Comments for Teaching the Reading of Literature

Comment on I Wish I’d Ended with More Razzmatazz by jtemple1

jtemple1 — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:14:28 +0000

I thought your presentation was great and felt that the fact that you shared personal information made a huge difference in how I received the text and how I valued it. It definitely brought to light the "so what?" of the text. My most memorable teachers, and the ones for which I produced the most heartfelt and thoughtful work, were the ones who were accessible. Writing can be a very personal experience and seeing you share your personal experiences would make me more at ease to take risks in my writing.

Comment on Thoughts on Presentation and advice concerning bears by Edith

Edith — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:37:48 +0000

This story would be a great choice for students. It was easy to read and understand, something students appreciate. I like the connection to the oral tradition and jokes. These are links that students will be able to make.

Like Sara, I think your "off-the-cuff" style needs a little structure to help guide students.

Edith

Comment on Thoughts on Presentation and advice concerning bears by Sara

Sara — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:52:19 +0000

I too really enjoyed the story. I actually read it right before going to bed for the night; it freaked me out sufficiently, so I was a too high strung to get to sleep by a decent hour… ANYWAY, I followed your points about the oral-comedy and joke tradition. I think that your off-the-cuff style could be difficult for some students to grasp, though. Perhaps a little more structure would help out students.

Comment on I Wish I’d Ended with More Razzmatazz by Sara

Sara — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:48:18 +0000

I wanted to second what others said above. I genuinely enjoyed your lesson. Aside from the lesson plan, you have a very natural yet commanding speaking/presentation tone). Getting students to share advice dispensed by parents/ teachers/ any other authority figure is a superb way to get students more invested in the text. I also how you used the writing assignments to tie in point of view. Very enjoyable.

Comment on And then there was the sweating… by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:39:06 +0000

I disagree that your presentation of the fairy tales fell flat. I thought they did exactly what you would want them to accomplish–with just a couple pictures you illustrated that fairy tale characters start out sad and end happy. The part of the story I would have enjoyed discussing as a class was the subtitle. Because the story was so weird, I wondered if it was really intended for kids or adults. Naomi

Comment on Wear a white shirt by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:24:52 +0000

My favorite part of your presentation was beginning with the opening line of the story and then stopping. I thought such a technique would be very effective for getting their attention. Afterall, what’s more fun than talking about ME.

Completing the three column notes as you had on the board was an excellent idea, but I would have needed a lot of help and/or a lot more time. On my own, I would not have come up with the list we made as a class. I cannot remember if you had intended it to be a group or individual activity. Naomi

Comment on Reflection on Presentation by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:16:49 +0000

At first I was shocked by the quiz, but I can see myself using that or a similar to technique for the sake of accountability. I have had too many class discussions fall flat because most of the class didn’t bother to read the story and plan B is to have them read it in class. Nothing like a little carrot dangling to entice them to actually read. The group discussions and the reporting of their conclusions seemed to be just the thing the story needed. I am not a Hemingway fan, and hearing what others got from the story is very helpful to confirm that I understood it. For some students who do not get it because there is so much that has to be read between the lines, the group discussions can fill in the missing pieces. I think Blau would be proud! Naomi

Comment on Reflection on Teaching Presentation by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:09:58 +0000

Your introductory activity was a good one, even though it didn’t exactly "work" in our class. When you explained the kind of response you expected to get from the class, I felt really bad for you that we had let you down. If I had been in your shoes, I would have gone through a hole in the floor. You handled the disappointing results beautifully, and I believed you when you explained what normally happens in a classroom. Part of my personal problem was the shortage of time. I am a slow reader, and I felt pressured to finish quickly, and therefore, I was not able to absorb what I was reading. I wonder how many others skimmed it so quickly they missed the details they needed to give an authentic reaction to your question. Naomi

Comment on Slaying the Jabberwocky of Textual Difficulty by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:03:26 +0000

My favorite part of your lesson was that you had tried it out on actual students. As you referred to what you had done instead of what you would do, your lesson gained value as an idea that would "teach." As an awoved hater of poetry, especially difficult and/or seemingly nonsense poetry, I love your enthusiasm for the stuff! I bet you are contagious in the classroom.

Comment on I Wish I’d Ended with More Razzmatazz by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:56:40 +0000

Great job. I went back and forth in my mind as you shared the advice you got from your mother, thinking first it was authentic, then hypothetical. The part about the feet and the shoes and slouching really convinced me this could not have come from a "real" mother. Great choice of examples. As with all the presentations, the shortness of time that did not allow us to discuss the actual selections but only talk about what we would do if we had time was frustrating. I would love to have had time to talk about the story.

Comment on A Difficult Play by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:49:21 +0000

I enjoyed the presentation because I imagined as I read the play that I was the only one finding it difficult. Why do we do such ridiculous things to ourselves? I don’t know. Anyway, I felt wonderful as a result of the discussion because in spite of the difficulty, I "got it." The experience was affirming. Sharing the character summaries of the group put the class in charge of working out the difficulties–very Blau-esque. I liked that your presentation allowed time to talk about the story itself instead of just talking about what you would do if you had time. Naomi

Comment on It went so fast… by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:43:18 +0000

I liked the poem, so it was enjoyable to discuss. Writing up the descriptors and actions of the three groups side by side made the point of view very clear. I was most intrigued by the all-knowing aspect of the narrator, who knew what the dancer was thinking. I would have enjoyed discussing that part as a group. Alas, never enough time. Naomi

Comment on Thoughts on Presentation and advice concerning bears by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:38:46 +0000

Matt, I thought the story you chose for your lesson was the most enjoyable of all the poems and stories presented by the class. It was, as you say, hilarious for its obsurdity and makes a keen point in the end. I would have enjoyed a group discussion on what that point was after discussing all its similarities to oral tradition jokes.

Comment on Um… so what did I say, exactly? by naomip

naomip — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:30:50 +0000

Tania,
I have heard you say before that public speaking makes you nervous, but you did not sound or look unduly nervous. I loved your information on the actual terrorist bombing. I loved the organization of your presentation. That is, you knew where you were headed, and you led us there. Providing the visual directions to go along with the verbal made sense when you explained that you do not process verbal information well. Many people do not, a fact I often forget, and I am accused of speaking too fast. Terrific sensitivity to various learning styles. Naomi

Comment on I Wish I’d Ended with More Razzmatazz by Professor Sample

Professor Sample — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:42:51 +0000

Don’t sweat the technology stuff — the music ended up working great, and that roll-with-the-punches approach to last minute snags is one heck of an asset in the classroom.

Seeing the boombox reminded me: some editions of our Norton Anthology (e.g. the "Short Edition" or the "Long Edition") come with an audio CD featuring authors reading their work, and among them is Jamaica Kincaid reading "Girl," and it’s really fantastic to hear.

Comment on Um… so what did I say, exactly? by Edith

Edith — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:13:50 +0000

Tania,
I really like the connection you made between Amy Tan’s short story and "Managment of Grief." The stories are both similar in their content and different in their resolutions.
The only problem I had was in completing your pre-discussion ecercise. I just couldn’t think if any conflict. Maybe it’s the generation I belong to. Maybe I was tired that night. Maybe it was just me. It is highly probable that in today’s society with the tremendous mix of cultures that this will not be a problem. However, you might want to think of some additional information for the prompt in case their are students like me who are completely at a loss.Overall, I think you have a good plan.
Edith

Comment on It went so fast… by Edith

Edith — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:37:18 +0000

Laurel, The packet was good. Students like to have a point of focus. This allows them to participate, see a plan, and know where they are going.

Great job!

Edith

Comment on A Difficult Play by Edith

Edith — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:33:22 +0000

Francois, You did us a favor by tackling this piece. We saw exactly what it is like to deal with a class that is confused by so many things: names, inaction, names, odd occurences, names, language, names.

Assigning a character analysis is a really good idea. If assigned ahead of time, it will force students to concentrate on at least one aspect of the play. Reporting back to the class allows everybody to share their "expertise" and understand the whole play a little better.

As with many of the other presentations this semester, I will be borrowing this one in the future.

Edith

Comment on I Wish I’d Ended with More Razzmatazz by Edith

Edith — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:26:05 +0000

I think the real world examples were a great idea. One of the most often asked quesitons is why do we have to read this. I always try to have a "so what" in my classes. Your link to your own experiences ties that together.

Edith

Comment on Reflection on Teaching Presentation by Edith

Edith — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:21:20 +0000

JJ One of the most interesting and revealing aspects of your lesson was the request from students for more informaotion. I think as teachers we sometimes forget our own expertise. We have not only more "literary" skills but also more life skills than most of the students we teach. This was a good reminder that we need to remember that.

Edith