I love Shakespeare, and my master teacher cried. All in one day!

What a manic profession this is! Someone had mentioned this in the program and now I agree.

I originally stated that I hate Shakespeare. Shame on me. That is not the case. I think that comes from my high school experience and university deconstruction of Shakespeare.

THis week we are studying MND Act 2, sc.1 and it is so beautiful that I really don't know how to teach it. I know how to teach it in the sense that I can teach the "meaning": and I can create discussions, but how do you elicit a visceral response to beautiful language?? I am referring to the lines from Titania, where she and Oberon are bickering about the little boy, and she describes the woman who gave birth to the child, stating, "...when we have laughed to see the sails conceive and grow big bellied with the wanton wind, which she, with pretty and swimming gait, following (her womb then rich with my young squire), would imitate and sail upon the land to fetch me trifles and return again, as from a voyage, rich with merchandise. But she, being mortal, of that boy did die, and for her sake do I rear up her boy, and for her sake I will not part with him."

Whew. really, how the hell do we teach that? How can we expect ninth graders to appreciate this without ruining the magic of those lines? It would be like telling my daughter that there is no Santa, that mommy and daddy order all the toys from online and when they break, it breaks our pockets, not santas. Or I can just tell them a bunch of things to make them cynics. Is it just me, maybe it's because I am a mom, but I don't think you need to be a mom or even an adult for that matter to be able to comprehend the gorgeousness of those lines. Frankly, i am uncomfortable teaching this to the ninth graders because I will probably ruin it. Really, can't they just read it an hopefully two of the students will be moved? Frankly, I don't even know if I can read these lines without my voice cracking or my eyes welling up. On the other hand, if I don't ask them to pay attention to the images and language, I am not introducing them to the beauty of Shakespeare.

Which leads me to the second part of this post. Is it march madness or what?

My other master teacher met with me today. She gave me a decent erod, etc. That's nice and all and she went over a couple things like "I scaffold too much" and "students at this school should have lots of lectures" etc. Ok, whatever. Then she started to cry! She told me that she found out that i had discussed a conversation between the two of us (actually, when she told me some very offensive things) and she had found out that i had mentioned this to my dept. chair. My chair was so sorry to place me with such a crazy person who has had student teachers quit left and right when they worked with her, etc etc that I am fortunate I didn't tell my master teacher that I actually chose to STAY with her because I feel so sorry for her!!!! I AM SUCH AN IDIOT.

Anyway, I explained to her that I am accountable to my program and the practices that I must address in this program and that was that. I didn't feel bad, I didn't typically apologize and be passive, as I usually am. I stood my ground.

Frankly, I don't think those tears were even sincere. She is a very manipulative person and I am fed up. For once I was assertive and I am happy about it.

Now I am waiting for my karma. I could have kept my mouth to myself and not shared her comments with the dept. chair, but in the end, that would have hurt me.