So, I have always made fun of our friends in the illustrious Jefferson Society for their "snapping" instead of clapping. It seemed to add so much silly pretentiousness to an organization that, in my opinion, does not suffer from an excess of humility. But, I am having to stick my foot in my mouth a little today, because I have met another group that uses the snaps--the children at my school--and I actually appreciate them. The first is simply practical: there are many times when children want to (and should be allowed to) applaud in class, and snaps are much easier to talk over than clapping. From a managerial standpoint, it's a great system, because it is hard for a classroom to be snapping so much that they get out of my control. :) The second reason is more philosophical: the snaps are a little gentler, and thus seem appropriate more often, as a way to give encouragement rather than just commendation or extreme enthusiasm. So, for instance, the students at our school are taught to snap when a child raises his or her hand to answer a question, but then can't remember or needs time to think. When that awkward pause starts, rather than staring at the poor kid or immediately shooting up their hands to prove that they, unlike their unfortunate classmate, are on their toes, the students snap to offer their friend a reminder that they believe in him or her. It wouldn't be appropriate to applaud in that instance; it would be too much of a reaction. But snaps can be both a means to give praise and also a way to demonstrate confidence in a stammering and stuttering friend, who may (for the moment) have lost all confidence in him or herself.
So this post has two real purposes: 1) to apologize to the members of the illustrious Jefferson Society for my many years of mocking, and 2) to elicit snaps on my own behalf. Why? Because I just got a new job! I am no longer the all-purpose-assistant-teacher who can be called in at any time to teach 8th grade math (or worse, my nightmare, sex ed!) Instead, I have been hired for next year as the 8th grade English teacher--totally a dream come true. It happened last week, and I already have stacks of books to read through and begin planning my curriculum. But at the same point I am terrified and wondering who in the world really thought I was equipped to do this--who called on me? And was I even raising my hand? (In this case, I definitely wasn't, since I didn't apply for this job, but they offered it to me anyways. I think they figure that I may not be the most qualified, but at least I haven't gone crazy in the five weeks I've been working there, and that's a start!) So I need snaps largely of the second variety--snaps of encouragement and confidence that I do not have in myself, but will need in 6 short weeks when a classroom of 8th grade students suddenly is relying on me to teach them how to read, write, and, most importantly, pass the MCAS.
(Also, any suggestions for books that absolutely must--or must not--be read in 8th grade would be welcome! I do not promise to take your suggestions, but I certainly will add it to my lovely summer reading list.)
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I dunno, I think I'd get extra self-conscious if I raised my hand and then all the other kids started snapping at me. But if it looks like it works, it works! This does not excuse the jefferson society.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your job! That sounds amazing! Wow... books books books... hmmm. You know, I hate to say it, but I didn't get into books until around 10th or 11th grade, so I don't remember being affected by much of anything in middle school. I know I was made to read Fahrenheit: 451, which was kinda interesting, but not something to which I've ever thought about returning.
Mostly on my own I read Star Wars and Magic: The Gathering novels at the time, which are pretty pulp, and also as far as my experience goes only boys enjoy them... oh! But what does your school think about Harry Potter? To be honest, I think that's a suitable book to read and even study for middle-schoolers.
There's a sci-fi trilogy of kid's novels called The Tripods...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Tripods_Came
...which I remember enjoying a lot. They're not caught up in their own universe like the Star Wars novels, and if they're anything like I recall them to be they're very accessible and written with the average kid in mind (the wikipedia article says Disney owns the rights - really the books aren't as mature as the subject matter might suggest). Anywho sci-fi is a lot of fun at that age! For boys maybe. Heh.
That book The Invention Of Hugo Cabret that Jed got me to buy would make an absolutely superb middle school read, methinks, and also lead to some good middle school discussion. The downside is that it's only hardcover and still new so it'd probably be expensive for the school to order a lot of them.
I read a beautiful little coming of age story in late high school called The Perks of Being A Wallflower, which I credit with opening me up to books for real. Although I look back on it as very simple and maybe a little too melodramatic, it's very easy for a kid to empathize with and feels specially written for young hearts on the edge of maturity. It might be just a tad complex for middle schoolers - like I said, I read it in late high school - I think it's worth a shot. Maybe you could read it and see what you think.
My first ever favorite book was The Saskiad, which is a book about a middle school girl, but she's a precocious one and her language and imagination might sometimes get away from the average middle school crowd. Also, at almost 400 pages, it's pretty long. But, it's fun and playful, with a lot more energy than your average required reading, so maybe that might be something worthwhile too?
Anyway! Sorry for trying to plan your curriculum! Maybe this shows just how excited I am for you!
Congratulations on the new job! It sounds like something you'd be absolutely perfect for. And congratulations for being the first one of us all to score a promotion - you did it before I even started my job! =)
ReplyDeleteI tried to think of good books for middle schoolers, but it's hard to rack my brains at 5:20AM! I think I must be jetlagged. However, I'd suggest throwing some short stories in your curriculum. They require shorter attention spans, tend to be more manageable to analyze/discuss without sacrificing complexity, and I think they often display very elegant and concise writing. I read loads of short stories in 9th grade and loved them!