It's nice when you hit your stride. Now that I feel really comfortable with my students as a whole, I am getting to know them on a more personal level. The resume/interview block day class was a success. One student from first period even returned during fifth. I asked her why she was there and she told me, "today's class was really good. I want to do it again." That's a moment I won't ever forget.
Now I am working on wrapping things up -- my juniors are reading Catcher and we are having an awesome time with it. I have so many resources and ideas that I have to be selective with what I teach. It's a really nice feeling. Unfortunately for my seniors, Siddhartha is a bit more tricky; with a handful of mundane resources, I am doing a lot of creating. I can't get lazy, though -- I planned a lot of cool stuff with The Stranger and my seniors are counting on me! So here are the lessons I am excited to teach:
-- I will present this novel more as a window and mirror than a closed book. I intend to inspire students to use it as a tool of reflection.
--After reading most chapters, students will journal. The prompt will always ask students to reflect on their personal lives. Of course, the prompt will also compliment what is going on in Siddhartha's life. For instance: Reflect! Siddhartha says he has “become distrustful of teaching and learning.” You have been in school for more than 12 years; can you relate to Siddhartha’s mentality? Why or why not?
--Nearly half-way through the novel I will lecture on the Hero's Journey. This way, students can engage in a problem-solving based activity where they chart Siddhartha's journey so far.
--We will analyze songs or other pieces of writing inspired by the novel.
And so on and so forth. Still, I am quite hungry for more exciting activities. Advice is welcome!
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