Tuesday, October 30, 2007

A Book I'd Love to Teach


I loved the book.



It was a very personal experience for me in that I was able to relate to every single character and layer of the story. Beneatha reminds me of myself and Walter would be a direct copy of my brothers combined into one single body. Mama is much like many mothers I know, mine included. I loved the concepts. I- disagreed with the concept of the family not wanting to "fight any causes". I also didn't like the fact that they used pride to not accept the money offer for not moving into a neighborhood where they were not wanted. I feel like the wise decision would be to take the money- and achieve the American Dream- somewhere else- perhaps in another community. Sure racism may exist there also but, AT LEAST they wouldn't have to struggle as much as they have been from the begin-to end of the story. Their poverty doesn't end with the ending of the story.... That's what sticks with me. On one hand I have this very premature need for a happy ending. On the other hand, I worry about whether or not they will be able to survive in this new household. Taking the money would not have made them morally wrong. It would have been them accessing a resource.... I appreciate that the book doesn't rush to solve all the problems in the end. Such an attempt might have lead to a false sense of unwelcomed, critically inaccurate closure. On a less serious note, characterizations of George was much like men I've dated and Asagai is like one I'm trying to meet. Powerful Realistic Authentic African American Experience Moving...

I'd incorporate some speeches by Malcolm X. I think it's important that the family stresses that they aren't fighting "no causes".

In other news:
Graduate School has been not what I expected at all. There is always more to do and never enough time to get it done. Perhaps the experience is to demonstrate that this is what teaching will be like. I'm back to my to do list daily activities.
I quit my job working for Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers at Monroe BOCES 1 in Penfield. I found that though I informed everyone in my return to the position this fall that I would be very busy with school- expectations like you WOULDN'T believe were still demanded.

I intend to substitute teach a couple of days out of the week once my course loads become lighter (if ever).

Advice for Master's Programs:
Some I got but didn't listen to- others I came up with...
  1. Don't take more than 2-3 courses.
  2. Make sure you are taking the appropriate courses.
  3. This is not undergrad, You know nothing.
  4. Pretend you know something.
  5. Read every second you have of time.

2 comments:

Tricia said...

I second all your advice!!

Also, on a recent "well visit" at my doctor's he noticed my heart rate was faster than normal and he asked me if I was stressed about anything. I told him about grad school and he gave me this little bit of wisdom:

Q: What do you call a guy that finishes dead last in grad school?

A: Doctor!

So...his advice to me was to stop sweating the small stuff...which I'm trying to do...but maybe this'll help you too.

Miss Kitty said...

Great blog--I Googled an Amiri Baraka poem for my students and found your blogs. Hang in there--after grad school, it gets better. I can't imagine going back for a PhD now. UGH! That almost wrung my brain dry.

Keep on blogging! LOVE what you have to say.