I’ma need you to do something for me.
Wait, let me back up.
I think I’m done teaching fourth grade.
Nine years ago, when I got into the New York City Teaching Fellows program, I intended to teach high school. But I was told I needed a Bachelor’s in my subject area, and I really didn’t want to prod a bunch of adolescents into fulfilling their foreign language requirement. Ándale, muchacho! What I really wanted to do was teach theatre, and I cursed myself for not following my bliss at UNC. My options were limited. There was huge push for us to go into Special Education or English as a Second Language…No phanx. The next highest on the most-likely-to-find-a-job list was elementary.
Now I definitely wouldn’t trade my nine years in third and fourth grades. I’ve learned so much about teaching and learning disabilities and autism and compassion and patience. Moreover, I’ve met some of the world’s dopest people doing it. But I think I’m done.
And in North Carolina, as far as I can tell, you don’t need an undergraduate degree in your subject area to teach high school. You just have to take a certifying exam called the Praxis II. I took this exam for elementary when I was planning to move down here because it was required for my NC certification. Even though I had received a Master of Science in Elementary Education—with a 4.0 and an A+ on my thesis—and taken New York’s certifying exams. Shit, how ’bout some reciprocity, Tar Heel State?!
Anyway.
High school drama teacher jobs are damn near impossible to come by since there’s maybe one at each school, and I’ve realized that I think I’d enjoy teaching English nearly as much.
So! I’m going to take the content knowledge and pedagogy exams for English Language, Literature and Composition, on July 30.
Here’s where you come in.
Wait, let me back up.
In elementary grades, one of the many things we do is help kids find their Just-Right Reading Level. That is, not too easy so they get bored, and not too hard so they get frustrated. Just Right so they learn and grow. Aw.
Well, I don’t know about you, but when I was in high school, we were tracked. Oh-five level classes were for the smarty-pantses, 04 for the kids who did pretty well, 03 the average ones. (No one talked about 02, or 01—you just heard mumblings now and again about remedial classes. They were held in the dungeon or something.)
My older sister and brother were tracked into 05 classes, as was I, but I’m not entirely sure I had an 05 mind. A whole lot of the stuff we read in 05 English was above my Just Right Reading Level.
I resolved this issue by doing a number of things:
- Buying the Cliffs Notes.
- Having my brother read and summarize it.
- Not reading it.
OK, NOW here’s where you come in.
At least four days a week, I write on this blog, which I admit I love doing, but it takes work. If you come here to read, it’s because I, in some way, keep your interest. Maybe I entertain you; perhaps I just push your buttons. Whatever. I serve a purpose. But WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?
I have three months to read everything I should have read in high school and everything y’all probably did read in high school. So I expect a report of no more than 500 words in the comments from EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU FUCKERS. You may choose your piece of literature, but your report should include a brief synopsis, important themes, literary devices, and historical context. Extra points will be given for information about literary movements, such as New England Puritanism, Naturalism, or Transcendentalism. Or if you write your report as a rap (Dan M).
Go.
Signed,
Ms. Jackson, if you’re nasty
The only writer who’s _really_ held my interest lately is Cormac McCarthy, so I’m currently reading All the Pretty Horses. Not sure if this is appropriate for high-schoolers but the protagonist is about 16, so maybe.
On one level, it’s about escape from the expectations and frustrations that come with being a teenager. Dig deeper though, and this seems to be about the baser instincts of humanity once the veneer of culture starts to strip away.
I think it only took Cormac 70 pages before one person tried to purchase another person, and this is set in the 1940s.
There. That’s about 100 words. About a fifth of what you asked for. Get used to that type of (above average) effort.
You don’t know how happy you just made me! SO HAPPY! I call dibs on Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Odyssey. I taught the SHIT out of those when I was a high school teacher. I will also see if I can “borrow” some high school texts for you. Just to see what’s bumpin around out there.
Someone needs to help with Richard Wright…Anyone? Anyone? He’s big and he always shows up on the praxis… And a Raisin in the Sun.
This is going to be VERY fun.
Brush up on your poetry too. Any takers there?
SO EXCITED!!!
poetry? count me in. but i only do 20th century. and i gotta warn you, i didn’t finish highschol.
i can tell you a hell of a lot about greek drama, ibsen, strindberg and checkov, if that helps. as for the classics? errrr
well, let’s just say i’ll ask dr d.
unless you want to know about artic and antartic expeditions. i’m hell on wheels on those. royal geographic society explorers in general.
but, i may be getting a bit specific here.
and guys, amy doesn’t want recommendations. she wants you to cliff note the suckers for her.
Phil, I love McCarthy. And by that, I mean, he scares the bejabbers out of me. #theroad #nocountryforoldmen
Kate, be prepared for a study session. Considering we usually just eat lunch and gab at each other, and that takes three hours, I think you should schedule at least five hours for our next meeting.
Margo, I’m sure there’s poetry. And seeing as I look at poetry and go, “I like dat poam!” or “Dat poam shur did confuss me!” I think we’ll need to do some face-to-face tutoring on island in June.
Yep. You are right Margo! We each need to pony up with the info. I took the high school English praxis when I moved here after not teaching for ten years. There are certain areas that get hit harder than others. Lots of questions on poetry forms. More realism, less transendentilism. The volume of work to read is so large, it’s important to be strategic in making a study plan. Hence me calling dibs!
Wow. Move in with me Amy and lets study for this bad boy! Giddy..
and the race begins! go amy, go amy, go amy!
maybe we need t-shirts?
This is my first time here so I’m pretty sure I don’t have to complete the assignment. But if you need help summarizing any movies based on works of literature…I will volunteer to summarize Pride & Prejudice, along with many others. And nobody can watch and summarize a movie like me.
Does taking you to see Jane Eyre count?
jacqui, you absolutely do have to complete the assignment, but I will accept a report on the movie version of any appropriate work of literature.
Mom, totally counts for the synopsis part, but you’re going to have to do the rest of the report in written form.
http://rinkworks.com/bookaminute/classics.shtml I think that pretty much squares us.
1. LOVE the new theme! 2. love the vlogging! 3. no. let me back up and pretend this is #1 as it is most important and renumber the rest accordingly: I LOVE YOU! 4. and that is why i’m not going to write you any english reports.
I WANT YOU TO PASS THAT EXAM! i love this idea so much!
if i wrote you a report for a book i was supposed to read (did i actually read any of those books? i can’t remember) it would be full of utter garbage and you would not pass this important test. i can’t stand the idea of failing you.
5. bruce is going to LOVE this assignment!
Bobby! Absolutely not! I mean, I’m gonna read the hell out of that website, but you have a Master’s in English. Step up your game, Flipside!
Melissa, I love you too! Just keep posting adorable photos of my niece on Facebook, and I’ll forgive your literary deficits.
My brother better knock it out of the park, though.
Until I get on it — try sparknotes.com. How does this thing work? Do they just say, know a whole bunch of literature and come take the test? Or do you have some sort of guidance?
Spark Notes! I just mastered “Lord of the Flies”!
They give a list of examples, but it’s not exhaustive.
I read like a crazy crack addict from age 7-17. Autobiography of Malcolm , & everything by Richard Wright, loved that stuff…unfortunately, I have a terrible habit of combining books, characters and plot lines in my horrid memory. For example, can’t remember if Heathcliff was in Wuthering Heights or Jane Erye….and can’t remember if Big Brother was from 1984 or Brave New World.
My mother is your golden ticket, the woman is a walking encyclopedia for books. Ask her to be your study buddy – I dare ya!
You’re right, Mary! Your mom would be a great coach! I can just wind her up and listen & take notes for hours.