Being a human, I have preferences, ideals, unique ideas, and beliefs which make me who I am. Because every human is unique and special, we all have certain categories which we fit into, which others can use to describe us to people who do not know us that well in order for him or her to mentally recognize us. For instance, I could say to one of Mr. Fanning's students, "Oh, you know Mr. McCarthy! He's the best, coolest soccer player/English teacher ever! " (Which I would record on tape and bring to Mr. McCarthy for extra credit).....Because of these preferences, everyone ends up being good at a certain array of things, or subjects. Therefore, what I personally believe could be changed, or not changed, as far as our American Literature classroom activities and atmosphere go, could, and most likely will be different than those which someone else thinks.
Personally, I believe our classroom activities and atmosphere are nearly perfect the way they are. I love how every person can speak his or her mind and need not be afraid of being "shunned" based on his or her opinions. I love our discussions and our time debating about anything ranging from Nikes to child labor laws. We are free to be ourselves. One thing I really enjoy in this particular class is the daily journal. It helps me loosen up and get in my "literature zone" every time. Also, because Mr. McCarthy reads each and every one, I feel like we are able to establish a new level of connection with our teacher.
Alternatively, one thing that I think could be improved on in our American Literature class is something contributing to discussion. I believe it would be fun if every night, one new person would be ULTRA-NINJA on the reading and know it completely inside and out, prepare discussion questions for the next day, and become the moderator of discussion in class the next day. This would remove the shyness from people as well as help them present something they know to their peers. I believe it would help us come together even more as a class.
Well, that's it! Other than that, our class is pretty much perfect! (Mr. McCarthy, more extra credit, please?). It is the format and type of class I would like to be emulated by every other teacher in the school. It helps me think on my feet and learn in new ways, and ultimately, it allows me to be myself inside of the classroom.
:) i like this blog. but seriously, do you think mr. mccarthy reads every single one of our blogs (mr. mccarthy, if you're actually reading this, i don't mean it as a diss or nasty comment, just a question - that's a lot of blogs to read!)? and, just asking as a general question, do you think most of the class would agree or disagree with your ninja plan? it seems like kinda a lot of work (not necessarily a bad thing, but just an observation).
ReplyDeletegreat blog :D