It’s been a busy week since my return. We’re back into the throes of homeschooling, and I’ve begun teaching a literature class at the community college. After the second meeting, a student came up and asked what kind of group projects we were going to do. Ahhh, I usually don’t love group projects. He encouraged me to include a lot of interactive activities, and he mentioned that the students were having trouble understanding me. I guess I talk too fast and too soft. An air conditioner runs in the middle of the room, so that makes hearing difficult. And I have a this midwestern accent. I also need to remember that none of these students is a literature major. This is a general education course for them.
Looks like I have some work to do. I’ve got to come up with some ideas to make this stuff interesting and engaging. The class runs from 8-9:30 pm, so whatever we do also needs to keep everyone awake. Anyone have any suggestions for making introduction to literature classes fun and exciting? In college, I just liked reading the stories and talking in class. As a matter of fact, I hated group projects. But I’m going to have to stretch myself if this is going to work.
We’ve started the course with Oedipus the King. I decided to do drama first because this is the oldest text in their anthology, after Antigone. I like chronological order as an organizing tool, and drama has the added benefit of being easy to read aloud. We'll end the semester with poetry, which has a lot of possibilities for projects, but it is going to be a challenge to find projects to go with the short stories.
Tomorrow night is our last of three classes on Oedipus, and then we move to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The kids know little to nothing about Greek mythology, but seem interested in it, so I’m going to bring in some artwork, since MND also alludes to Greek mythology. For a project, I think I’m going to have them get in small groups and come up with a short skit about what happens to Oedipus next. Then surprise! I can tell them about Antigone and Oedipus at Colonnus.
Does that sound fun? Personally, I’d rather sit around and discuss Oedipus’s search for his identity, since this is a theme tugging at my heart right now. “Fate and Free Will” is always advertised as the main theme, but Oedipus’ search for knowledge of the truth strikes me as just as considerable. Should Oedipus have given up his search and remained comfortable, or did he make the right choice in pursuing truth, despite the suffering he has to undergo? While “Could he escape his fate?” is an interesting question, I think the students may find it more relevant to ponder what consequences come from a lack of self-knowledge. Creon tells Oedipus after he is completely humbled by the truth that “you are ready now to listen to the god.” The position of suppliant makes Oedipus an even greater man. I suppose it would be too personal to ask students to share about a time they were forced to confront an uncomfortable truth about themselves… maybe this is on my mind because married people are forced to face those kind of truths all the time.
The other theme that resonates with me while reading Oedipus this time around is “exile.” Exile is nearly equivalent to death to the Greeks. When did the fear of exile lose its power? When travel became easier? During the age of exploration and adventure? The age of colonization? Does anyone fear exile any more? I suppose jail is a kind of exile. Exile is a symbol for being at odds with God, out of touch with divine order. Another sort of alienation from truth. Personally, I find being far from roots both exhilarating and exhausting. At times a sort of frenetic state of indecisiveness threatens to overwhelm me. It takes time and energy to figure out where to go and what to do and whom to turn to in a new place. And when I fail to cultivate a true sense of directedness toward heavenly things, the things of earth can threaten to engulf my wellbeing.
Returning to these familiar books is a sort of antidote, a reminder that here are things I love, things I’d forgotten I loved, things that point to the beyond. Sophocles, I’ve missed you! Mr. Robert Fitzgerald, I love your note on translation that almost needs its own translation! “The style of Sophocles was smooth. It has been likened by a modern critic to a molten flow of language, fitting and revealing every contour of the meaning, with no words wasted and no words poured on for effect. To approximate such purity I have sought a spare but felicitous manner of speech, not common and not ‘elevated’ either, except by force of natural eloquence.” Eloquence, indeed. Dear students, I may fail to impress one single bit of knowledge on you, other than that there are people out there that love this stuff, and it is up to you to figure out why. And maybe in the process you’ll fall in love with it, too.
In the Shadow of the Past
2 months ago
2 comments:
As an Oklahoman teaching at a community college in New York, I understand your accent dilemma. :) You will learn to tame it for them, but don't worry; you will still have it at home. As for group/interactive work...I have suggestions for that too. I teach five, count 'em, FIVE English courses at my community college -- four composition classes and Shakespeare. But right now, it is the weekend, and I am taking a break from thinking about it for the morning. In the next few days, I'll think of some suggestions for you. Also, ask around your department. They'll help, gladly. Your questions are good ones, and I think you students would like to discuss them, just not in the big group, perhaps. Try this: At the beginning of class, pose the question and have them do about a five-minute written response. Then, put them into groups to discuss what they've written. That way, everyone gets to hear "Wow! That's really smart!" before they have to bring it before the whole group, which is what will happen after the group part. Students like to talk, but they get scared talking in front of everyone when they are not confident about what they have to say. That may be especially true of community college students, many of whom are first-generation and/or have not been to school in awhile. I hope that helps! :)
Daisy - THANK YOU! I'd love to hear more suggestions! Since I teach at night I don't get to interact much with the other instructors. In fact, I've only met two of them. I'd love to hear more suggestions - if you want, you could email them to me at dcook1000athotmaildotcom. We're doing A Midsummer Night's Dream this week, and I'm having them bring in love song lyrics to compare with some of the speeches of the four young lovers. Then next class I'm going to have them get into small groups to act out a scene in their own words. Then we're going to watch the Kevin Kline film. After that we do Trifles, and I'll have them act it out, and then make up a court scene, since we have a couple criminal justice majors in the class. The challenge is going to be coming up with interactive ideas for the short story section. But your idea will work well.
My mom pointed out that I have a tendency even on the phone to trail off at the end of my sentences. I think I get self-conscious about monopolizing the conversation. So that's the other thing I've got to work on.
Even though I've got some novice teacher issues, I do enjoy the community college atmosphere.
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