Things have been going really well teaching - though technical difficulties in the multimedia room take up more time than I'd like, I feel very accomplished after three days, and look forward to the last two with anticipation!
I'm learning how important structure is in my work habits: I establish reasonable goals before starting, but gladly sacrifice certain goals if bigger, better ones present themselves in the course of the day.
I'm putting these kids through the ringer: yesterday and today, we've worked up food-related vocabulary, and today I had them order a full meal from a made-up menu. I had them take turns reading through a New Yorker article from the Talk of the Town section yesterday, and today they read an article about voter turnout in the 2008 election from the San Francisco Chronicle.
I've incorporated a ton of music in my curriculum: I provide them with lyrics, hand-written with my fountain pen, which they read before and after listening to the song. After, I mostly answer vocabulary questions, though I wish we could discuss songs as poetry... at first I thought it was due to lack of comprehension, but then I realized they're just not as passionate about poetry as I am!
So far we've listened to (day 1) "Blackbird", by The Beatles, "A Man of Constant Sorrow", by the Soggy Bottom Boys, (day 2) "Sleeping In" and "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service, and (today) "It's Not Easy Being Green" and "The Rainbow Connection" by Mr. Kermit the Frog. I indulged today, giving them lyrics and showing them more songs: "In The Garage" by Weezer, "We Are Going to be Friends" by The White Stripes, and "Dance With the Devil" by Immortal Technique. After listening to Immortal Technique, a gritty underground rapper, I felt compelled to lighten things up a bit with "Shake Your Tail Feather" by Ray Charles and "Big Rock Candy Mountain" by Harry McClintock - neither of which were supplied with lyrics.
On Friday, my class of seniors (terminal) and a class of juniors (premier) will spend the last hour and a half of class watching "The Graduate" with English subtitles. I'm really excited, not only because it's one of my favorite films (and oh-so-French... an older woman training a younger man in the ways of love? Come on!), but also because part of it takes place in Berkeley!!! Though seeing the Campanile and Sather Gate will surely provoke a longing for home, it will be fun showing this group of French adolescents exactly where I'm from!
For the first time, my students asked me to tell them about California - something that, though excited and happy to share, I wasn't prepared for. An awkward conversation followed in which I stumbled over myself, both trying to give them a sense of the Berkeley/San Francisco I know without reinforcing/creating stereotypes.
After class, I caught up with my friend Stephen, a fellow temporary English teacher: he wisely preceded a talk about California with an establishment of stereotypes. He proposed an exchange: he tells them about American culture if they will tell him about French culture (as much as we're curious about French culture, this is a ruse to get the excessively timid French students to speak more than anything else). After his breaking the ice with a few typical American stereotypes, the French students felt more comfortable suggesting their perspective. Here's a photo he took with his iPhone of the white board after having done the activity:
I swelled with a familiar combination of admiration and jealousy when he told me about the activity, spiked with a tinge of regret for not having conducted a similar exercise before jumping right into my awkward discussion. Though reluctant to weigh down the atmosphere once again tomorrow, I'm tempted to discuss stereotypes with my students tomorrow, which would work very well with the clips of Martin Luther King, Jr. speeches and Bob Marley songs which I've prepared in advance... I think I'll plan an alternative, decide which one I prefer, and have them decide; that has worked very well in the past.
Today I will try making ratatouille, and if I'm feeling ambitious, will prepare canele batter for this weekend...
Ben
Update: The ratatouille was a success! I could have cut the garlic larger, instead of pulverizing it and burning it, and it could use some salt.
8 comments:
Nice work Mr. Hair! You could learn a thing or two though from Mr. Mushegan!!!
I think I'm going to steal some song ideas... I'm going to ask you later which Bob Marley song is a good idea because I couldn't choose! But I think frenchies love Bob Marley. Anyhoo, you speak way too highly of me in there, I had a not-so-great 2nd day, so I barely got it right on my third! I wish we could continue for longer... it's actually kind of sad we only have 2 days left!!
OH, and sometimes, reinforcing what they think they already know (stereotypically) helps! e.g. everyone thinks california is always sunny and all about beaches -- you've showed them the one side of california they were shocked about (homelessness, drugs, hippies, etc.) but maybe you can tell them a bit about so-cal too, like the fact that it is 36 degrees there!! (sure to make them jealous) and probably will get a reaction out of them!
We were driving one day and it was your turn in front. It was probably the little blue Honda Civic, and you started to 'sing'. You were about two or three and I couldn't understand what you were singing, but you were clearly enjoying yourself. After a few minutes I asked Oriana if she knew what you were singing and she said it was "Buffalo Soldier": o yoi yo, yo yoi yo...
One of the most popular songs in the world is "California Dreamin'" by the Mommas and Papas. At the last Burning Man we had an inebriated young man from Mumbai wander into the shade structure and demand that we play California Dreamin'. Lilli had her electric guitar and he was ecstatic when she played it for him.
wow! impressive the work put into this temp job you have as an English teacher. what better way for your student to both learn about the language and the culture than through a cross-section of music? very clever. that eraser board is a great snapshot. the stick figures in the upper left corner killed me. and bob marley at 3 is pretty impressive too.
lol Simone: Thanks! Stephen and I have put an incredible amount of work into teaching, but have gotten just as much out of the experience, perhaps more. dad: I remember that! Steve: we are totally different teachers, and I'm glad that we're friends sharing this experience.
Whoever is deleting their comments, stop! You're getting my hopes up! lol
hey ben,
i deleted my comment and reposted it as i had spelling erors.
love,
dad
So to follow up with this nostalgic thread, I thought I'd pull up another song my dad constantly played in the car... After looking all morning for "True Love", I realized the song was "Good Lovin'" by the Grateful Dead. I loved singing along to this song, thinking the chorus was "TOODLE-AH!"... I had convinced myself it was some kind of dance... :)
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=31631849
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