Teaching again
Well, the first two weeks of classes are behind me. It is hard to believe that this September begins my fourth year of teaching.
This year I am teaching medieval literature, and only medieval literature. It is my first year of not teaching writing — and I think I might be having proofreading withdrawals already. I am starting to feel that red-pen urge to let the blood of students’ writings. But, this year, that is Mrs. Swanson’s job.
My syllabus includes the following titles: Song of Roland, Le Morte d’Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Everyman, Noah’s Flood, The Inferno, Piers Plowman, Canterbury Tales, and a paraphrase of The Faerie Queene, Book 1.
On the first day of class, I had 9 students enrolled in my class; right now it is unclear whether or not I will have an additional two students join next week. For the first time in four years, I actually have an equalized number of boys and girls in a class! So far, it appears I have a very balanced group; it doesn’t seem like some are very advanced (and in 9th grade) while others are a little behind (and in 6th grade). This class is all 7th & 8th graders; there are no dominating personalities; and the older, expected-to-answer veterans of my classes (Caleb Jo, Kayla Sanders, and Scott Olivares) are gone. This class is mostly made up, with one possible exception, of students who will answer if given a chance or called upon, but won’t venture forth boldly. Three, possibly four, of the students I’ve never had in class before, and of those I have had before, three, possibly four, I had in writing, but not in literature last year. So class will be very different this year, but I am excited about this class composition.
And I cannot fail to mention that this year I had actually not only read, but studied, all but two of the titles on my syllabus before creating the syllabus! Now that’s astonishing!
