questions for the masses
One of the things I'm hoping to over Winter Break from Suffolk is spend a bunch of time working on personal writing projects. One of the things I want to work on is a series of essays about dance from the dual point of view of dancer and critic. What kind of questions would YOU like to ask a dancer? Questions can be on just about anything--training, rehearsal processes, performing, body stuff, etc. I know what I think is interesting but I don't know what other people want to know about. Since my goal is to write this not just for myself but also eventually for an audience, this seems like important data for me to gather. :)
I am also in the midst of redesigning my course calendar for next semester for my YA class at Suffolk. THIS IS SO HARD!!!!!!!
--Things I feel good about: nixing my section on "girls and consumerism" (it just didn't work last time), adding another week and another text to our discussion of multiculturalism, and spending more time on most of the texts generally.
- Things I Want to Do: figure out where to add a section on boys (texts will be Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Tangerine) and come up with a different text for my section on straight sexuality - last year I used Looking for Alibrandi and it was ok but not great. I wouldn't mind another rec for the multiculturalism section either-- right now my texts are Tell Us We're Home and Born Confused-both are good but neither is one of those books I shove into people's hands saying "you absolutely have to read this."
--Things I have questions about: whether I should still teach Anne of Green Gables or whether, given how it went last year (decidedly meh) that week is better spent on something else
--Things I wish: that I had a way to cram the Dairy Queen trilogy into the semester.
--Things that are breaking my heart: possibly cutting Flora Segunda and Jellicoe Road, both which ARE books I shove constantly into peoples hands but which i felt were only marginally successful last time--maybe i just haven't figured out how to teach them yet?
Input welcome--I need to talk this stuff out with people.
I am also in the midst of redesigning my course calendar for next semester for my YA class at Suffolk. THIS IS SO HARD!!!!!!!
--Things I feel good about: nixing my section on "girls and consumerism" (it just didn't work last time), adding another week and another text to our discussion of multiculturalism, and spending more time on most of the texts generally.
- Things I Want to Do: figure out where to add a section on boys (texts will be Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Tangerine) and come up with a different text for my section on straight sexuality - last year I used Looking for Alibrandi and it was ok but not great. I wouldn't mind another rec for the multiculturalism section either-- right now my texts are Tell Us We're Home and Born Confused-both are good but neither is one of those books I shove into people's hands saying "you absolutely have to read this."
--Things I have questions about: whether I should still teach Anne of Green Gables or whether, given how it went last year (decidedly meh) that week is better spent on something else
--Things I wish: that I had a way to cram the Dairy Queen trilogy into the semester.
--Things that are breaking my heart: possibly cutting Flora Segunda and Jellicoe Road, both which ARE books I shove constantly into peoples hands but which i felt were only marginally successful last time--maybe i just haven't figured out how to teach them yet?
Input welcome--I need to talk this stuff out with people.