Response to the First Week of Class

I wanted to group the entire first week's response together just as a reaction to the new atmosphere of the class and the exciting topics we are beginning to uncover. Our discussions as a class have been very interesting - the part I love most about the graduate program is the fact that everyone is at a different stage in their lives. It's so great to be able to generate this incredible amount of feedback from such a wide variety of people and to hear so many different ideas and interpretations of experiences and ideas inside our books.

Specifically, I think today's class (Thursday, June 23) was exceptionally interesting. In a follow-up to yesterday's discussion, I thought it was great that we received the chance to branch out and use a creative outlet to express the themes and topics at large from our readings. It was very beneficial to use a group presentation rather than a class discussion. I felt our representations of the text were very deep and had many emotional and real-life ties to the material.

As a future educator in the field of English, class discussion is very important. It is a central idea of the curriculum, to be able to discuss passages from a text and analyze its purpose. However, the idea of picking out key quotes and identifying certain themes, motifs, and character analysis of a text can be repetitive and boring. Although it is important to know how to do it, class discussion should not be overused. In fact, I've learned in a year of graduate school that there are an infinite amount of ways to convey these ideas to a class. It's crucial to keep students' minds working and exploring new material. I love the idea of using technology in a classroom, using the arts to express ideas in a different forum, and enhancing peer-to-peer relationships through close work with a classmate.

In my experiences, the best classes were those that allowed me to explore the material in the way that I felt most comfortable or a way that was in some way or another different from the usual lecture. I had an English class in college that was an in-depth study of Dylan Thomas during the month of January. This intensive class included several different ways to explore the Welsh author's writing. We listened to his poetry in his unmistakable voice, old recordings that our professor played on her ipod. We were assigned parts in his play for voices, "Under Milk Wood" and we recorded our parts, added in sound effects, and broadcast our version of his play on our school radio station. We performed close readings and recited his poetry aloud. It was an excellent exploration of Thomas. I was so engaged in the class that the month flew by. We worked so hard on developing our analysis without even knowing it. Our professor made it relevant to us and we were allowed to take it wherever we wanted.

Through my experience with a very interactive and creative professor, I cannot help but reflect on the readings we have perused so far. The history of our education system is one of constant change. Although it is difficult to create the "perfect" educational system for a country, the change is a positive sign. We have come a long way from the strict rows, physical punishment by teachers, and one-room school houses for a multitude of age groups. The role of a teacher is also shifting. The idea that students can function on their own in a classroom (assigning 30-40 kids to a class and assuming the teacher can teach all of them in a personal, individual manner) and that the role of a teacher is being swept under the rug like it isn't a respected profession. WHAT?! It is one of the most important professions out there! How else can we educate the next generation's doctors or scientists or businessmen? Oh, I forgot. They'll learn themselves. The frustration is unbearable at times.

Our education system will never be perfect. No one ever is. Today's class was a fantastic way to show that we learn from these imperfections and become better people from reading about the past and pinpointing mistakes. Each group was able to take a prop, a piece of them, and relate it to a past experience in relationship to the readings about education. "Why Teach?" was an excellent way to convey the reasons why we push ourselves to be the best teacher for our students. It's awesome to be able to take a piece of the past and allow it to propel you to be who you want to be for others. I'm honored to be part of such an impacting profession.