Humor in the Classroom: A Follow Up

Though homework calls my name, I wanted to take a moment to mention what happened with my revelation of last post. I did talk to my CT, and we conversed about humor and other connections between texts as well as where we might see future examples of these connections in our classroom. Unfortunately, I did not get to lead the specific discussion I wanted to (stupid time constraints), but my teacher did address the connections we talked about with the students in the limited time we had. I hope for an opportunity in the coming semester to bring humor back into our discussion of literature. I may try to plan a lesson/writing workshop around this concept, especially as it relates to persuasive writing and creating voice.

I must hasten to the dreaded research project screaming for my attention, but I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all and enjoyable time with family.

Cheers,
Ms. Iseminger

Three events + zombie dreams + time to stew in my brain = One Awesome Teaching Conclusion!!

It is true that, for class credit this should have been posted last night. I beg forgiveness on the grounds of incomplete muse. It just was not ready. I had thought--good ones, but some nebulous element was still missing (such is the messy art of writing, right). My thoughts needed to stew, overnight, mingling with bizarre dreams of zombie attacks in the classroom, before I could wake up, sit up, and catch that nebulous last idea, pinning it firmly to the specimen board of my sleepy mind before it could flutter away. Eager to share my thought-stew with the world, I intend to, in about 30 minutes, ask my CT if I can lead a class discussion today over humor in literature and life. I am hoping he will say yes when I explain to him, as I will explain to you, the connections I just made and how I think they will benefit my students.

It began with one of three events…..

Event 1: Stephen King

                Stephen King--master of horror, suspense, thrill, and contemplation of the darker side of humanity—is a funny, funny man. When I saw him speak a week ago today, I was impressed with how much humor he brought to even the more serious topics he addressed. At one point he compared himself to a cross between Godzilla and Santa Claus because people frequently approach him with, “Your books scared the  @*^%$ out of me…can I give you a hug?” Until seeing this dark and funny author in person I had not given specific thought to the use of humor in his writing. I am sure on some subconscious level I noted it, but I had not thought specifically of the way King uses humor to take some of the edge away from the disturbing nature of his tales. Very “spoonful-of-sugar-esque” actually. So pin that thought on your brain board and follow me to Event #2.

Event 2: The Boys Next Door

                While my CT was gone to a conference this week, we watched the amazing movie version of The Boys Next Door. While most of the students were glad to fill out a character map to help guide the one-pager they will do next week, one student bluntly asked me why we had to do filler work like movie notes and what did it have to do with her grade anyway. I reminded her of the one-pager next week and she quieted down for the most part, but I started wondering how I could maybe connect this to the other things we had been reading. I did not see any particular themes or character resemblances that struck a chord, so I watched them watching the movie and hoped something might present itself. What impressed the most about these student was their willingness to accept the mentally challenged characters in the movie. One whole table of girls alternately laughed and cried at the antics of Lucien and Arnold and Norman. Well, pretty much everyone laughed at the antics of these lovable characters, but why did that bother me. It seemed almost un-P.C. to encourage a class of freshmen to laugh at the trials, blunders, and rather serious mistakes made by mentally challenged people. I felt uncomfortable; I wonder if my students had this thought and felt uncomfortable. I felt like I was on to something but could not figure out what. Pin that thought—on to Event # 3.

Event 3: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and my Unit Plan Struggles

           To the point, I am struggling to decide how to break up the reading for the above story in my Unit Plan for my Methods class. I turned to the interwebs for inspiration from those who have gone before and found a plethora of plans, which of course I got distracted by (oh happy fate!). I looked at one plan long and hard, though it did not offer suggestions for breaking up the book; I looked at its essential question about humor’s function in the novel. It noted how Junior (the main character) uses humor to diffuse controversial situations and opinion, thus allowing the reader to traverse those uncertain waters more comfortably and take in what the author is saying rather than rejecting it because of discomfort.

Ding, Ding, Ding! We have a winner!!

          Put all three events together and you have my newly formed of understanding of how to tie The Boys Next Door back to previous material (Diary), while making a fresh connection to both print and non-print texts from Stephen King to stand-up comedians and slam-poets, even to Saturday Night Live commercials (some of which we already watched as a reward day). I am eager to see if I can lead my students into making the same connections I did. I hope I can get them to do the work. I have good questions planned out….now I just have to ask my CT if he will entrust them to me for about 10-15 minutes. Fingers crossed!! Guess I better get going. I’ll post a follow-up on how it went.

Cheers,

Ms. Iseminger

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it! (or, What I Learned at the KATE Conference)

Speak Louder. Clearer. Slower. Taylor Mali gave this advice to my poetry students at the KATE Conference. It is sound advice for those budding performers. It is also sound advice for every reflective teacher striving to build rapport in the classroom. Such tidbits of wisdom were abundant at this year’s Kansas Association of Teachers of English Conference. Behind the door of every conference room, at the heart of every breakout session lay the collected wisdom of teachers and education students from across the state. Fueled by ideas, passion and the desire to share knowledge these educators brought all their resources to the table to engage and inspire attendees. They succeeded!

                Inspiring is the word I use to describe Annie Flurry’s session on creating spoken word culture in the classroom. While we talk about teaching our students to be more effective in their writing, more vibrant in their descriptions, and more focused on saying what they mean, Flurry takes that focus and translates it into authentic outlets of expression. What better way to connect students to their writing than to give them an audience and purpose…for the students, by the students. Though my school may not have a large creative writing program, many of Flurry’s suggestions can (and quite frankly should) be incorporated in the everyday ELA classroom. By using pre- and post-viewing focus questions for a variety of spoken word performances (many by students themselves), teachers can start discussions on writing elements like allusion, tone, imagery, rhythm and rhyme. The best part of this approach: it is engaging, relatable, moving and even humorous. I can hear my students laughing aloud to some of the poems she showed us. Even better, I honestly believe they will have opinions on

the performances that I can use to sneakily advance my own agenda of stronger writing.

                Many of the sessions I chose to attend centered on utilizing non-print media in the classroom to create deeper, more accessible connections to ELA concepts. Lori Stratton’s workshop, “Musical Links to Critical Thinking,” addressed many of the same writing elements as Flurry’s session, but with a focus on song lyrics and music. Stratton’s attention to theme and allusion were especially useful to me as I find teaching students to tease out themes very difficult. I particularly enjoyed Stratton’s technique of escalating complexity of theme in the music she presents to students. It makes the exercise more like a game and less like, well, and exercise! Though we had little time in the workshop to really explore our thematic ideas, there were many takes on the more complex songs. I can only imagine the argument….er, I mean “lively discussions” my students will have as they try to validate their opinions to their peers in small group discussions. Stratton’s workshop also addressed using music to enhance character analysis by creating “soundtracks” for characters from texts as well as creating soundtracks for entire texts that reflect the change in mood and tone as well as action. I only wish my college English classes offered project options like this. What better way to bring a part of myself into a text than to use the music I listen to as means of explaining my perspective of a text!

                I could seriously write a play-by-play of my entire conference experience (rife with superlatives and exclamation points), but I doubt anyone really want to hear about my Taylor Mali fan-girl moments (like, OMG, he signed my book!) or the tense moments of trying to be lady-like in a dress while crossing a hot-chocolate river on marshmallow plates (actually a fantastic team-building game!). It will suffice to say that KATE fulfilled their mission to offer a chance for teachers  to “Rethink, Reconnect, and Renew” their passion and techniques for teaching. I want to conclude by thanking KATE for the opportunity, the presenters for their eagerness to share everything they have to help better our students’ educational experiences, and…well, Taylor Mali for making me feel like a teenager at a Beatles concert!!

Absolute Aswesomeness!!

Here’s to more KATE Conferences and a Happy Voting Tuesday (and an end to campaign ads),

Sincerely Yours,

Ms. Iseminger

P.S. I also want to thank my English Ed colleagues and Dr. Mason for making this conference a shared experience that I will not forget.