Pedagogy Forum week 2

I have a tendency to feel out of my league in class. So I of course do what most educators do when they feel out of their league the go to a college who they think know more on the subject. I spent some time last week (Monday to be exact) talking to my English Department head (Remember I teach Drama, so I have two department heads) about the nature of the sign inventory and what she thought of it. At first she just quipped "That sounds like a close reading to me" I shook my head and said, not really you need to look at this.

So I gave her what Dr. Davidson had presented to us a few nights before in the way of the sign inventory and she took it with her to 1st period. During my planning she met with me very chatty and eager about it, and she asked if I had any more of this. As is often the case when you go to someone for help in education they turn on you and ask you to bring them more of what you don't yet understand. The truth she owned up to was that "She had never done this." I found that surprising as she has her MFA in English and a good deal of experience.

Conversing more with Dr. Davidson he clarified the inventory:

"It is close reading, but it's more specific than that. When we say, "close read this text," we assume an entire array of specific tasks, the dexterity to implement a number of different tools. Those tools are what we try to offer."

These tools, which still baffle me somewhat were exactly what my Department head was looking for. She was excited enough to look up the poem, and mentioned that she would like to do this form in her AP classes. She has all the 12th grade AA literature courses. So I gave her the other after Tuesday and asked Chad if it was alright with him if I shared his inventories and maybe letting my department head look at his book. He graciously went a step further and invited me to look at and share with her some drafts of the new book he and Dr Fraser are presently working on. Thanks for that CD.

Additionally I am still grappling with the sign inventory myself and I made an argument via that encouraging chapter 8 first by assignment might have clarified our attempts at the sign inventory. I know I am not the only one who failed to get that out properly-smiles while writing. Dr Davidson is to clever for me though, his response follows:

"As for deploying chapter 8 earlier, I thought of that, and here's my response: I think it's beneficial for you all to get your hands dirty FIRST before reading that chapter. You're only saying that it helps now because you have had to try it first on your own. Now it makes sense; it reinforces those parts of your inventory that you did correctly, but it also reveals to you the pitfalls in others. If I required it up front, it may have shut down your own impulse to find the unlikely. At worst, it could also have intimidated. Poetry, especially to non-poets, can often be intimidating. I want to try and counter that whenever possible."

their is no argument for that, that is crafty teaching. I do that to my own students, withholding knowledge until a student is ready, asking the student to consider their own point of view. Being able to pose a question you have known the answer to for years and developing some sort of assignment from that question without breathing a word of your own insight is the mark of a good teacher. As nurses can make for the worst patients, so teachers can make for the most hypocritical and difficult students-Did I mention whiny.

I plan to go to my class tomorrow with a good question and no answers. I encourage you all to have the intestinal fortitude to do the same.

I hope to come to our class with some good ideas about this weeks poem. I hope to keep my mouth shut long enough to hear yours first.