Depth...

Whew!  The marathon that has been Romeo and Juliet will come to a close this week.  As a teacher (and student) during this unit, I feel like a world class runner at the end of the New York City Marathon.  I am exhilarated, anxious, and above all...I have the beginnings of lactic acid buildup...I'm tired, but I'm pushing through to that glorious end.

For the better part of two months (minus an uncanny amount of snow days and/or snow delays, schedule mishaps, and interim breaks), the boys and I have dissected, performed, etched, and discussed all aspects of the play Romeo and Juliet.  They've been engaged most of  the time and their motivation to push through the grammar, the "funny sounding" English, and conversations about love has been heightened by producing documentaries, mocking Cupid (just in time for Valentine's Day), and continuously adding to an ever-growing list of Shakespeare's use of innuendo.  Go figure...boys!

This time around, I am pleased with the depths my students and I were able to reach with this play.  From character sketches and eavesdropping on lunch time conversations that start with "Give my long sword, ho!"  many of my boys have found ways (jokingly or not) to incorporate Shakespeare's lexicon into their everyday lives.  They've given Hallmark some competition when it comes to one liners about love (and yes, many were mature, endearing, and even prophetic).  I didn't mean to "beat them over the head" with the Bard, but  I've found that this year, in particular, paying attention to the cues of my students, as well as my own lethargy, has been vital to keeping the "spark" alive during this unit.  Momentum, engagement and relevancy all play a vital role in implementing the day-to-day aspects of this unit. 

I've never been in the business of "getting through."  This unit reminds me that meaning making often requires sustained and in-depth time with a particular text. Teetering on the lines of "not enough" "just right" and "too much" can be acrobatic at times, but definitely worth it...especially for the circus I'm a part of   :)

Signing off...

"My Only Love Sprung from My Only Hate..."

In the midst of Romeo and Juliet...and they like it!

I'm pleased with their willingness to "endure" the language and see that Mr. Shakespeare actually has few thoughts about infatuation and love that can actually apply to the 21st century.  It is quite endearing to hear the boys "chit chat" about their understandings and even joke around with each other using Elizabethan English.  It's been fun.  Particularly interesting, however, is the poor reception Laz Buhrman's cinematic version of the play has had.  Overall, the boys think "it's doing too much."  They like the modernity and the visuals, but in terms of effectiveness, it's been a mixed bag.

Either way I'm enjoying the discovery process with them.

** WLU Proposal ACCEPTED!!**

Beam me up Scotty!