Did I sign up for elementary ed?
My 9th graders are listening to Beowulf rather than reading it. This situation was somewhat of a happy accident. In the past I've always played parts of the recording (Seamus Heaney translation) while the kids still did lots of reading on their own (in a different translation that the school has). For some reason (not quite sure why), I felt I needed to use the books. This year I couldn't find the books. I checked all the literature cabinets, but still couldn't locate them. It turned out that they had ended up in the science cabinet (I have no idea how). But having already started to use the recording, I decided to forego the books this year and just use the audio book. Besides, this sort of poetry is meant to be heard.
Anyway, all that to say, I let the kids sketch or draw while they listen. I noticed that several were coloring the map I'd handed out, so I thought perhaps I ought to be more proactive about locating coloring sheets for them. I found a few dragon coloring sheets online (the third enemy Beowulf fights is a dragon) and brought them in today with various markers/crayons.
But I teach 11th grade right before I teach 9th grade. And when the 11th graders saw that the 9th graders were going to get coloring sheets in the next period, they were quite jealous. So now I've been commissioned to bring in coloring sheets of wolves or dogs for them that they can color while I start reading to them from The Call of the Wild (we're studying Naturalism in American Lit).
Sometimes it feels like I'm teaching 2nd graders.
Really tall 2nd graders.
Anyway, all that to say, I let the kids sketch or draw while they listen. I noticed that several were coloring the map I'd handed out, so I thought perhaps I ought to be more proactive about locating coloring sheets for them. I found a few dragon coloring sheets online (the third enemy Beowulf fights is a dragon) and brought them in today with various markers/crayons.
But I teach 11th grade right before I teach 9th grade. And when the 11th graders saw that the 9th graders were going to get coloring sheets in the next period, they were quite jealous. So now I've been commissioned to bring in coloring sheets of wolves or dogs for them that they can color while I start reading to them from The Call of the Wild (we're studying Naturalism in American Lit).
Sometimes it feels like I'm teaching 2nd graders.
Really tall 2nd graders.
posted by Andrea at 5:09 PM
2 Comments:
How interesting! I remember when my son was three or four, our next door neighbor was a boy who was thirteen. He would come over and play on the floor with David and his trucksjust as though he were David's peer.
After the age of 55 or so, I finally decided to stop thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I guess we never completely let go of our childhood.
BTW, I appreciate your Sunday hymns.
I feel like that sometimes . . . and I teach college freshmen!! :)
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