(no subject)
I thought I'd start this as an exercise in writing. I assign writing assignments to my students all the time, but never write myself any more. I used to enjoy it. I think that I've just had too much happiness and joy lately in my life to be able to write well. And probably since I started teaching I edit myself too much as I go.
So...if this actually gets read, here, is what I am trying to figure out. These journals seem to be used by people who would not necessarily call themselves writers. They are used to air thoughts and increase communication. What makes non-writers want to do this? Whatever it is, how can I transfer that into my classroom? Is it that it seems relevant?
What other lessons in language arts should I concentrate on this year. I have been thinking long and hard not just about the cirriculum, but also about the idea of language arts. The art of communication. Students don't feel that they should have to expand their "art" of communication. Or if they do, that they only need to be able to know what is necessary to their career. I can teach them what nouns, verbs, characterization, and irony are but that is like teaching an art student to draw a face that includes eyes, a nose, and a mouth. No other criteria than simply getting them in there. How can I make them understand that they have to apply their own experiences and visions to the face to make it look real...to make it have life? I want so very badly to work more music, movies, even dance and visual art into their lessons. I want them to understand that the art of communication is central to everything...and that studying master artists (Shakespeare, Dickens, Miller, etc) will only make them a better artist. Not only that, but how will they ever understand that the pen is their paintbrush, and they are using the same colors that the master painters use....the same writing tools. They don't seem to understand that when they learn about the elements of sentences, the elements of stories, and the elements of communication, they are doing more than memorizing.
I have written enough here to inspire a stupid idea, so I think that I will go work on my first lesson of the year for my new enriched English class (I fought for that one this year and I am so excited about it! God, what will I do with them? I've never taught enriched English). Please, please, please, if anyone reads this, tell me...what do you love about reading? Writing? How can I not kill that as a teacher (the way that everyone has stories of a teacher that killed it...)
So...if this actually gets read, here, is what I am trying to figure out. These journals seem to be used by people who would not necessarily call themselves writers. They are used to air thoughts and increase communication. What makes non-writers want to do this? Whatever it is, how can I transfer that into my classroom? Is it that it seems relevant?
What other lessons in language arts should I concentrate on this year. I have been thinking long and hard not just about the cirriculum, but also about the idea of language arts. The art of communication. Students don't feel that they should have to expand their "art" of communication. Or if they do, that they only need to be able to know what is necessary to their career. I can teach them what nouns, verbs, characterization, and irony are but that is like teaching an art student to draw a face that includes eyes, a nose, and a mouth. No other criteria than simply getting them in there. How can I make them understand that they have to apply their own experiences and visions to the face to make it look real...to make it have life? I want so very badly to work more music, movies, even dance and visual art into their lessons. I want them to understand that the art of communication is central to everything...and that studying master artists (Shakespeare, Dickens, Miller, etc) will only make them a better artist. Not only that, but how will they ever understand that the pen is their paintbrush, and they are using the same colors that the master painters use....the same writing tools. They don't seem to understand that when they learn about the elements of sentences, the elements of stories, and the elements of communication, they are doing more than memorizing.
I have written enough here to inspire a stupid idea, so I think that I will go work on my first lesson of the year for my new enriched English class (I fought for that one this year and I am so excited about it! God, what will I do with them? I've never taught enriched English). Please, please, please, if anyone reads this, tell me...what do you love about reading? Writing? How can I not kill that as a teacher (the way that everyone has stories of a teacher that killed it...)