Using the Force(s at Hand)

Classroom Philosophy

By: Stephen Garland

Photo courtesy of Goodreads.com

            In thinking about the problem of overteaching literature, I came to realize there’s a powerful educational tool that we tend to underteach and underutilize.  If you spend hours trolling for books in Borders like I do, then you have probably seen some the of the Pop Culture and Philosophy and Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture books.  Popular Culture, by nature, is readily accessible to our students.  These books cover tons of book, television, and film series (e.g. Harry Potter, Star Wars, House, 30 Rock) and give us ways to have literary circles about subjects with which they are already familiar.  Also, they’re simply compilations of several different essayists applying different philosophies to situations in the series (at some point, I’d like to discuss how to pluralize series when you’re discussing two different types of them…is it like moose?).  I’ll be the first to point out that not everyone is a Star Wars fan (even though I’ll never understand that fact).  Fortunately, there are enough options to be relevant to all of your students.

            Before this begins to sound like a commercial for these books, I want to point out that you really only need to read one to start thinking philosophically about popular culture.  Most of them overlap with theories.  For instance, I’ve read several and all of them have mentioned Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (a staple in our sophomore curriculum).  Also, if you find a specific book that you think most of the students could grasp, they could all read a specific essay from the book to discuss.  I would like to warn you that some of the essays are relatively dense, but others are great (Blackwell is the same company that makes the Dummies books, but I wouldn’t point that out to my students in order to preserve their precious psyches). 

Photo courtesy of Expressnightout.com

These books also have a great way of making the reader ask questions that the series and even the philosophy itself did not bring up.  For example, we can all agree that Dumbledore is a pretty altruistic character (despite his running around with Grindlewald as a youth).  His self-sacrifice in Half-Blood Prince is both devastating and noble.  However, he pleads for Snape to kill him.  Stay with me here.  If Dumbledore knew he was in control of the Elder wand, then he would know that eventually Voldemort would have to kill whoever kills him.  Therefore, by asking Snape to kill him (saving Draco from losing his last hope for innocence), Dumbledore ensured that Voldemort would kill Snape.  Deathly Hallows certainly addresses some of Dumbledore’s faults, but this is one that gets neglected.

A less deep issue that The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy brings up is Sirius and his dog alter-ego.  If Sirius is still a person while he’s a dog (going so far as to put his paws on Harry’s shoulders and look earnestly into his eyes to say goodbye as Harry gets on the train for Hogwarts), why does he also chase his tail at times?  I don’t want this to seem like I’m suggesting we talk about literature less and pop culture more.  Some students believe that they don’t have the ability to think about the books they’re reading on deeper levels.  Perhaps having discussions like these before beginning a book unit (or at the beginning of the year) will open them up to deeper thinking.  They will see that it is both possible and interesting to contribute to Socratic Circles.

Also, can you imagine having Star Wars as part of your sub plans?

New Hiring Process for Substitutes

Moving up from So. IL and a little to the Northeast....

I came across an article today in the Champaign News-Gazette (yes, the actual paper version; newspapers aren't totally dead quite yet) that I thought many fellow and upcoming English Ed. graduates might be interested in.

Basically, the article states that the Champaign school district will hold recruitment fairs to conduct interviews for their substitute teachers so as to hire subs that are the best possible fit for the district, because substitutes are "extension(s) of the teacher while the teacher is absent that day." It also talks about how the state has changed the way subs are authorized to work in schools, which I didn't think was that new (background checks are conducted through the Regional Office of Education in which the sub intends to work, rather than the district).

Champaign is a larger district and can afford to be more selective than other smaller districts, IMO. I have subbed for several smaller schools and at one point I was one of only two or three subs available on a regular basis. On the one hand, it stinks that recent education graduates have one more obstacle to overcome before getting some kind of work related to their field of study. On the other hand, it may give those with degrees in education higher priority, because theoretically, their educational backgrounds would give them an advantage over other candidates with only a bachelor's degree. Also, once hired, perhaps a pool of fewer substitutes would allow those individuals to receive more phone calls on a regular basis. One of the biggest drawbacks of subbing, I think, is the irregularity of the work. Some weeks are busy, and some weeks pass without a phone call.

I have worked with excellent substitutes and some who are just passing time, both within my "professional development" as well as during my high school career. I'm curious to know what everyone else thinks. So, what say you??

Emergency Sub Plans

While I should probably be working on the big picture (that is, developing a full English LA curriculum), it's nice to have a small victory every once in a while. My latest mini-project: The Emergency Sub Plan Folder. Something I can legitimately blog about.

I highly recommend having one. At the very least, a seating chart or class list looks great in a sub folder. This probably isn't the smartest thing to announce to a room full of mischievious eighth graders, but in the past I've had to say: "I don't have a class list. Can anyone tell me who is not here today?" Yeah. The ultimate recipe for disaster.

As I develop a folder for my own classroom, I have come across a couple of good resources. Glencoe has a substitue folder checklist in PDF form, as well as forms you can personalize that include emergency procedures and other related information. The NEA has a short article on their web site about pertinent information for substitute folders as well. Be sure to check out their link, S.O.S.--Save Our Substitutes. Mostly because the title cracks me up, but also because it gives more information about what to include in the handy sub folder.

I have been in situations in which I have had no information (the aforementioned lack of a class list). Alternately, I have been in situations in which there is a humongous binder on the teacher's desk marked "substitute" that measures one inch thick. The first example is frustrating and the second is completely overwhelming. The best folders contain the necessary information while also being short, sweet, and to the point.

This mumble jumble probably sounds like a lot of common sense, and it mostly is. However, if I had never been a sub myself, I probably would have a relatively minimal idea of what to include in such a folder. And I probably wouldn't be thinking about sub folders at this very moment (Just in case you were wondering why I might devote an entire post to the subject).

With or without a sub folder, substitute teaching does have its advantages: if you have a less than great day (the students invent new ways to break rules, reach new decibels, and send you home with a migraine, for example), you can go home knowing that you probably won't have the same class again for awhile. Or, on the contrary, you might get a phone call asking for your services for the rest of the week. ;-)