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Sunday, May 16, 2010

Spring Semester: DONE!

I know people aren't accustomed to talking about how students teach their teachers, but I'm going to share a few things I learned this semester:
  • I believe in my pedagogy. Starting out an English class with "What's going on in the world" seems crazy, I know, but getting students to engage actively with the world - and each other - is an effective way to both increase comfort in interpersonal relationships and work on critical thinking skills that are impossible to teach and only possible to model.
  • Modelling is an essential piece of what I do: "People who agree think X and people who disagree think Y" is an important thing to say and have students practice. And nobody learns to write well without reading well.
  • One route to citizenship in the United States is military service. This is one of many, many tidbits my students taught me to make me a stronger Trivial Pursuit player.
  • One can receive universal acknowledgement from students when discussing politics through South Park, Lady Gaga, or other pop culture references, though one runs the risk of having Beyonce's "Single Ladies" stuck in one's head for 4 months.
  • For my students, a groundbreaking series such as The Simpsons is. . . mundane. . .
  • Once every few years, the stars align and you get a classroom full of students you will miss. You will briefly consider failing all of them to keep them for yourself the following year, but will understand that doing so might actually alienate them from you. If any of my T/R afternoon students are reading: I mean you guys. I will miss you dearly.
  • A class is a success if students: 1) Master the skills covered, 2) Enjoy doing so, and 3) Spend their last day, which the instructor intended to be a day to mess around and eat and chat, complimenting each others' writing styles, reflecting on the essays we've written, discussing pedagogy, AND eating and chatting.

Thanks for the semester, friends. While I am elated that it has come to a close, I will miss you all. Please keep in touch.

1 comment:

  1. I must say, cough cough as a student from your fantastic class (brushes hair off face herbal essence-esqe) you are a fantastic teacher. It is a rare thing as I complete my time at ACC this summer semester to have a teacher who not only CAN get me interested in english but will let me be my wise-crack witty gay self and comfortable while doing is set apart from the rest there. Whether it is laughing at how off topic our conversation went from world standings->the US-> crack whores in the streets->and ending at my time in the back alley behind class, this was a class one could not miss; unless one found that an early morning at the daycare was deserving of a nap on the couch. I'm pretty sure this whole class, minus the douche in the corner, feels just the same of detachment sickness you do Mrs. Sharpie-OCD.

    from,
    cell mate C93240 (doing my in depth research now, Score!)

    p.s. to those of you who are lost, this is how amazing the class was; we speak in all inside jokes, word.

    ReplyDelete

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