bibbity bobbity blog

yes. a cinderella (corrected 7/5/05; thanks to sarah worden) reference.

a better day for teaching; i led for the first time since my near-meltdown during the burn-up of my leson for mlk's "letter from a birmingham jail" - as taught in a classroom without air conditioning. needless to say, i was up a bit late last night overplanning - not only for a well-padded return to center stage (re: teaching as a performance, and the crux of the hollow feeling when the strain of pedagogy is lost being tied to a pay-no-attention-to-man-behind-the-curtain shock), but also for my 20-30 min "formal evaluation," which involved a video camera, a visit by dr. sullivan (they're not professors down here, they're doctors), and "an introductory perspective to the concept of 'world literature,' to preface a reading of gabrial garcia marquez's 'a very old man with enormous wings'" (my laboriously titled 30-min lesson).

there's a disjoint between my desire to (shoot me) "blog it out" after this morning - since i don't have much to say at this point. basically, i taught, and there happened to be a camera and an old man in the room. though, dear diary, it is nice to feel... competent?

**

yet, fearless readers... i must eventually revisit my "formal," and do a good old self-critique - quoting, prodding, dissecting myself for all the world to technically have the opportunity to see (in the event that a given person has internet access, and so wishes to see me in a flower-print paper dress). for, sometime before june 29, i'll have to complete my.... assigned blogs!

in no particular order: scenes from future episodes of "crooked letter, crooked letter" (i notice myself writing in stretching-for-a-laugh idioms. i apologize. read further to see an ironic turn.):

1. Try one of the strategies outlined by Qualters (Muddiest Part of the Lecture, Cold Calling, or Concept Tests). How did it work in your classroom? What benefits did you note?

- preview: three of these strategies creatively use 3x5 index cards. two of these strategies hinge on a level of comfortability/trust with a student population that i don't think i've achieved with this class of 20 in my... oh... 3 lessons i've given them in the past three weeks. one of these strategies employs a faux random method for calling on kids. so: see what happens when - by the power of the cards - mr. molina calls on cliff.... and cliff's asleep!

2. Read Reluctant Disciplinarian. What is your reaction to the book?

- preview: Dave finishes the book (to have been read yesterday), finding out if TFA veteran Gary Rubenstein ever redeems himself from a stance of oblique, humor-begging iconoclasm (true; i should talk). possible conclusion: when no book could ever prepare you for the inevitable near-death experience of your first-year in the classroom, lets write a book about just that - and, in doing so, learn how to laugh at our own wacky misadventures, while at the same time focus on "keeping it real." result: teachers still melt, but can whistle.

3. Watch your video-taped lesson plan. Comment on your strenghts and your areas for improvement.

- preview: Mr. Molina has a very nasal voice. Mr. Molina waves his arms around a lot. Mr. Molina's lesson plan fails to close in the allotted 20-30 min. Mr. Molina didn't notice that Jon Krakauer is from Seattle. Mr. Molina may or may not be as competent as he originally considered himself.

4. reflect on your student teaching experience.

- preview: Dave waxes either faux poetically or third-rate McSweenily about a month with English 10. possible intertextuality with "Theme for English B." re: a great opportunity for reconciling with his own over-sarcasm, and coming to terms with keeping it real, preferring Langston Hughes's rhetorical positioning to that of Gary Rubinstein.

**

2 moments from today's lesson:

1. Leo makes lewd observation about opening of the Marquez story:

"On the third day of rain they had killed so many crabs inside the house that Pelayo had to cross his drenched courtyard and throw them into the sea, because the newborn child had a temperature all night and they thought it was due to the stench."

Leo particularly likes the phrase "so many crabs." Mr. Molina acknowledges the humorous possibilities. Class laughs. Visiting teacher (from another Ole Miss program?) shakes her head, slowly.

Later, Dave - recollecting on Marquez's supreme wit and imagery - looks at "so many crabs," "newborn child," "a temperature all night," and "the stench," and realizes that Leo's comment was actually quite brilliant - dissappointed visitors or no.

2a. Joel notes that Mr. Molina overdoes it with sarcastic humor as he warms up into a lesson, possibly alienating children who don't know if he's laughing with them or at them. Dave agrees. Joel says he's improving, though. Dave is happy.

Joel's account of a good use of Dave's humor (undoubtedly misremembered by the time of this blog entry):

Vernarderick: "I don't like anything."
Mr. Molina: "Nothing?"
Vernarderick: "No."
Mr. Molina: "Great. Maybe we can get you to like poetry, then."

2b. Anderson walks over and observes that Dave reads too loudly. Dave is confused.

**

Yes. Dual identity. Dave and Mr. Molina. Think about it.