First Day Ice-Breaker: Fave Childhood Book

Today, to break the ice on the first day of class, I asked each of my sophomores to share his or her favorite childhood book.  I love to ask this question on the first day--students tend to have strong feelings about their favorite picture books, or the first novel they remember reading on their own.  I especially love watching their faces light up as they remember what they were like as little kids, and it's fun to listen to them as they say, "I loved that book too!"   And, since I have two young bookworms at home I'm always on the lookout for new suggestions for bedtime reads.

This year, I was once again surprised by the wide variety of responses I got.  In my morning class, my students tended to pick novels they'd read when they were in elementary or middle school:  The Hunger Games, Twilight, Eragon, Treasure Island, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Secret Garden, the Harry Potter books, the Hardy Boys series. One student recalled an abridged version of Pride and Prejudice, and another reminded me of one of my favorites from when I was a girl, The Twenty-One Balloons.  Only one student in that class went far enough back to Go Dog, Go.

My afternoon class, though, recalled some classics from way back:  The Magic Treehouse series, The Rainbow Fish; Goodnight Moon; Are You My Mother? (one of my daughters' all-time faves); Green Eggs and Ham; The Missing Piece; Oh, the Places You'll Go.  They introduced me to some books I hadn't heard of:  Tilly and the Wall;  Good Job, Oliver.  And one student told me that James Clavell's Shogun was one of his favorites because he's very interested in southeast Asia.

The books we read when we are young--the stories, the characters, the illustrations, the themes--tend to stay with us long after we believe we've outgrown them, and many of these texts form a common language that we can all connect with. These books ignited our young imaginations and captivated us at a time when everything was new and possible.  I hope that my students will be able--and willing-- to continue to tap into that childlike wonder even now as they embark on their own adventures this year.

Best quote I've seen in a long time..

“Literature is the most astonishing technological means that humans have created, and now practiced for thousands of years, to capture experience. For me the thrill of literature involves entering into the life worlds of others. I’m from a particular, constricted place in time, and I suddenly am part of a huge world — other times, other places, other inner lives that I otherwise would have no access to.” - Stephen Greenblatt, professor of Humanities at Harvard

New Year's Resolution

In September, I often ask my students to jot down some specific goals that they plan to pursue during the year to become better students of English.  I tend to get pretty specific responses like, "I finally want to learn how to cite sources correctly," or "I want to be more confident when speaking in class" or "For once, just once, I'd like to ace a reading quiz."

I'm embarrassed to admit that I've rarely followed suit and articulated my own new school year's resolutions.  I've spent so much time planning the day-to-day stuff--how long it'll take us to get through Hamlet, how I'll set up Notes From Underground more clearly this time around--that I don't often stop, breathe, and think about what I can do during the year to become a better teacher.  In recent years I've juggled raising two little girls with returning to work full-time, so I didn't really think about my own professional development.  Keeping the wheels on the bus seemed a bit more pressing.

This year, though, I've resolved to make the time and create the space, both literally and figuratively.  2012-13 marks the first year I've had a classroom of my own, a room with some amazing new tools and toys (including a new glass wall that I'll blog about). I'm teaching sophomore World Lit and AP English Lit, and I'm ready to devote myself more fully to creating an environment, both online and off, where my students and I learn with and from each other.

I'm also focusing more of my time on developing a professional learning network and connecting with my colleagues, both on campus and around the world.  I'm looking for ways to collaborate with other teachers in my department and across the curriculum.  I've found Twitter to be an easy way to keep my finger on the pulse of what's new in education and 21st century skills, I'm excited about several upcoming conferences I'm planning to attend, and I'm becoming a more active contributor to a few forums for teachers, where I can collaborate and share ideas. In just a month or two of actively taking the time to see what's out there, I've learned so much, and I'm genuinely stoked to try some of this new stuff on my sophs and seniors.

So, my New Year's resolution is to take advantage of as many resources as possible to be the teacher my students deserve, and to seek out opportunities to reflect, share, and, as Mark Zuckerberg would say, "make [my teaching] world more open and connected."

How to avoid Plagiarism at Hogwarts and elsewhere...

Just discovered this infographic on Pinterest.    Neville Longbottom...who knew?

Thanks to Kate Hart!

My first attempt at a Wordle.  I'd love to see what my students come up with...

Welcome!

Welcome to Hawkinsanity--home to my thoughts on literature, writing, teaching, and anything else that comes to mind.  This blog will also link to my students' blogs as they chronicle their sophomore year of high school English.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!