Saturday’s Book: “Running with Scissors” by Augusten Burroughs

So, what’s up?
Naomi’s Photos

So how do you define crazy? I have a feeling that no matter how you tend to use the word “crazy” , it will apply to this memoir of growing up in a completely crazy environment.

The book is very well written  but I do not agree with any of the reviews that say it is funny. I felt shocked, upset and sad.

How can it be that a child could grow up, in the city, and not trigger a single red flag in the system?! Nobody noticed that his parents were dysfunctional (and yes, mentally ill) and that he basically moved from barely attending school to not at all? Not a single person took note that a psychiatrist was having some of his patients live at his home (calling it a dysfunctional home is an understatement) and “treating” several of the women patients undergoing crises in a motel bedroom?!

I find that incredibly sad.

I could never use such a book in my own classroom setting,  but I did imagine discussing one point that came up several times in the book: The author had what many teenagers would envy – absolute freedom. As a teenager no one ever told him what to do or when to do it, he could do anything he wanted (including tearing down a ceiling) and nobody cared. And that made him miserable. It made him feel trapped, going nowhere. That’s something I would be glad to have a few of my students ponder.

I understand there is a movie version but I’m not going to see it. The book is well written and I think the style of writing counts a lot in this memoir. Without it I suspect one is left only with craziness.

When Students use the “Fishbowl Response” – A Comment

The day after… Naomi’s Photos

On the last day of school I found myself, once again, visualising the first day of the next year school year. It’s the easiest day of the school year to visualise, unless you bother to count “the last day”, which I always spend stowing away supplies in the English Room.

It goes without saying that I see myself smiling and chatting with the students as they come in (or stop by) about how they spent their summer vacation.

However, there won’t be any formal lessons related in any way to the theme of “How I Spent My Summer Holidays”.

All because of “The Fishbowl Response”.

The what?!

You know, the response you get when you cheerfully inquire what a student did over the summer and he/she mumbles “Nothing” and turns quickly away.

So what does that response have to do with a fishbowl?!!

Alone…
Naomi’s Photos

The phrase “the fishbowl response” was inspired by a story Jamie Keddie told in one of his “Sunday Posts”, which I subscribe to. Keddie brilliantly combines visuals and storytelling – I love how a simple sign or an object becomes a thought-provoking story! In the post entitled “Are You a Fish in a Fishbowl?” Keddie tells us about a story from his own school days. In response to his teacher’s question (“What did you do at the weekend?”) he replied “nothing”.

She demanded to know if he was a fish in a fishbowl.

Oh!

My first reaction was a gut reaction.

I could never say that to a student, and I don’t think anyone should. Perhaps I’m particularly sensitive since I’m a Special Ed teacher, but children who reply with “nothing” are feeling vulnerable enough as it is, and are not likely to ponder metaphors and hidden meanings. In fact, they can easily feel insulted.

When you read the post you quickly see that Keddie’s point is that even  a fish in a fishbowl actually could have a story to tell. You don’t have to have had an exciting , eventful summer in order to have a story to tell. Your thoughts and experiences matter.

Let the story out!
Naomi’s Photos

So, considering that I agree wholeheartedly that every student, no matter how “boring” his/her summer vacation was, has something worthwhile to share, why do I refuse to plan a lesson on the topic?

Because it takes time, every single year, to create a safe classroom atmosphere – a class where everyone’s story is respected. Some teenagers, particularly in special ed classes, have pretty lonely summers. Not only do we need to teach students to respect someone else’s story, we need to teach students to recognize and respect their own stories.

That takes time.

One more thing, before you go:

Think about the “fish in the fishbowl”  for a minute longer. See how Jamie Keddie’s simple image becomes a focal point and helps get the message across?

Images matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday’s Book: “The Golden Legend” by Nadeem Aslam

Naomi’s Photos

What a remarkable book!

Riveting!

It’s the kind of book that makes me wish I were back in college, taking a literature class in which we were studying this book. I imagine “taking a magnifying glass” and taking a good look at how cleverly the author lets information drip in, not adding more information than you need at the moment, letting you sense things before they are affirmed and presenting horrific events with just enough detail to let you fill in the dots yourself, in the amount and manner that you can deal with.

In this legend, that takes place in Pakistan, there most certainly are extremely painful events. However the tale of current events is intertwined with a BOOK (which was once lost , once harmed, being stitched back together in different strokes) whose pages strive to alert the world to the many ways all known cultures in the world were influenced by each other and are connected. Education, books, learning about the other, accepting people’s differences (since no one is really that different) is the path to touching the legend. Extremism, ignorance, banning of books, thoughts and feelings hurts the people setting the bans too, not to mention those caught in the crossfire.

Think of “The Handmaids Tale” or “1984”.

Reading this book made me think of both of them, though in this one there is more hope, a bit easier to see what could be possible instead.

This is the kind of book that leaves an impression.

When Former Students Pop In or How Does a Teacher’s Memory Work?

What gets caught?
Naomi’s Photos

“We’ve walked both sides of every street
Through all kinds of windy weather;
But that was never our defeat
As long as we could walk together”.      “Crossroads”,  Don McLean

I met the most recent former student, who had popped in for a visit,  in the teacher’s room. Thankfully, she hadn’t come down to the English Room first.  It made me feel slightly less bad to know that the other two teachers, who had also chatted with the student warmly about what she’s been doing and what she plans to do, didn’t remember her name either.

The student graduated six years ago…

When we did figure out the student’s name, I was taken aback. That student and I had really “walked” together for three whole years through all kinds of “windy weather”! She was one of those hard of hearing students who had arrived in 10th grade hell-bent on proving that not only didn’t she know any English, it would be impossible to teach her any.  It took quite a while until she agreed to “take my hand” so we could “walk together” and brave the elements with a security net.

“Can you remember who I was?
Can you still feel it?”      “Crossroads”,  Don McLean

There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to what I remember (or don’t) about which former student. With some it’s their name, with other’s it’s a task they handed in or the way they behaved in some situation.  Some students I remember a great deal about and some I barely remember. That’s particularly embarrassing as I teach most of the students for three years and I spend a great deal of time thinking about them.  I’m at school five days a week, too. But it seems as if there’s a capacity limit  – each new class of students seems to erase memories of previous students.

You know I’ve heard about people like me
But I never made the connection.           “Crossroads”,  Don McLean

I’ve been teaching for 32 years now..

At least when I  meet students whom I taught more than 10 years ago I no longer feel embarrassed to ask them their name.

But six years?

Does your memory work in the same manner? How do you deal with it?

 

Saturday’s Book: “The House by the River” by Lena Manta

Not a river but it will do…
Naomi’s Photos

I really wanted to like this book, I truly did.

I have a soft spot for Greece, I’m interested in its recent history (as well as ancient history) and I know some wonderful people there. I am familiar with some of the places mentioned in the first part of the book (though have visited very few of them so far), such as Larissa, where I have a special friend.

I knew from the first moment (this isn’t actually a spoiler, its crystal clear) that the book has a clear message – the simple country home in the village is better than anything else and true happiness will only be found at home. I was prepared to treat it as a Greek fable and ignore the “schmaltz”.

My strategy worked well as long as the book was about the older generation and life during (and between!) the two world wars.

However, by the time I had finished reading about the eldest daughter’s experiences after she left home, I thought I would drown in “schmaltz”.

I have no patience for this. I moved on to a new book, which is riveting!

You’ll be hearing about it!