vision!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Philosophy of Writing & Teaching Writing part 1
I'm sitting here at my desk Friday afternoon pleasantly drained by the first week's interactions with students. Trying to put my finger on what my philosophy is for teaching writing will take some time. I haven't had to write specifically on this since my first job application 18 years ago! Have my thoughts and practices changed? Certainly, yet much has remained constant. My idea is I'll approach this question in steps. Here's the first one:
A writer needs to feel comfortable with her audience to begin writing. In the classroom that is why we're so exhausted by the end of the block, day, week; we're establishing and maintaining a connection with our classes so students feel like we care about what they have to say. So most basic beginning- learn their names, laugh with them, talk for awhile- then ask them to write.
How does that fit with digital writing? The idea of just writing what I'm thinking about for anyone to see or (no one) doesn't make me feel real excited. A few things our online class has done to get the process going help: profiles so we know a tiny bit about each other, Ken's emails commenting specifically on points we wrote about and last but not least -the blog is an assignment: )
More advanced writers may have imaginary audiences or care little about audience- I'm not sure. For myself and my students establishing a rapport and ease is the first step.
A writer needs to feel comfortable with her audience to begin writing. In the classroom that is why we're so exhausted by the end of the block, day, week; we're establishing and maintaining a connection with our classes so students feel like we care about what they have to say. So most basic beginning- learn their names, laugh with them, talk for awhile- then ask them to write.
How does that fit with digital writing? The idea of just writing what I'm thinking about for anyone to see or (no one) doesn't make me feel real excited. A few things our online class has done to get the process going help: profiles so we know a tiny bit about each other, Ken's emails commenting specifically on points we wrote about and last but not least -the blog is an assignment: )
More advanced writers may have imaginary audiences or care little about audience- I'm not sure. For myself and my students establishing a rapport and ease is the first step.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Irish can be very funny- check out "The Guard"
There is a very funny Irish movie playing at Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville right now that has my husband and I still laughing at character lines and scenes three days after seeing it. The Guard is an action/mystery movie which plays on all the audience's expectations of that genre with satire and surprises from beginning to end. From the lieutenant hero (Brendan Gleeson) that you want to like but who acts really rude, spending weekends with prostitutes and insulting a black American FBI agent (Don Cheedle), to the drug dealers quoting Nietzche and Dylan Thomas and fussing about the poor quality of associates they work with, the audience loved the anomalies of characters. The first time director John Michael McDonagh gives viewers the mystery of a murder in Connemara and an impending drug smuggling operation, meanwhile poking fun at the conventions of the suave detective, the dedicated police force and the impenetrable criminals. Well worth a trip to Waterville and you can brush up on your Gaelic at the same time.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Katie's blogging?
Blogging is a stunted guttural utilitarian verb. Hopefully that doesn't mean the writing coming out of blogs is the same. I wanted to name this blog Backdraft after my favorite coffee from Carrabassett Coffee Company- dark, smokey and strong. Plus I like drafting in the back on bike rides and hikes- that way nobody is rushing me. However the real definition of backdraft involves that nasty puff of smoke that comes out of your woodstove when the wind blows back down; not quite the image I had in mind for a blog. So this is Maine musings because I love living in Maine. When I'm not teaching high school classes, or reading students' writing or doing the readings I've assigned, I am outside recharging. There's no other place I've lived that supports a simple lifestyle with the mountains, lakes, and rural space to play in that we have here. I hope to write about teenagers and teaching writing and literature with them, as well as some of the places and things I enjoy.
At the end of class Friday we had a few minutes and I was chatting with several kids. I asked what good books they'd read over the summer. The first replied, Cry the Beloved Country (by Alan Paton) the next Stephen King's On Writing and the third I asked had read a biography of Malcolm X commenting how schools never talk about him. Who says kids are illiterate? I am awed by their curiosity and range of interests.
On a slightly mischievous note this is a fun essay I read this summer suggesting the beauty in not always googling the answers to our questions. "In Praise Of Not Knowing"
At the end of class Friday we had a few minutes and I was chatting with several kids. I asked what good books they'd read over the summer. The first replied, Cry the Beloved Country (by Alan Paton) the next Stephen King's On Writing and the third I asked had read a biography of Malcolm X commenting how schools never talk about him. Who says kids are illiterate? I am awed by their curiosity and range of interests.
On a slightly mischievous note this is a fun essay I read this summer suggesting the beauty in not always googling the answers to our questions. "In Praise Of Not Knowing"
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