We’re finally done with “Macbeth” in my 10th grade classes. Students will be taking their midterms soon, so in preparation for them, and to give them a break from regular studying, we’ve been watching different “Macbeth” films. Here’s what I ended up showing, along with my takes on each. And seriously, if you haven’t watched …
Continue reading Final Thoughts on Teaching “Macbeth”: The Films
Some more notes on teaching “Macbeth”: First, don’t worry—my next post won’t be about this play. And second, though Shakespeare and his language are often seen as “high and mighty,” in so many ways “Macbeth” can shatter this illusion for inexperienced students. I’d say that’s for better, because I’m in favor of making all literature …
Continue reading Explain the Porter Monologue in “Macbeth” or Just Skip Over It?
I recently checked to see if my students were doing their “Macbeth” reading. The task was pretty simple—describe Lady Macbeth in just one word (a task which shouldn’t be too hard after reading two acts, considering how strong a character Lady Macbeth is). Some answers that I received: Angry Motivated Sinister Evil Malicious (that was …
With finals going currently, here are some thoughts on novels, stories, and plays I used in my classroom over the last school year. It’s always interesting to experience something as a student and then as a teacher. Take Heart of Darkness: the dialogue is richer than what I remember from high school, and the novel is …
Continue reading The Great, the Good, and the OK: Texts I Taught This Year
Leah gave me a skull for Valentine’s Day. To be clear, Leah isn’t strange for giving it to me, and in fact, I don’t think I’m strange for wanting it. Earlier the skull caught my eye because I’m an English teacher and soon I’ll be teaching “Hamlet.” This is the play where Hamlet picks up …
Continue reading In Brief: Alas, Poor Yorick! (Valentine’s Present)
Over the weekend Leah and I attended a Shakespeare Party. It was a lot of fun and yes, I hear you groaning, and yes, this is what English teachers do. We didn’t sit around and read Shakespeare, but we did wear name tags with Shakespeare quotes on them, ate food from a Shakespearean cookbook, and …
BATCH & NARRATIVE 