Assimilating in a Dominant Ideological Society

In Hunger of Memory, Richard Rodriguez demonstrates how dichotomies such as whiteness/blackness, private life/public life, distinction of classes, as well as religion, family intimacies, and education have shaped him into the participating individual he has become in the dominant culture. His personal history in a Mexican home speaking his native language displays the loss he endured in order to gain academic success and public identity. His search for identity is empowered through his spiritual, intimate family relationships, and education. Through education, it became inevitable to assimilate into the public dominant culture he was in, simultaneously, losing the bond of his childhood private heritage. His life experiences and self-determination assisted him to strive for academic success. “Education altered my life.” “I remember what was so grievously lost to define what was necessarily gained.” Through his education he gains public acceptance, but at the same time mourns for the traditions and language of his heritage.
Religion – Catholicism - Christianity
-Is religion a dominant ideology in this text? If so how?
-How is the concept of faith embodied in or absent from this text?
-Does the text present alternative forms of religion, spirituality?
-Does the text present any material consequences for those who may not subscribe to Christian ideology?

Whiteness
-Is whiteness a dominant ideology in this text? If so, how?
-How does the text resist or reinscribe the dominant ideology of whiteness?
-How do issues of ethnicity/nationality complicate notions of whiteness or “otherness” in the text?
-Does the text present any material consequences for those who are not “white” in the text?
-How does social class work in this text? What role does social class play in the lives of the characters in this text?

Education
-To what extent does academic experience shape individuals?
-How do you feel about bilingual education? (Students learning content in native language.) Does it enforce oppression?
-How do you feel about combining private life (religion, native language) with public life (education, community)?
-How can individuals assimilate in a dominant culture without losing their native heritage? Is it inevitable to conform to a dominant society?

Being-Not Being: Richard Rodriguez's Hunger of Memory

In his narrative about growing up a second-generation immigrant in California, Richard Rodriguez skillfully examines the push/pull of negotiating his Mexican, Mexican-American and American identities. The alienation these conflicting identities create plays itself out in the ways Rodriguez depicts his quest for education, his particular brand of Catholicism, and the tension resulting from his bilingualism. This anxiety is apparent, for instance, in his pursuit of education. While gaining access to education brings a much-craved order, inspires pride and allows him to carve out an identity, it also propels him away from his home life, isolates him from his family, feminizes him, and thrusts him into a public sphere in which he is not altogether comfortable. This wavering between worlds, the conflict between simultaneous loving and loathing, and the chaos and confusion his hybridity bring about are what I found most palpable about Hunger of Memory. His sense of identity is continually shattered and then reconstituted by books, language, and social and professional contracts. Here are some questions the text brings up: Does Rodriguez become complicit with the forms of oppression he claims to be writing against? What problems arise for bilingual children and is bilingualism politicized?

The Blame Game?

I agree with Graff, that it is easy to blame the high schools for not preparing students for college. But then he shifts the blame to the colleges' lack of clarity in their "culture of ideas and arguments." Well someone has to be blamed.

How about giving teachers more autonomy in their classrooms, instead of prescriptions of texts, models of segmented lessons, how to arrange the room, and how often to display students' work? Then teachers might be motivated, feeling less fearful of unsatisfactory ratings. Students could then be encouraged to develop, through extended discussions, the skills needed for the "persuasive public discourse" Graff sees as necessary at the college level.

Emjae.

Bloom VS Berman (Read this one!!)

Bloom and Berman have very differing view points. I read them together and thought up some questions about the articles in relation to one another. Let me know what you think.

~ Looking at these texts and considering them in relation to each other,

1. Who do you identify with most? Why?


2. What do you think is the best way for universities to teach students today?


3. Do you teach more like on of these two professors than the other? Why do you think that is? How would you describe your teaching or philosophy of it as compared to these authors?

4. Berman keeps referring to providing a “safe place” for his students to discuss diversity; do you think there is such a thing? And if so, where? Is it in a supervised classroom?


5. What do you feel is the most important thing for universities to teach students? How is this the same or different from the arguments made by these two authors?

Clueless in Academe

“Clueless in Academe” by Gerald Graff

Graff’s extensive discourse talks about how many undergraduate students, and most especially high school students, feel “clueless” when they come up against the academic world. He emphasizes the fact that many schools and colleges reinforce and “perpetuate the misconception that the life of the mind is a secret society for which only an elite few qualify” and that this cluelessness felt by students, and often the general public, is perpetuated by academia itself “by making its ideas, problems and ways of thinking look more opaque, narrowly specialized, and beyond normal learning capacities than they are or need to be.” Graff states that to overcome this, students must become literate – they must learn to listen closely to others, summarize others in a recognizable way, and make their own relevant argument. “This argument literacy, the ability to listen, summarize, and respond…” is what he considers to be educated.
Some statements/questions worthy of class discussion/argument which present themselves from Graff’s article are:

1) For the most part, today’s high school students, and college freshmen, can not listen/read, summarize and analyze that reading and then present an argument – either pro or con. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

2) For the most part, today’s high school students, and college freshmen, can not grasp the meanings and subtleties of either the cannon or minority writer's work. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? What has been your experience?

3) How do you feel about the five-paragraph essay? Is it a good template or a crutch to pass the Regents? Can we eventually get passed the five-paragraph essay? If yes, when and how? If no, why not?

4) How can we teach high school students to present a logical, well thought-out and well-presented argument, either oral or written, on ANY subject?

Ameliorating Issues of Diversity

Jeffrey Berman's "The Dark Side of Diversity" challenges individuals to look internally. Courses such as these bring issues of racism, sexism, and homophobia that are part of our society today to the surface. These diversity assignments that were given allowed students to express and write about their lived experiences. There are many contradictions to diversity. Especially when a variety of cultures try and assimilate to a dominant cultural society. There are emotions such as guilt, embarassment, anger, and fear of identity. Stories of personal experience may be insightful, and they may cause compassion and build awareness to the "other" or "different" individuals.

Inventing the University

Bartholomoe demostrtes how students are expected to write and express themselves on a University level. They experiment and create voice such as a "literary critic" to an "experimental psychologist." Educators should assist their students and provide them with accurate knowledge when they want their students to think, create, argue, describe or revise. Teachers need to allow space for creativity. Learning is a continual process throughout academics as well as life. Students should combine practical knowlede and ideas with new elements in order for them to synthesize and evaluate their life and world.

Schultz's "The Young Composers"

In Schultz's deep study of the history of writing instruction, she focuses on the shift from teaching rules and memorization to focusing on the personal practice of writing. She marks the changing culture of the mid-nineteenth century as mirroring the pedagogical change.

Some questions that jut out after reading:

1. Has the debate changed so much since the mid-nineteenth century? Are we as "bad" (closed-minded) as some of the teachers/theorists in the article?

2. How much emphasis should teachers put on official grammar/rules - in lesson plans and in the assessment of writing?

3. Are current teachers of writing sensitive to the students' age and interests as they teach writing (giving models and themes of assignments)?

4. Is it possible to teach students to be creative AND correct?

David Bartholomae's "Inventing the University"

I found that this article was intersting and informative. It raised some thoughts in my mind as I read it. I have included a few of my questions below:

1. Is "Inventing the University" an appropriate title for the article? What other names would be more appropriate?
2. Is Bartholomae's argument about creativity and "building bridges" between the writer's point of view and the reader's point of view teachable? If our job in a high school setting is to teach students how to write, Bartholomae's job as a professor is to hone those skills. But what if the student just can't do it? Then what?
3. What exactly is "creativity"? Can it be taught?

I remember the first teacher who inspired me with literature. I had been slacking off with my studies in my freshman year of high school. I received my first F in English class, my best subject. After much hesitation, I asked if I could do extra credit work to bring my grade up. The teacher gave me the novel, Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy. I spent the next day with my face glued to the novel. I remembered my childhood escape. I became in touch with books again. I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. My mother caught me at 6 a.m. crying my eyes out over the ending. I returned to school without concern for my grade. All I wanted to do was thank Ms. D. for bringing me back to a world that I had forgotten about. Now that I am a teacher, I want to open my student's eyes. I don't want them to be concerned with their grade. I want them to be touched by literature the way I was that very long day.

Teaching Literature

My inspiration for teaching English Literature came from my undergrad Lit. classes. I enjoy reading and discussing literature. Two books I enjoy teaching are Things Fall Apart and Lord of the Flies. However it is not always easy reaching my students because many of them are reluctant readers. I am always looking for new ways to reach them. One important statement that came out of reading the excerpt from Robert Scholes The Rise and Fall of English was "The craft of reading itself should be the main focus, not 'Great books'." There is so much debate about what students should be reading. I think that the books we teach should be more comtemporary so that students connect to them. However, they should be exposed to the classics so that their scope of literature can be widened.

A Teacher that Cared

The first time I encountered poetry,that seemed intresting to me was in my first semester at Queens College. My professor himself had a love for William Blake's work and understood different views of it. When teaching Blake's poetry he opened my eyes to the true meaning behind poetry and not focus on just one way of reading poetry.
Blake's poetry allows the reader to see two sides of life and gives students a choice of what to do and what path to take. Blake's poetry is a great way of introducing students to the choices they have in life and what path needs to be taken for success. The language used also keeps a student wanting to read on.

literature comes alive in art

I've always thought that literature and art were my favorite subjects. In the early stages of elemetnary school, I loved hearing new stories and then writing and illustrating ones of my own. When I was in Ms. Cullen's drama class in high school, I could not wait to finish reading a play so that I could compelte one of the art projects she proposed. Building a miniature, medieval theatre stage was one of the most memorable art projects I can remember. I loved it. I'm very accurage and honest when I say that I have at least one art projects that is expected for every literary work I teach. They vary from oil paintings, to writing new song lyricks, to home made music videos, but somehow art is a huge part of my teaching style. I think that's when the students' understanding and passion of literature come alive.

Ever since I was a young girl, I have been fascinated with the theater. My grandmother would take myself and my 4 brothers and sisters ever summer to see the musicals at Jones Beach Theater; this was way before the days of concert series at Jones Beach. When my grandmother passed away, my aunts would take myself, my siblings, and my cousins into Manhattan to see Broadway Plays and Musicals. I remember feeling alive while watching the theatrical productions; I immediately connected with the audience and the actors. It was as if we were all sharing and creating this magical experience. I remember the awe I felt as I watched the theatrical performances, and I also remember the amazement that I felt when my mother explained to me that each play/musical originally began as a written work. This fascinated me and it turned me onto reading. By watching theater performances I actually was able to visualize literature and feel it, not just read it. It is these connections, feelings, and emotions that I hope to create in my English classroom, and they are the reasons that I became a teacher. I want students to realize that they create the literature, whatever genre it may be, by bringing their own emotion, reaction, and connection to it.

"The Odyssey" and Art

“The Odyssey” and Art

Teaching what can become a very dry, canonical text like Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, can be transformed into a wonderful sensory experience for high-school students. I did, in fact, enjoy such an experience as a first-year teacher at Townsend Harris HS, when I introduced classical art/illustrations depicting scenes from The Odyssey to my ninth-graders. As a first-year teacher, my enthusiasm for making the text come alive for my students was seemingly boundless. As I surfed the web for something to "spice" up our reading, I came upon a wonderful website which introduced me to many of N.C. Wyeth’s illustrations, along with other painters such as Waterhouse, Draper, Boulanger, and others. These color illustrations depict the pain and agony of the suitors as they are being slaughtered, they portray Penelope’s deception in weaving and unraveling the shroud, and they appear to animate the seductive sight and sounds of the Sirens. My favorite of these is N.C. Wyeth’s portrayal of “The Trial of the Bow” wherein Odysseus wins the contest proposed by Penelope and all the suitors discover that Odysseus himself has returned to Ithaca.
I was able to print overhead transparencies of scenes like The Sirens tempting Odysseus, Poseidon’s Wrath creating a tidal wave, Cyclops’ rage after being blinded, and Circe’s magical powers of turning men into beasts. When I displayed these in class, the students loved the colors and action depicted. I was bold enough to include a “Humanities Connection” on their final exam. Incorporating N.C. Wyeth’s “The Trial of the Bow” overhead transparency as part of their final exam, I asked students to identify three “things” they observed in the painting and explain why each one of them was important to the epic.
The enthusiastic response I received from these “honor” students encouraged me to teach The Odyssey again, in my second year, when my ninth-graders were regular Regents students. They too, enjoyed the paintings, which made getting through this rather long epic, (even in it’s abridged form), easier. I have found that teaching an intimidating work such as The Odyssey, can be made much more interesting and enjoyable by introducing art, film, poetry and other forms of the humanities.

My First Love Encounter With Literature

In high school I had a literature teacher who, when reading a text would lift the words from the pages. He was not overly dramatic, but he had an intensity to his teaching that enthralled me. He made his students become a part of the action in the text. He made literature FUN. This teacher inspired me, motivated me and allowed me to be creative and imaginative. His words still resound when I am teaching. I hear him clearly in Henry V. I hope I can be to my students what that teacher was to me; a motivator.

I was able to connect with an excerpt from Hunger of Memory because of the love for books both the author and myself share. I left that excerpt rethinking the bases on which teachers limit the reading choices of our students.
Emjay

My literary thoughts

Since I was a child in grade school, I have enjoyed reading literature . Whether it was a newspaper, magazine or book I usually couldn't get enough as I wanted to keep reading more and more. Therefore, I was really able to connect to what I read with my group in class on Wednesday. We read an excerpt from the autobiography of Richard Rodriguez. He writes about his love for reading and books. Rodriguez mentioned several texts which he read as a young boy and this inspired me to go back to my youth and remember a few books that resonated in my mind. However, there was one particular book which stood out among them all. Lord Of The Flies is the one piece of literature that was "important" to me. It is important because I am reminded of elements from the book all the time. I watch a show on television called Lost and it follows the same premise as the book. People are trying to survive a horrible plane crash that strands them on a deserted, tropical island in the middle of the ocean. It fascinates me to see how human beings react to difficult situations and that is why this show and the text are interesting and important to me.

A new vision (Cynthia)

When I was in highschool I vividly remember this one Enlgish teacher who had very creative ways to motivate us. Although I had always loved to read and write, this teacher made me want to do it creatively and made me feel like I was good at it too. One day she gave us an assignment to cut out a picture from a magazine, any picture that we wanted to (as long as it was appropriate, of course). I found this picture of a couple on a beautiful beach lying on a hamock together. The next day we were assigned to write a story about what was happening in the picture, or something that could use the picture as an illustration. I wrote this whole story and I felt great about it. I got an A on the paper and to this day I still have that paper in my files. I take it out and look at it or re-read it when I feel like I need some motivation to be creative. I loved her idea so much that I have transferred it into my own classroom now. However, instead I supply the art to the students and they write a story about what I give them. I always give them a work of art that is either well-known or by a well-known artist. I love being able to see what I am writing about and in turn I love to be able to draw a picture (in my head or on paper) about my written thoughts.

reflections

I was never a big reader as a kid. I did well in school because I worked really hard, but I did not read for fun. Up until 11th grade I didn't really care for reading at all. I had video games and sports and friends to hang out with. But in 11th grade I read Catcher in the Rye. For the first time I was actually moved by a piece of writing. About the same time as that I also read Bartleby the Scrivener. These two pieces really made me think about life in a different way. I'm not sure if it was because I was 16 or because the stories (especially Catcher) really got to me, but I fell in love with what people deem quality writing. I now like to read the classics and when I teach, I hope to exude the same emotions I felt when I first read what I would consider a quality piece of writing. I also love to write, and a lot of that stems from the impact of Catcher and Bartleby. I hope to teach my students in a fun and engaging way to enjoy what they have, and if I am lucky, some of my passion may rub off on them.

TOMMY, Dave, and Brian have an epiphany

1993
Music: "So you think '21 is gonna be a good year....."

Driving in Mustang Dave -- my '84 Mustang from high school -- it never had the fluidity or sexiness to warrant the moniker "Sally."
Dave is tooling me on the roadway.
Destination:Pathmark - garbage bags and Mop&Glo for Mom's Sunday labor.

While driving impecibly - impecibly in the mind of my 17yr old self - The Who's TOMMY winds in the tape deck

Music: "..but somehow in your smile I can break bad weather.
What about the boy he saw it all?!"

ME: I like that sound. What was that about 'seeing it all'?
*****Ohhhhhhhh. It's a STORY!********

~~~~~~~~~~~~~CLOCKWIPE: ONE HOUR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The tape in the deck has turned
The roadway has become highway
Destination: The highway, I suppose

Music: "Do you hear or fear or do I smash the mirror?"

Me: Tommy's totally engulfed by that mirror. Breaking it would have to break the trance. If he can no longer see himself and his own guilt for what he saw - if he cannot hide from the pain - then the outside world would have to rush in!

EPIPHANY! EPIPHANY! ILLUMINATION!

That is what Mr. Jones meant by "epiphany."

Fresh!!

Music: "Listening to you. I get the music............."

my reflection

Although I had been an avid reader for most of my childhood, the first time I was emotionally moved by art was when I saw Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City. For years I read, viewed art, and listened to music yet could never fully "hear the artists voice". The crowded room of travelers, detailed strokes depicting veins and muscles on the human form, God reaching out to man in the center ceiling-all these images hit me like a ton of bricks. The final wall, the largest painting of the room depicting the Last Judgement or Apocalypse was particularly moving. Seeing the bodies shrivel and scream in anguish as they fought to stay out of hell was overwhelming. I stood there and cried. For the first time, I "felt" what the story told. Visually, I witnessed and experienced a story I had read so many yimes before, and it was frightening. From that moment on I changed my outlook on how I would mentally digest a piece of art. I was only fiteen at the time, but I felt as though I had experienced the pains of living an entire lifetime- the pictures were haunting and life altering. I decided to view all art pieces, literature, and music with a keen sense of understanding and hearing the "artists voice". When you can accomplish this, then you can master the art of deconstruction and alnalysis.

a teacher I remember

When I was in high school and read The Scarlet Letter, an innovative teacher stimulated our class in a way that I don't remember happening in any of my other classes. My eleventh grade English teacher encouraged us to think and talk about all aspects of the book, even the ones that made us immature high schoolers giggle. Pleased that we were so interested in the novel, and finding us in an excited and seemingly unresolvable debate as to the severity of the protagonist's "crime," our teacher decided we were going to put Hester Prynne on trial.

In my previous English classes, we would read texts, discuss them, and write papers on them. It was my favorite subject and I had always enjoyed that, but I remember being thrilled with this different approach. It was like a play and everyone participated, playing a character from the novel or the judge or one of the jury members. And although it was tremendous fun, it was also something we took very seriously, as if this young girl's fate was actually in our hands.

I won't say that that teacher made me decide to become a teacher (it was over fifteen years later before I even seriously considered it), but when I did finally come to that decision I knew that the experiences I had in her class had influenced me and that she was the kind of teacher I would want to be.

Mr. Matthews and His Podium

I'll always remember the first person and work of art that inspired me to become an English teacher. Mr. Matthews and his podium took me by surprise the first day of eleventh grade. I bet that you are probably thinking he was a mean teacher who dictated the class from his podium. Well, that wasn't the case. Mr. Matthews actually rolled into class and around the room handing out paper clips, chanting "throw out your television sets!" on the first day. During this moment, I remember thinking to myself how does this guy think he is going to keep control over everyone if he acts this way on the first day of school? The funny thing is, I don't remember anyone ever answering him back or cutting his class.

Mr. Matthews spent the entire year sitting on, in, and dancing with that podium. He also shared countless stories about authors and texts that grabbed my attention and pulled me into the world of books forever. Even though I never threw out my television set, I examined the extent to which I sat in front of it. From his enthusiam to his creativity, I was inspired to become an English teacher. I actually looked forward to attending his class because he was fun, he made learning fun, and he had a great knowledge of his craft. This inspired me to be the type of teacher he was.

After looking at a passage from Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran, I stopped to think about The Great Gatsby in a new way. The funny thing is, Mr. Matthews actually taught that novel to my eleventh grade class. Through his teaching of it, I never looked at the book itself as poison, but rather, the characters themselves. During our current class, I reflected upon the comment the student in the article made and thought about how I disagreed with him. I don't know if it was because Mr. Matthews loved that book, or if I am ignorant about other cultures' point of view, but I just couldn't see how a book could be considered poison. To me, books equal power and knowledge, especially those that question and challenge values. Although, I do see and respect this student's point of view, I do not think his statement will change the way I read a book.

-Cheryl-

Ironically enough, ever since I became a teacher I stopped blogging. I'm thrilled to once again have the opportunity to do so. Two books stand out to me as texts I will always teach in my classroom. The first is Holes, by Louis Sachar. I love the suspenseful way in which he writes and the fact that the book has many layers. When I teach it I like to compare it to the layers of an onion, and in fact, onions play a significant role in the book. The second text I love to teach is The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. This is an incredible book to read aloud to students and is a great tool when it comes time to teach memoir. I have found that this particular text resonates with students of all cultural backgrounds, which is important in New York City schools.

how i became a teacher

i became a teacher by default . . . i was losing my job & was looking around for something else to do . . . i was feeling old in my job anyways . . . the posters for teaching fellows in the subways looked appealing . . . so when the axe came down, i went that way (after enjoying my severance package) . . . they rejected me; i think the final interviewer didn't think i was "street" enough . . . anyways i went in straight through the board of ed, & it's turned out to be the best thing for me . . . the constantly redeeming factor for me is the students' writing . . . wow, i cry sometimes, it's so deep & beautiful . . . vicarious thrills perhaps . . . peeks into their souls . . . wow . . . that's the pleasure for me, & the reason, ultimately, i think. (homage to celine)

Freedom to Explore

The author of Arts of Living argues that educators should set limits as well as giving students the freedom to extrapolate their own meaning through a variety of sources. The writer demonstrates that students should have the opportunity to be open minded in order to formulate new ideas. However, his tone is contradicting when he indicates that educators should constrain students' interpretation with the "acceptable" or "responsible" limits. It's necessary for students to have the chance to experiment with a variety of sources and participate in discussions in order to provide them with a comfortable and enriching environment. This enables them to share their views that may be relevant to enhance the meaning of texts. I was inspired teaching music last semester; even though, I'm not a music teacher. I was excited to have the opportunity to incorporate a variety of sources to enhance my students' knowledge. Students engaged in music, poetry, collages, and literature. They were intrigued by Basquiat's artistic expression through his art work. He demonstrated how he was inspired by Jazz. Students were motivated to create their own collages, and they expressed what music meant to them. They were introduced to a variety of poets such as Langston Hughes and musicians such as Jimi Hendrix. They were amazed how musicians used figurative language in their songs that enhanced the meaning of each song. They also had the chance to present their choice of song. They were able to visualize the "terrible" as well as the "beautiful," the "rational" along with the "irrational" through these pieces of art.

Literature in My Life

My fascination with literature first came from a high school experience. I had always enjoyed reading but found the books in the curriculum to be boring and dull. When the teacher said we would be reading Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet" (you can imagine what was going through my head) I thought I would never make it through the semester. My experience with the play not only changed the way I viewed Shakespeare, but I was able (for the first time) to recognize the value and power of literature. My teacher taught the play passionately and she encouraged us to speak and think in a liberal manner. She helped us to see that we can all, in some way, find a personal outlet in the materials we read. I felt moved by this experience and I also began to develop a passion for the play. As a teacher, I feel that it is my job to provide students with same opportunity that was given to me. I strive to present literature in a way that inspires all.

Would Richard Rodriguez "read" graffiti?

On my way to work every morning, I walk past Aviation High School, where there's an entire block of graffiti on one side of the school's wall. Seeing those images every day inspired me to build a course that looked at the emergence of graffiti in New York City, the city's measures to combat the problem in the 70s and 80s, and the more recent acceptance of graffiti in art galleries and museums. The graffiti course became a freshman composition course I taught last year, a course which made use of LaGuardia Community College’s LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. The theme served to push my students to rethink their ideas about valid texts, and about what it means to "read" visual texts. Our trips to the Archives and our access to "top secret" mayoral papers strengthened their research skills. The excerpt from Richard Rodriguez's Hunger of Memory brings up similar issues about the validity of certain texts. Rodriguez's desire to read "important books" and his position that "what gave a book its value was some major idea or theme it contained" was surely on the minds of the students who spent a semester reading and writing about graffiti. However, the graffiti class was exciting because it challenged students to draw meaning from “vandalism,” and lead them to the realization that visual texts also have a "major idea or theme," that what's deemed "important" changes over time, and that Jean-Michel Basquiat was a “vandal” before his work was considered worthy of a retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum. This also folds into our class' discussion of reading as craft since it allows one to continually draw meaning from a variety of sources.

Reflection: "The Monkey's Paw"

Barbara Buran
English 703
Reflection: "The Monkey's Paw"

My inspiration to pursue teaching literature came the first day I walked into a tenth grade class at an all female High School in the Bronx. I distinctly remember thirty talkative teenage girls sitting before me on this particular day in September of 2003. My enthusiasm as a teacher fresh out of college, the excitement of a new school year, and my anticipation of what was in store for the year ahead contributed to this inspiration to share literature with my students. Initially feeling anxious and somewhat intimidated by this group of teenagers, I introduced literature for the very first time with the short story. I chose "The Monkey's Paw" for a simple reason: I knew and enjoyed the story and hoped my students would share in this experience.
As I began to read aloud, chatty students grew silent and seemingly indifferent students grew interested. I asked if anyone would like to read aloud and many insisted that I continue reading. Although no discussion or analysis of the literature had occurred at this point, the students were engaged. Their concentration during this single class inspired me to gain a little more confidence that first day of my teaching career and affirmed that teaching literature was what I wanted to do with my life.