Week 6 - Deconstruction

I feel like I was being quoted on page 111-112.  I am the girl that was taught about deconstruction and cried and felt cheated and wished nobody had taught me that.  I can remember today the first time that I learned about Deconstruction.  I was in college and I was one of the youngest kids in class.  Everyone else had done the reading and the work and I knew that they had learned the same thing, but nobody was saying anything.  I wanted to say something but didn't cuz I didn't want to be 'that girl.'  Finally, at the end of class they started discussing how depressing this theory was and how it made everything seem so useless and meaningless.  I was relieved that I was not the only one that had felt this way.

I don't want to teach this theory to my students.  I don't want to give them that terrible feeling.  It took me years, seriously years, to get over this theory.  Actually, this blog reveals that I'm still not quite over it.  I spent so much time learning to look for meaning in literature and life.  For one theory alone to throw all of that away was devastating.  I don't want my students to experience that.  Some of my students may go to college, but the reality is that most won't.  The ones that do go to college will most likely experience deconstruction of some sort when they get there.  The ones that don't do to college, can they live without never knowing deconstruction, I think so.

I really want to teach literary theory next year with my highest level class.  Can I teach the other theories and skip deconstruction?  At least until I'm comfortable teaching theory?  Am I taking too much away from theory if I just skip one?  Is it unfair to teach only what I am comfortable?  Would this be too censored or biased if I forget to teach the one that makes me upset?  What if I only mention it briefly and place a lot more focus on the ones that I like and think are helpful more than hurtful?

Week 5 - Writing

Preaching to the choir. I really enjoy reading M&M because of the way it seems to be echoing my thoughts, or is it my thoughts are echoing their ideas. Either way, I'm on board with this book. While I would normally try and create a coherent, connected, and creative piece of writing...I can't this week. You see its not only the 4th of July weekend, it's also my birthday weekend, and SummerFest, and most of all SUMMER. So, I jotted down some thoughts while I was reading (all 6 chapters that I'm supposed to teach on Monday) and I'm going to share them with you.

1. I loved Chapter 6s Ideas about composition. However, I have had problems in the past with having kids revise and edit. My students HATE rewriting, even refuse to rewrite. They are stuck in the I finished it, I'm not redoing it mindset. Then anything that I would suggest they edit is simply thrown back with a "I spell checked it, its good." When I tried to have them write papers long-hand, pen and paper, style and then type them-forcing a revision stage-they then refused to hand write it the next time or thrown in the disclaimer that if they wrote it out they wouldn't type it because they aren't doing anything twice. I have not yet mastered how to motivate for and demonstrate the beauty of a second draft. (Even as I write that I know I'm going to hit spell check and not go back to revise this blog- I'm one of them).

2. As it said in the grammar section, teaching grammar is complicated. I tried to teach grammar as a DOL or daily activity last year and it didn't seem effective for the first quarter. After that, I kept a running list in my lesson plan book of errors that I commonly saw in my student's writing and heard in their speech. It was awesome to do mini-lessons, often random, and using their own work to demonstrate a part of grammar. I always prefaced it with, "you can use that speech and writing in emails or with with friends, but when you interview, are at work, or any other professional situation, including English class, make sure to use the proper way so that you sound 'educated.'" I straight-up explained that professional people love proper grammar and will hold it against you if you can't use it. They agreed, accepted, and even tried to change their language. Anyway, it seemed effective even though I'm sure I'll be teaching the same things next year.

3. I must confess that as a native English speaker and English major that I didn't understand English (grammatically) until I moved to another country. Learning a 2nd language made me understand English better. And teaching English to non-native English speakers REALLY taught me a lot about our own language. I think this experience should be required for Masters of English (much more so than a Summer School field).

4. It didn't mention it in these sections (that I saw) but I really appreciate the standard v. slang/urban translations. In my classroom the kids really enjoy taking rap songs and creating a 'pretty' poem or discussion. I think it teaches grammar, audience, spelling, syntax, diction, etc. You all should sign up for UrbanDictionary.com's word of the day emails. My first one was 'skeet' and the kids loved it.

Now, questions/requests.
Try using the sentence "Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" to explain grammar.
Has anyone seen the sentence where if you add punctuation you can change the meaning of the sentence from a sexist comment against men to against women? I would love to have it but can't find it.
Has anyone also seen the sentence where you can change the meaning of it by using different sounds for the letters based on the sounds they make in different words?
I would love more fun and hilariously irritating ways to demonstrate the ambiguity of Standard English Grammar rules.