It always seems so busy after a break. Everybody has settled into their winter break schedules and the transition to school schedules takes a bit of time. Regardless, we dove right into the work at hand in AP Lit. Gentle reminders about independent reading projects, more study about critical theory, and a guest speaker - Kris McDermott - rounded out the week.
I learned (and continue to learn) that experience, questioning, and exploring is among the best teachers we have. Too often it seems teachers perceive themselves as the experts in the room who are the sole holders of the keys of knowledge.
This is a practice that needs to be abolished because it is simply not true. Teaching the skills necessary to question and discover on ones own is more challenging and more rewarding for everyone involved. When students recognize the benefit of seeking intellecutally stimulating sources they get a taste of that discovery as they experience increasing amounts of small sparks of epiphanies. What a wonderful feeling - to wonder and be rewarded with discovery.
Isn't that what it's all about?
There is nothing worse than being forced to learn something in the way a teacher thinks you should learn it. On the otherhand, it is liberating to have guidelines but flexibility in the approach to the learning at hand - in this case critical theory and Shakespeare.
As I continue to think about my practices as a teacher I am learning that this unit has much to offer and that the content isn't as important as the skills students are learning.
I learned (and continue to learn) that experience, questioning, and exploring is among the best teachers we have. Too often it seems teachers perceive themselves as the experts in the room who are the sole holders of the keys of knowledge.
This is a practice that needs to be abolished because it is simply not true. Teaching the skills necessary to question and discover on ones own is more challenging and more rewarding for everyone involved. When students recognize the benefit of seeking intellecutally stimulating sources they get a taste of that discovery as they experience increasing amounts of small sparks of epiphanies. What a wonderful feeling - to wonder and be rewarded with discovery.
Isn't that what it's all about?
There is nothing worse than being forced to learn something in the way a teacher thinks you should learn it. On the otherhand, it is liberating to have guidelines but flexibility in the approach to the learning at hand - in this case critical theory and Shakespeare.
As I continue to think about my practices as a teacher I am learning that this unit has much to offer and that the content isn't as important as the skills students are learning.