Learning Leter

Dr. Sean Agriss

Well here we are, the end of what looks like my last quarter here at EWU on campus. I am preparing for my student teaching and trying to get a grasp on all that has occurred over not only the last quarter but also the last year and a half. When I talked with you and Dr. Valeo and I allowed you two to talk me into getting a minor in English, I never really quite knew the path that it would take me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think about taking my love for literature and going out and teaching it. I am completely comfortable standing in front of a classroom and talking about the Crimean War or the Ratification of the Constitution, the concept of trying to express my passion for the likes of Tolstoy, Hemingway, Faulkner and King and then getting students to find that passion and write about it scared the ever loving crap out of me. After the last two quarters having taken your courses on Lit and Comp, I feel more at ease now with my ability to teach English and am looking forward to the challenge.

This class was incredible, being able to develop lessons for books and stories that I loved was great. The mini lesson assignment allowed me to go outside the box and create a lesson that would allow students to express themselves in an alternative medium, express my love for a book that has resounding impact on the way a student looks at themselves and their situation. I was able to share with my peers my all time favorite book and the reasons that it was impact-full to me not only as a student in high school but as an adult when I went back and reread it. By listening to my classmates I was able to compile a whole list of books that I want to not only read but to introduce to my students. The unit plan was one of the most difficult assignments that I have had to accomplish so far, but when I was done and looked back at it, I became excited to know that this was something that I did and will have the opportunity to teach.

One of the greatest aspects of your class is that it is an open discussion amongst peers. I cannot tell you how beneficial it was to be able to present ideas and gain feedback from those who are traveling down the same path as myself. You set an incredible example for how productive a classroom can be an in allowing us the freedom to push the envelope and try new things.

You have pushed me to be better, provided me guidance and support as I struggled and have mentored me in my journey. The classes I have taken from you over the past year have been some of the most rewarding in my college experience and I look forward to continuing my adventure and being able to learn from you. I now feel more prepared to go out and teach Lit to students, I feel that this class has given me the tools to guide students into the understanding and appreciation of great works of art.

Thank you for all you have done for me here at Eastern, I look forward to many more great conversations.

Sean

p.s. I loved the whole reading to the class bit you did. Not only do I feel that it might be something I would try, the story you chose was incredible.

American Born Chinese

This book was great. It was fun to be able to grab a book that really falls outside the norm for most of our students. I think that this book would be a great read for students to give them a bit of a break from standard format and still get some great content that can focus on issues like individuality, cultural history, discrimination, identity and acceptance. The story was great and flowed real well, the shifting from the different stories was pretty smooth and I liked how everything tied in at the end. I think that this could be a fun book to teach and get feedback from students.

Night

Over the years I have read quite a few books and accounts of the horrors that ocured in Nazi Germany and the concentration camps, Elie Wiesel's book was by far one of the best tellings of what happened. The level of detail, the shear emotion and the exceptional story telling make this an incredible read. This is a book that I can see using stand alone in an English curriculum or even using parts or the whole book in a Social Studies classroom during the discussion of WWII and the atrocities performed by Germany during the Holocaust.

That being said there are some very graphic details and situations in this book and it will require a lot of discussion in class prior to reading it and also during the course of the book. Because of the sensitive nature of this topic it will be important to remember that there could possibly be students that this topic will directly affect.

Great read though and I think that most anybody should sit down and take the 3 to 4 hours it takes to read this and expand their mind and knowledge.

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo

For all of us Shakespeare, especially the play Romeo and Juliet, has been done in so many ways and in so many different mediums that the whole idea of teaching it to our students is almost mind numbing. Now I am by no means minimizing the artistic quality and excellent prose that WS put down on paper to be performed. The story in itself is ancient and has been retold over and over again, but the problem lies in the fact that everyone knows this play.

I think that to teach WS you will need to find a way to get the kids involved with the history of the play, understand the context in which the play is written and allow them to find meaning in what is going on without being told. Utilizing modern versions of the story and even some strong media examples may make this more relevant and enjoyable for the students.

The TPA

I will be the first one to say that the process for doing the TPA is redundant and frustrating. At times it feels as though it takes longer to compose your lesson plan than to teach it. That being said I have to admit that there are practical uses for the TPA and I understand the reasons behind the state of Washington in adopting this process. The focus that it provides, especially for areas such as assessment and differentiated instruction are valuable tools and helps the instructor focus on the needs of the class as a whole and how to reach them. When I first started using the TPA many of the sections didn't quite make sense to me and now as I sit down to write out lesson plans I tend to focus more on things like Student Voice and Assessment.

Differentiated Instruction

Classrooms are an ever changing environment. Over the years we have gone from classrooms that were set up for students of certain abilities and skills, to classrooms that are filled with kids of all different levels of understanding and education. As a teacher of Social Studies and English, I feel that Differentiated Instruction, when applied correctly, allows the teacher to create lessons that will connect in one way or another with their students, understanding the material and how it is being used. I spent some time on the website www.differentiatedinstruction.net and was able to get a better understanding of the the philosophy and the concept around differentiated instruction. I really enjoyed how it broke down what the program does and doesn't do and addresses a lot of the misconceptions that both teachers and parents can have in regards to the program.

The resource page provides great information to instructors as far as teaching manuals and literature that can be printed off and used at no cost. All in all as we move towards the TPA and teaching in a classroom this is a great resource.

Tovani - Reading In Flanders Field

1. Read the poem all the way through, twice

2. Think about any background knowledge that you have that will help you connect to the people, animals, or objects in the poem

     In Flanders Field was written by Lt.Cnl John McCrae, a Canadian physician during WWI. This was his attempt to paint a picture of the Second Battle of Ypres, where it was believed the Germans used poison gas for the first time. After the battle Dr. McCrae was burying his friend at Essex Farm just North of Ypres, when he noticed the vast amounts of poppies that grew among the battlefield. 

3. Try to make a picture in our head of what's happening in the poem

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands, we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

 

4. What  do you think the poem is about?

When I read this poem I feel that it is the voice of the fallen. They ask for those still fighting to fight the good fight, remember them with honor and do them proud. For this is the only way that they may rest in piece on this hallowed ground. 

 

Textual Evidence                                                                      Background Knowlege

Take up our quarrel with the foe:                                              Dr. In WWI

To you from falling hands, we throw                                        Beside medicine was an avid poet

The torch; be yours to hold it high                                            

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

In Flanders fields.

Chris Tovani rocks

Wow..... from the very get go on this book, it was as though Tovani had taken a look at my life and struggles I had when I was a young reader. Her insight to reading difficulties and ideas to work around them were fantastic. I loved the way that she interacted with the kids in her class and answered their fears and apprehensions regarding not only reading but what to expect in her class. Gaining knowledge from her students and how they had survived up till this point in their education allowed her to directly address each one and discuss a technique that might work for them as they progressed. Even when she met opposition from students, it didn't deter her or set her back, instead it provided more focus and how she would work with this student to overcome the barriers that had been placed in front of them. One of my favorite quotes from the book has to be "Too many bright kids are wasting time sitting in back of the classroom expecting to be filled with knowledge. It's time to pull the plug on this type of behavior and begin teaching adolescents of all ages and reading abilities how to understand what they read so they can begin constructing meaning on their own." There are so many tools out there to help kids to day and there is no excuse for teachers to just let students slide by and fake read their way through school and life.

A Response to A Response Based Approach to Reading Literature

Loved this article. For me books and reading has always been about taking the words written by the author and finding my own meaning and purpose. I have had classes that have taken the approach of teaching classic lit and giving a traditional interpretation that has been used for years in the classroom. But for me and teaching lit I feel that it is important to allow kids to develop their own interpretations of  the text. 

I really appreciated the introduction to

SUPPORTING THE LITERARY EXPERIENCE:

THE FOCUS OF INSTRUCTION

The thought-provoking literature class is an environment where students

are encouraged to negotiate their own meanings by exploring possibilities,

consider understandings from multiple perspectives, sharpen their own

interpretations, and learn about features of literary style and analysis through the

insights of their own responses. Responses are based as much on readers' own

personal and cultural experiences as on the particular text and its author. 

To me this will allow the student to get the fullest opportunity to not only learn but to develop a manner of thought that will benefit them in years to come. 

Social Justice - My take

So when I started this assignment I had in mind my own idea of social justice, one from the point of view of  a former military combat soldier, a father and someone who believes in standing up for the little guy. I looked around quite a bit trying to find a very impartial view of Social Justice and it seems that everything that I found was either from the right wing or left wing political party. Here is the funny thing though, the basis of their definition was pretty close.
"Social Justice is teaching kids to question whoever happens to hold the reins of power at a particular moment. It is about seeing yourself not just as a consumer of information, but as an actor-critic"(Bill Bigelow Rethinking Columbus"

From the conservative voice "social justice teaching is shorthand of opposition to American traditions of individual justice and free market economics, it teaches students that American society is an inherently oppressive society that is systemically racist, sexist and classist and thus discriminates institutionally against women, nonwhites, working Americans and the poor."

The more I read about what different people considered social justice and their extreme views it made me feel that in my classroom I want to teach my own version of social justice. My definition is as follows: Social Justice is the ability for one man to look at the wrong and right of what is going on without looking at differences in race, color, sexual identity or religion, and make the best decision that will benefit all and attempt to exclude or alienate none"

This may seem kind of a rose color view but in my experience and my beliefs you teach young men and women to be fair, be honest and not judgmental to one another, For young men being a gentlemen is proper and young women should learn to be a lady, We are never all going to get along but if you can find a common ground you will be able to find a way to make thing work.

Critical Petagogy

For me, in today's classroom if you are not taking advantage of modern media and technology to grab the attention and introduce today's youth to classical text you are missing out. I feel that there are so many incredible mediums out there and reworkings of the classics that allow students to relate to them without struggling with language barriers.

The article presented me with some ideas on how to incorporate modern renditions of classics and even how to use current music and pop culture to relate to some of the concepts of reading, writing and understanding poetry. I feel that as a teacher you must be able to look at your class and understand that not everyone is going to be able to pick up a text of say "The Great Gatsby" and in their mind be able to understand the picture of this man and his struggles the way that Fitzgerald meant for them to. But if you were to include parts of the current version of Gatsby and have them correlate the movie with the book you would have more success.

Critical Pedagogy

I grew up in a small farming and logging community in central Idaho. It was a town where you were expected to work, go to school and play sports. There were very little, if at all any, minorities in our school and to me it seamed as if everyone wore one of two styles of dress. You were either into rock and roll t-shirts or the more conservative prep look. Dress and appearance guidelines were specifically spelled out and for us students it appeared the norm.

Was this my schools attempt to control us, to only allow certain manners of dress, to forbid students from having facial hair and from the boys in the school having pierced ears. For the teachers school was there for us to learn and expand our minds, not to grow our social circle or gain our next conquest. Were the teachers mindfully attempting to oppress us or were they more or less dictating an environment that they felt was the most productive and helpful to us in our quest to become educated.

Now 26 years later I look at the struggles and conflicts within the schools and how the teachers are forced to pick their battles as to not offend someone or some culture. The environment within the schools has changed drastically and in such it is necessary as an educator to change with them and adjust to continue to educate students and prepare them for life after high school

CHAPTER 1 OF PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED

Wow, this was one of the most difficult articles that I have read in quite a while. Not just with the manner in which it was written but the intensity of the subject matter was pretty heavy. I will be honest the first time that I read through it, I was exhausted and to really delve into the information I had to go back and reread and do a bit of research on some of the quotes.

This is a pretty heavy subject, especially when you start taking the content and applying it to the environment we are in and in dealing with a diverse group of students that come from varying social and economic backgrounds.

The premiss of this article deals with oppression and how it is the responsibility of the oppressed to rise up and remove themselves from the situation. The oppressor cannot fix the oppressed. In this manner we look at bullying and it is the responsibility of the bullied to stand up and make a difference in what is going on their lives and they cannot rely on those who do the bullying to change the situation.

I will need to reread this a few times to get the full gist of it, but from what I am understanding at this point, I think that this theory has some valid points and can be used as the basis for change.

Discussion in a Democratic Society.....

I love a good discussion and getting students to take a look at their own values and opinions and have a forum where they can have an open discussion with only a prompt from the teacher and no bias as to the instructors feelings. I grew up in classrooms where discussions were not very prevalent and teachers had a way of throwing in their opinion to their out and influencing students. We never had a great venue to talk about issues and when the teacher would provide prompts for discussion it was to be written and not talked about.

When teaching lit to young adults there are always going to be subject matters that arise that are going to have varying opinions and where students will have questions and are looking to have meaningful talks. It is my desire for my classroom, whether it be Social Studies or English, to be a venue for discussion and debate. I feel that this environment is critical for student growth and development. I want to keep my views and opinions to a minimum and allow the students the opportunity to find their own voice. I hope that as in the case of teacher Steve, I too will be surprised and proud as my students pave their own way.

Pleased to meet y'all......

Good morning my name is Sean Pelfrey and I currently a student in English 493, fall quarter at Eastern Washington University. This quarter I am enrolled in 25 credits, in addition to 493 I am also enrolled in English 350 (Shakespeare), English 270 (Intro to Fiction), English 459 (Grammar) and CTED 300 which is for my CTE endorsement. This is my last quarter of classes before student teaching which I will be doing at West Valley High School. My major is Social Studies and I am also getting a English and CTE minor. I am very comfortable with my ability to teach Social Studies and CTE primarily because of my military and engineering background. English though, I will admit, makes me a bit nervous. I feel that I have a good grasp on the literature aspect, but even after taking my comp course, teaching the writing aspect still gives me a bit of apprehension. Growing up I enjoyed writing until I had a teacher who made me feel that my ability to write was sub-par, and I for one doe not want to do that to a student. Though there are some aspects of teaching English that have me cautious, I am looking forward to taking on the challenge. With this course I am really looking forward to getting some great ideas from my peers on good quality YA lit that I can introduce to my students and also looking at some of the mini lessons and also the 15 day lesson plans and stealing them for my own personnel toolbox.

As for the rest of my life, I was carer military for 23 years as a combat engineer in the United States Navy. I have traveled extensively throughout the world and have completed numerous combat tours. I am married to my wife who is a first grad teacher at University Elementary in the CV school district, I have an almost 11 year old son who is in the 5th grade, plays Lacrosse and is pretty fun to hang out with and loves going on random road trips and adventures with me. I have competed competitively in sports since I was about 10. I started out in martial arts and moved on to team sports such as football and baseball, I also steer wrestled and rode saddle bronc in the rodeo, played rugby and now compete in the Scottish Highland Games. I am a avid reader and am always looking for that next great book, and though I have read volumes and volumes, I have yet to find that one book that has given Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird  as my all time favorite book.

Interview with Anna Pabst

Today I was given the opportunity to sit down and speak with a local icon , veterinarian Anna Pabst. Anna is a third generation veterinarian following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather, and began her love of caring for animals at a very young age. In fact Anna feels that she was born to be a vet when I asked her how long she had been vet she replied "Going on 25 years". We discussed the pros and cons of being a vet and for Anna there are some very rewarding times especially when she comes across a difficult case and is able to help the animal recover. But she stated that there are some difficult times also and she doesn't like it when she has to put a family animal down. When asked about her favorite animal Anna told me "I love horses, they are relaxing and really help me unwind." Dr. Anna Pabst a local treasure who is ready and willing to care for the animals in the community.

Free Write

I love it when we get the opportunity to just sit down and write. No expectations, no themes, nothing holding us back except our own minds and imaginations. Unfortunetly this Monday morning I seem to be at a loss for words. It has been a long last couple of weeks and I would really love nothing more than to be back in bed only contimplating getting my ass up and motivated. The whole premiss of taking summer school was to get done a bit sooner so I could student teach this Winter quarter, but there are time that I feel that I am just exahsted and would like to take a break and hell even go back to work. I want to teach and I want to be able to say that I completed my degree but at times I am afraid that I have put myself in a hole that I will never get out of. I am tired of being broke and behind on all my bills. The fear of letting my family down just bites at me. It is not supposed to be this difficult at 44. I should be well into my career with money in the bank, the ability to take my family on vacation or to do things without worrying about how I am going to pay for it. I really hope that all this pays off in the end and I haven't made a major mistake in my choice of returning to school.
Whew, now that I got that off my chest I feel a bit better. I am doing good and I know that at times the anxiety is horrific but this is the right thing to do and I know that it is a means to the end and I will just keep moving along and keeping my head above water.

Weaver Chapter 6

What I liked about chapter 6 in the Weaver text was great overview of the different teaching tools or styles that can be used to teach grammar. She does a good job of breaking it down into various methods to teach students weather it is a whole class, small groups or even individuals. Each technique is written showing both the pros and the cons to that style and gives the teaching candidate some great incite as they develop their own style.

I was particularly interested in use of the Mini-Lesson, as it allows the students to develop their own style and has the teacher there as a guide. Great for small groups or individual instruction and does not take away from the students ability to write or develop.

Write about something that you think people should know about but don't

We talk about how great the US is and how we value our military service men and women, but there is a side to this that most people are unaware of. For most people the concept of the US is the 50 states and Washington DC, I think most people are unaware that the US still has teritories such as Guam, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Island and Northern Marianas. A territory is an area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state: "enemy territory". Since these areas are under US control the men and women that reside there are able to serve in the US Military. The issue arises when the service member completes his or hers obligated service and wishes to remain in the US. They are allowed to stay here conditionally, as long they do not get into any trouble with the law. This can mean that even a simple speeding ticket can be turned into a reason for deportation as well as the loss of their military benefits. I have seen cases where men from the Philippines have served for more than 20 years and have retired from the US Navy and upon completion of their service have been denied citizenship and sent back to the PI

We are halfway through the course. What has been most valuable so far? What do you still feel like you need?

For me and my anxiety with sharing my writing, hell even just writing, the fact that we have had to share our work with others and revive feedback has been eye opening. Even though I have written stories, kept a journal, and at times just broke into random writing, I have always felt apprehensive about sharing my work. For me my writing is very personal and to allow someone else the latitude to read it and critique it is gut wrenching.  Having grown up in the days of the dreaded red pen and getting papers back that were unrecognizable because of all the marks and notes, I have always felt that writing was a chore and not fun.

As far a still needing, I am looking forward to sharing teaching ideas and concepts with my classmates. As we are almost all going into the education profession, I feel that it will be valuable to hear how they plan on teaching writing to their students and see if I can utilize any of their practices into my lessons.