This morning at 6:45 I was at my desk working on one of my presentations, and Ibrahim walked into the classroom. He was at school for an extra session of Biology class, and happily discussed his hopes to start up a student dance troupe (he wanted to borrow my speakers).
In class, Ibrahim made great contributions, but also kept talking. I have been adamant about my no talking rules this week, and so I gave him a warning, then sent him to the back of the room to the time out desk. When I invited him back, he kept talking, and there was a student role play going on, so I didn't want to interrupt it. From where I was standing I had a clear shot, and I threw my white board marker at him. It sailed right in front of his face (indeed, I was astonished at how perfect my aim was. Beginner's luck.) and it took him several moments to figure out where it had come from. He looked finally at me. "Did you throw that?" he mouthed. I nodded. I'm not sure what expression I had on my face. I hope it was a "Yeah, do you see now how exasperating your talking is?" but it was probably more along the lines of "I know! I can't believe it either! What am I thinking?" Anas and Nadia were aware of what had happened and thought it hilarious. So launching an item is probably, when all is said and done, just as disruptive as sending Ibrahim to the back. OK, lesson learned.
The role play that the class was doing was inspired by Monday's horrendous chapel, which featured an episode of Dr. Phil on Sexting, the practice of adolescents sending provocative photos of themselves and others to one another. While I was offended by the exercise in chapel, I couldn't help think of it and its high drama tactics as I read Raisin in the Sun this week. We're looking at a scene in which the matriarch has bought a house for the family. Great, except for that both her children wanted to use the money she spent for their own endeavours, and feel betrayed. On top of that, she bought the house in a white neighbourhood. The family drama unfolds, and today in class we welcomed the Younger family from Chicago's South Side onto Dr. Phil.
It was awesome. The students got not prompting questions, but the interviews unfolded beautifully between host and family members, with Arab attempts at black accents all over the place, and some impressive references to the text, especially from Reem. Amr was the first Dr. Phil, and in true Phil fashion wrapped up the session by offering some patronising advice: Well, (in an exaggerated southern accent) I think y'all should just become white." It was the kind of intuitive, "right-on" comment which spoke to some of the unacknowledged desires of the characters, and which would likely not have come out in discussion or in writing. I love role play.
Here is Amr as Dr. Phil, Yasmin as Walter, Ramzi as Mama and Tareq as Ruth. Photos courtesy of Bisan.
In class, Ibrahim made great contributions, but also kept talking. I have been adamant about my no talking rules this week, and so I gave him a warning, then sent him to the back of the room to the time out desk. When I invited him back, he kept talking, and there was a student role play going on, so I didn't want to interrupt it. From where I was standing I had a clear shot, and I threw my white board marker at him. It sailed right in front of his face (indeed, I was astonished at how perfect my aim was. Beginner's luck.) and it took him several moments to figure out where it had come from. He looked finally at me. "Did you throw that?" he mouthed. I nodded. I'm not sure what expression I had on my face. I hope it was a "Yeah, do you see now how exasperating your talking is?" but it was probably more along the lines of "I know! I can't believe it either! What am I thinking?" Anas and Nadia were aware of what had happened and thought it hilarious. So launching an item is probably, when all is said and done, just as disruptive as sending Ibrahim to the back. OK, lesson learned.
The role play that the class was doing was inspired by Monday's horrendous chapel, which featured an episode of Dr. Phil on Sexting, the practice of adolescents sending provocative photos of themselves and others to one another. While I was offended by the exercise in chapel, I couldn't help think of it and its high drama tactics as I read Raisin in the Sun this week. We're looking at a scene in which the matriarch has bought a house for the family. Great, except for that both her children wanted to use the money she spent for their own endeavours, and feel betrayed. On top of that, she bought the house in a white neighbourhood. The family drama unfolds, and today in class we welcomed the Younger family from Chicago's South Side onto Dr. Phil.
It was awesome. The students got not prompting questions, but the interviews unfolded beautifully between host and family members, with Arab attempts at black accents all over the place, and some impressive references to the text, especially from Reem. Amr was the first Dr. Phil, and in true Phil fashion wrapped up the session by offering some patronising advice: Well, (in an exaggerated southern accent) I think y'all should just become white." It was the kind of intuitive, "right-on" comment which spoke to some of the unacknowledged desires of the characters, and which would likely not have come out in discussion or in writing. I love role play.
Here is Amr as Dr. Phil, Yasmin as Walter, Ramzi as Mama and Tareq as Ruth. Photos courtesy of Bisan.
Note how Tareq's legs are crossed like all female talk show guests' legs are crossed.
It was a fascinating day elsewhere too. In the 11th grade there was a Paper 1 practice. Paper 1 involves writing an analysis of a never-before-seen text.
Earlier this week I had no idea what text I was going to use. The exam usually uses short articles, essays or diary entries. Then on Tuesday morning this article appeared on Al Jazeera:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/denmark-advert-lebanon-newspapers-warns-refugees-150907225146384.html
The Danish Ministry of Immigration published an advertisement in Lebanese newspapers alerting readers (refugees) to its newly hostile policies toward refugees. Spread the word! Denmark is not the place to turn your boat! So I decided that document would be our Paper 1 text. Thus the flurry of refugee texts and discussion yesterday. I look forward to reading their papers.
A last word on Formative Assessment. I tried to cram too much content into the Lang and Lit HL class today. We looked at a scene from Raisin and compared it with a piece of writing by Booker T Washington. By the end of class I wanted them to be able to write a letter from Walter (who dreams of the life of a wealthy American businessman) to Booker T Washington (who promoted common labour work for blacks, concerned that aiming too high would set them back) or vice versa. I laughed reading the letters this evening, to see who got any shred of the idea of the class, and who was repeating random phrases that I or other classmates had offered.
Having the students write quick letters at the end of class turns out to be great formative assessment! Here are a few of the responses:
Dear Booker T,
I think your thoughts are completely right, people should always stick to their labor roots so our history would not be forgotten. However I believe we should dream and work to get to a higher place in society, to become like the white people and maybe even higher. We shouldn't put ourselves subjective to what the whites want us to be and what we want to stick to. I think we should work and evolve and hopefully become better.
Dear Booker T,
I hear you like people to go in labor and doing something you love is better than the school education. Let me tell you that going to school allows you to get more money and less physical work in the future. While labor gives money but it does not give a person enough to support his family. The more money you get through school education allows you to have extra and spoil the ones you love.
Dear Walter,
I have looked into your dreams, and I think our dreams are similar. Just use what you have and succeed and don't depend on anyone else.
Dear Mr. Booker T
I think your ideas about education and how should it be, or what is important is so shallow and wrong, I think you should be more smart and open-minded.
Thank you.
Dear Booker T Washington,
I think you should be concerned about money more so you life could be better.
PS: I don't believe in what I wrote.
OK, really the last thing is a photo of Anas's homework from this week. I made another mistake and asked analysis questions without giving nearly enough space on the page for a sufficient response. Anas wrote all over his in his tiny but legible writing, and said "Sorry miss" in the upper right hand corner.
How unorthodox!!! ; )
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