8/29 - Student Personalities and the Myers-Briggs

We started today's class with the following activity:

1 - Brainstorm adjectives that could be used to describe your personality.
(The more the better. Here is a list to work from and to inspire you: personality adjectives)

2 - Star the three adjectives which seem to best represent your personality (kind of the like the primary colors of your personality, which would the red, yellow, and blue adjectives be?).

3 - Find a partner and discuss the adjectives you chose with them (why you chose them, how those elements interact to make up your personality, stories that illustrate how you display those elements). Each partner will have two minutes to talk while the other just listens (a little silence and time to think is good).

After everyone had a chance to talk with their partner, we came back together and used a chart to help us determine more specifically what each person's personality expression was. To do this we used the four categories of the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator (see the categories here).

Next, we looked at what each person chose within each category. Our results were as follows:

Extraversion - 5 people / Introversion - 4 people
Sensing - 4 people / Intuition - 5 people
Thinking - 7 people / Feeling - 2 people
Judging - 4 people / Perceiving - 4 people (1 person right in the middle)

Everyone then looked at the four categories they had selected and read the corresponding personality type according to the Myers-Briggs type indicator description (type indicator descriptions available here)

Everyone then responded to the following prompt based on their results and the provided description:

Everyone then had time to write after which we discussed  peoples' perspectives.

Next, I handed out several papers for individuals' homework this weekend related to the Myers-Briggs test and some questions to help guide your reading and thinking with the article (see handouts below).

Note: We didn't do the test in class, we just looked at and thought about their categories and personality types. If you'd like to get a sense for what the test is like try out this free version of the Myers-Briggs.

Handouts:
SOAPS explanation
Reading: "Goodbye to the MBTI, the Fad that Won't Die"
Guided Response Questions (includes extensions questions for a possible 100)
      Extension Reading: "Measuring the MBTI... and Coming Up Short"


Homework:

Read the article "Goodbye to the MBTI, the Fad that Won't Die" and respond to the guided response questions (see handouts above).

Have a writers journal to use in English ready for Monday.

8/27-28 - Class Introduction

Our introductory class was spread across two days and was dedicated to introducing the course material and reviewing classroom policies and procedures. I also took some time to introduce myself to students and talk about my approach to English education.

We started class by having everyone watch the video below of Yngwie J. Malmsteen performing his piece "Icarus Dream Fanfare." 

Everyone responded to the following question in response to this video:

1 - What do you think of this piece of music? (Explain your response as best as you can).

I then talked about how this video represents the way in which we'll be approaching English through this class this year. The symphony representing the traditional/classic elements of an English education and the electric guitar representing new/radical materials that will be used to compliment the traditional/classic elements.

We then reviewed the course syllabus and went over other, more general classroom policies.

We then had a discussion about why we are all here at school and what various reasons contribute to even having schools in the first place. I then presented school from my own perspective as being like Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory. In this way, school is kind of like the Chocolate Factory in which students are coming in to learn how to take things over. In school, students learn everything they need to know to take the world over from the older generation (and hopefully do a better job of managing things).

Next, we looked at the poem "There Are too Many of Me" by Lucy Diggs Slowe. I read through the poem twice and then everyone responded to the following questions.

1 - What is this poem about? How do you know?

2 - What do you think of this message?

After responding to these questions, people discussed their responses with a partner and then we came together as a class and discussed everyone's responses as a class.

This discussion lead into my presentation of who I am as a teacher as we talk about the multiple selves that everyone manages in our everyday lives. I presented myself as a son, brother, uncle, husband, runner, traveler, gamer, and teacher. I then spoke about how my "teacher" self is the self that I always present at school just as everyone's "student" self is the self they are presenting in class. While this is the version of ourselves that we portray in this environment, versions of our other selves can add to and strengthen this professional self. This lead to everyone writing a letter to me about their other selves (prompt below) and how that relates to their student self.

Letters could be submitted at the end of class or finished and turned in later if need be.

(This writing is not assessed, it is just for me to get to know students).

Handouts:

Class Syllabus

"There Are too Many of Me" by Lucy Diggs Slowe

Homework:

For Monday - have a writing journal that you can use of this class (see Mr. Collins if this is difficult for you)

06.11 - Final (Day 01)

Today we had the first part of our two part final. At the beginning of class, we reviewed the materials for finals and then began watching the Ramayana inspired film Sita Sings the Blues. In our viewing of the film, we paused after each Annette Hanshaw song (sung by Sita) to provide everyone with time to take notes and fill out their hero's journey note sheet for Sita's journey.

 

The film from class today is available to see online at the link below for free via the Internet Archive.

Sita Sings the Blues 

Final Materials

The final materials are available through the link above.

People may review and think about these materials in between our finals sessions.

No work from outside the classroom may be brought in to the final.

All final materials must stay in and be completed in our classroom.

Individuals who feel they will not be able to complete the final in two class periods may come in during the make up periods, at times when they have a study hall, or after school with advanced notice (especially if you are completing another final and then coming in).

06.10 - Reflection and Course Feedback

For today's class, we first had an activity in which people used activity cards to discuss the successes and challenges they experienced this year along with what they had for goals next year (directions from class below).

Next, everyone had time to incorporate their successes and goals from this year into their goal flags from the beginning of the year (directions below). There was also time for people to provide me with feedback on our course this year as a way to help me plan next year's course (link below).

English Course Feedback

06.09 - Power of Myth

Today in class, we watched an episode from "The Power of Myth" in which Joseph Campbell discussed the significance of the hero's cycle in looking at East Asian mythology. We paused the film at several points to discussion connections to The Ramanayana and individuals' reactions to Campbell's perspective.

06.06 - Hero's Journey Slideshow

At the beginning of class today, partner groups got together to plan out their hero's journey slideshow according to our review of the process yesterday. We then presented these slideshows. After the slideshows, we discussed how the hero's journey was portrayed in The Ramayana and talked about the role that dharma (social honor and responsibility) plays in the story.

Homework:

If you have not finished reading The Ramayana, do so before the final.

06.05 - Ramayana Hero's Journey

The focus of today's class was on the hero's journey as it is represented through The Ramayana. Our goal for today was to have everyone work with a partner to create a hero's journey slideshow for The Ramayana. In preparation for this, we reviewed how to use the slideshow format to present the stages of the hero's journey. To focus this review, we watched a YouTube video (below) in which two improvisational actors explain the format. This presentation is a bit more funny/silly since it is improvised. Our activity uses the format in a planned and serious way (but still fun) way to look at key events from The Ramayana.

Groups ended up having a lot of work to do in finishing the story and mapping it out according to the hero's journey so we did not present today, but will present tomorrow.


Handouts:
Hero's Journey Note Sheet (don't forget to reference our work on the ordering of stages)


Homework:

Complete your hero's journey note sheet for The Ramayana.

Complete the Hindu god found poem and image synthesis if you did not do so today.

Complete any missing assignments and revise assignments that scored below a 92.

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