An Out from Down in the Dumps - Art as Weapon

"The first condition for the liberation of mind is the liberation of man...." Andre Breton figured it out. As an individual in society, one not only contends with who he or she is as a person, but to compound the issue of finding one's place in the world is the idea of being encumbered with the responsibilities of mundanity (at this moment, I have ten research papers in my car that I still have not graded, but I'd rather talk about my liberation from the papers to discuss art). Ahem. My witty repertoire aside, the idea of freeing man to expand one's mind is seminal in understanding what makes for a satisfied humanity.

So, clearly, one has to determine what is the cause for the feeling of satiety in her own life; I think we get glimpses of it in who we are as people, and also, the things that we are exposed to as we develop into the "irreducible self" (thank you, Mr. James Joyce) we inevitably become. However, I think exposure to art, and the arts in general, help us in discovering the divine within ourselves. Quirt, a Surrealist artist, argued that, "...we all have essentially the same fantasy life ... and [the artist should learn to] release his own fantasies ...." in order to evoke something from humanity. Maybe one can argue that part of this same fantasy we all share is the desire for beauty, in any way one thinks of it, in order to remind us that there is something divine within us inherently. Even if it gets mired down in the "everydays" of life, we always see, read, or experience something that breaks through the stupor of life's heavy burdens. And even if we don't literally shout for joy, we can feel that joy surge. And that is the purpose of art. If life beats us, and can at times make us downtrodden, then art as a weapon makes sense. The troubles of life could use a cudgel from life's beauties every once in a while.

Sometimes, in It Sinks.

Well, the countdown has begun - for both the students, and the teachers. With less than a month of school left, war weary from the battles and victories in the classroom, both I, myself, as the teacher, and my students that I teach, have settled into an understanding of each other; it's quite lovely to watch their interaction with me, but even more special is their interactions with each other, and how their dialogue has been influenced by how I talk to my students. Yes, along with their learning, learning how to be decent to each other, sinks in, too.
I've seen a few examples of this decency, and it is touching, whether the humanity seen within the classroom is directed toward another student or me. One example that was especially poignant happened only but a week ago. There was a student in the room who was sporting a redhanded look based on something that happened. It was an awkward moment within the classroom, and I wondered how it was going to play out the following day because it involved another student who was affected by the behavior. Well, as Scarlett intimated, "tomorrow is another day," and sure enough, the sun rose on it. Class had begun, and all the players arrived. Before the second bell had rung the clarion call of the start of class, the one student asked to speak privately--outside of the class--to the student affected by his behavior, and I was so impressed by his manly behavior of addressing the issue. Both students returned a few moments later, and as the students like to say, it was "squashed." No theatrics, no posturings of violence, it was just settled as two, young men worked it out with each other. I was so proud to see it, as when I am addressing an issue with a student, I will always take him or her outside to the hallway, so that it does not become the showdown at the O.K. Corral in Scottsdale.
At the start of this school year when I did this, I do not think it was clear to the students as to why I chose to speak to them outside. They saw it more as an embarrassment because they felt themselves being singled out. I find, though, that when I speak to them calmly, and explain my reasoning, it not only rubs off on them, but sinks into them, too. Too see them, then, internalize this behavior, and model it themselves is a great accomplishment.
Frequently, in the classroom, I see the happenings within it as a series of "washes." One has good days, bad days, and everything in between those two points. What was a complete loss one day when dealing with a student, can turn into a victory the next by discipline, or by further communication. Again - the idea of "washes." However, when I see a student show decency based on something he or she sees in class, it is not just a victory, but a victory of both the battle and the war. As a society that's become desensitized to violence, to brash words that show a lack of dignity, and to too familiar language that would make anyone blush, it is validating to see young students practice the art of a kind humanity.
Even more beautiful is seeing a student practice kindness because of love for one another. On the very same day the sun rose on the two students settling the issue, a good friend of the student who could be seen as the transgressor, expressed his solidarity to him by going up to him, putting his arm around him, and having a good talk with him while in a half-embrace of support. And that is when, as a teacher, I am reminded of the inherent goodness of each of my kids. At that moment, in it really sinks.

"'[A]y, there's the rub'" (Hamlet).

"Compared to all the forces tearing apart the larger world, the destruction of American education may seem a minor matter. But it looms large in my small world and, I think, in yours" (Yatvin 363). And if this statement, quoted from Joanne Yatvin's speech in Research in the Teaching of English, from an address she delivered at a NCTE convention does not move you, perhaps it will after considering the following discussion.

The speech from Yatvin delineates the breakdown of the American educational system, and how it seems to have become an issue similar to the magnificent elephant that is in the living room that no one is brave enough to acknowledge.

As I drive past schools within Phoenix, I am always taken aback, as I see big, lurid banners professing the labeled school as "excelling." For those not in the know, there are now labels the government has put in place to make schools accountable (sadly enough, the latest trend in education is to put all the accountability on the school and teachers within it; however, accountability on the students themselves, seems to be lacking). Ranging from "failing" to "excelling," it always reminds me of the exploitation of our educational system, which is being swept up by initiatives that do no work, and a "selling out" in the most promiscuous of ways: let's not be concerned with the fact that this craze to "making the grade" has less to do with actually ensuring the educational system is serving our kids, and more to do with a quick "bandaid" on the eyesore that is really festering. And the eyesore, as I see it, is that the schooling system within America has fallen mercy to political correctness, and a spinelessness brought about by educational notions that say the system needs to be "sensitive" to the kids in order to avoid "damage" to their esteem. Combine this with an enervation of a disciplinary structure that disciplines unwieldy students, and one can most assuredly smell that something is fishy in the state of Denmark.

And, obviously, this weakening of our educational system does not stop at making kids accountable for their behavior. Of course not. It insidiously sweeps into their learning, and the teachers' pedagogies. If you are a teacher, throw away any confidence or training that you have been taught, because the government has superceded anything you might know as valid for a program that is sure to fail. Yatvin elaborates, as she realistically explains the issues of the initiative, "No Child Left Behind:" "Underlying the creation of NCLB is a profound mistrust of schools and teachers, concealed by the term 'accountability" (368). This mistrust has completely taken the teacher out of the learning equation. And because of this, teachers, and therefore, students, fail to see the importance of tests that do not connect with any of the learning that is, indeed, going on in the classrooms across the nation.

All of this is a hard, educational pill to swallow. As a teacher, it is hard to accept the degeneration of a schooling system which is supposed to engender a love of learning and knowledge. As more teachers leave the profession of teaching en masse due to these very reasons, I leave you with a poignant statement espoused by Yatvin: "Our students, our colleagues, our knowledge, our ideals, our profession; these are our loves. Be true to them all" (372).

While Reading "Macbeth," "Screw your courage to the sticking-place, and [you'll] not fail."

One of the most quoted and seminal poets of our time is Shakespeare, a man who is solely responsible for infusing today's language with 1,600 phrases, and is the only known man in literature who has an Elvis Presley reputation: the King has his name, and Shakespeare has his - the Bard. Why, then, does a man who has such an infinite knowing of the human psyche instill fear and dread in his readers? If you are a high school student, or if you remember your high school days, reading Shakespeare was about as fun as getting a root canal, although, in most cases, sadly, the root canal would be preferred. For the sage that said in "Macbeth," "'Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep ...'" (531), it would probably come as a surprise to him that many students think he, himself, has murdered any fun in the high school canon. Students just think that Shakespeare is b8%$ng (I can't bring myself to type out the accursed word). Why are students so circumspect in digging into Shakespeare like anyone of his gravediggers that besprinkle his plays? His words are the things that make reading him in high school have such a sting.
Yes, many would be surprised to find out that as archaic and intimidating as Shakespeare's words may sound, they are still considered modern language. I'll wait for the suprised gasps to end ... that is right. If you were to follow the timeline of the English language (God bless it!), you'd find that old English doesn't even look like anything that resembles what we know of today as English. Considering this, it is easy to put in perspective that as foreign as it may sound to some ears--especially ears of the high school kind--that Shakespeare's language is, indeed, modern English. But the sting also comes not just from the words, but from the fallacious thinking that Shakespearean plays are just not that interesting. The human spirit is a mystery, and the high school spirit is even more confounding.
Being a high school teacher in the depths of "Macbeth" with my students, I've had a chance to probe them about why they are so reluctant to appreciate the play, and they are hard-pressed to come up with any redeeming qualities about the work itself. However, they also do not see the connection between the universal ideas that Shakespeare espoused, and the very same ideas that they find in contemporary movies and books of today. They would rather read The Outsiders. And granted this book does have some great plot, students fail to realize that the plots are even juicier and more titillating in "Macbeth," and other plays as well. So, as a parent who might be frustrated with the lack of enthusiasm your child has of his schooling, what suggestions can be offered to you?
Some of the suggestions I have are to be a bit as devious as the villainous Macbeth. Even though I've found the kids proclaiming their boredom from here to Verona--where we lay our mutinous scene--a little encouragement and accountability on their parts go a long way. In school, my success has been in getting the kids to do the thinking in cooperative groups, and then make a game out of their answers. I randomly assign numbers, and when the number is called, the person assigned those numbers stands up, and talks about the answers the group came up with in their assignments. Because it's an arbitrary assigning, the pressure is alleviated, and the encouragement from the teacher puts them in a productive, and most importantly, open state of mind so that they can appreciate what they used to denounce.
If students regularly get those assignments that put them in the thinking "hot seat," and if it is done in a way that encourages a friendly learning environment, they wouldn't be so "brainsickly" in nature to Shakespeare's genius. It would do Lady Macbeth proud.

An SAT Sitdown

Picture a high school student methodically going over the answers in her head to this Sphynx like question: Because our supply of fossil fuel has been sadly ___, we must find ____ sources of energy. The possible answers are: a. stored...hoarded, b. compensated...significant, c. exhausted...inefficient, d. increased...available, and e. depleted...alternative. If this question raises the stress in your system, just imagine what it does to the high school student whose vocabulary isn't up to snuff, and whose world is increasingly more complicated by the high stakes world of college admissions. Based on GPA (grade point average), a student's writing skills, and the scores she can earn on questions like this found on the SAT college entrance test, getting into the right competitive college can seem more elusive as the educational buzzer rings its ominous bells.

The SAT, one of the more prominent college entrance exams a student must take in order to get into a choice university, is a test that is challenging and multi-faceted in its testing approach. Not only must one have an extensive knowledge in vocabulary, a high comprehension in reading selections, a vast understanding of the "ins" and "outs" of grammar, and a deft skill of writing, but today's high school imminently graduating senior must also know the "how to's" of how the test "thinks," and have a mastery of identifying the "traps" the test sets out to its gullible test takers. The SAT is not for the weak of heart; however, be stout-hearted. If a student--and her parent--properly gird themselves with the proper tutelage, and an awareness of what it takes, getting the appropriate scores on the SAT will be a conquerable goal, with the ultimate conquest: the multitude of acceptance letters from the select colleges of choice.

First, students and parents must realize that the SAT is an "academic's" test. The English portion of the test is the largest portion, and it consists of an essay writing section, reading comprehension sections that vary in length, sections that require knowledge in grammar and sentence syntax, and lastly a working vocabulary that is well into the post-graduate level. Not only must students be able to confidently answer all questions regarding content, but they must also know, that, similar to Darwin's theory of the "Survival of the Fittest," the SAT put tricks and traps in its test to weed out the unsuspecting and unprepared student. The use of negative words that students are not looking for encourage the student to pick the wrong answer because she is not expecting the "switch" in idea. There are various sentences in which the ideas of the sentence are subtly changed, so that the student is not aware of the shift in thought. Students not cognizant of the different structures of ideas will unwittingly choose an answer that shows a causal relationship, rather than picking the right answer that shows a structure of comparison. Finally, another, but certainly not last, hurdle a student must overcome is realizing that vocabulary words put in the test will expect the student to answer knowing the word's secondary meaning, rather than the common one used in everyday vernacular.

Furthermore, students and parents must realize that tackling the SAT is a reasonable goal, as long as they also realize that they need a "plan of attack." Getting a tutor, taking a class, making a schedule in which a student can study and practice, and continually adding to the student's knowledge of the different aspects the student will be tested on are all things, that if used consistently, will help earn the student a desirable score on the SAT. Doing all these things will deplete the source of test anxiety, and leave the student with the only alternative possible: success (the italicized words indicate the right choice for the multiple choice question).

A Poetic Bookkeeper?

“Wanted: A Poetic Bookkeeper Who Can Be an Inspirational Muse and Balance My Checkbook”

Nathaniel Hawthorne, American, Romantic writer extraordinaire, astutely noted that, “No man can be a poet and a bookkeeper at the same time,” and today, as I struggle with balancing responsibilities for career and home, while still maintaining a rich
enough personal life to combat my own personal ennui, it resonates especially. Writers such as Hawthorne, Gertrude Stein, and others have continually strived to satisfy the inner conflict of being true to their artistic genius, while still paying tribute to the gods of the mundane; paying bills, feeding and housing children, and taking care of the responsibilities of everyday life must be addressed, paying no matter to whether these actions can or do inspire enlightenment or personal satisfaction. It might not be a dirty job, but everyone has to do it.
So, the question does beg to be answered: how does a person who has a mammoth load of responsibility to everyday life still keep a semblance of a life that gives personal happiness in order to be able to keep up with the everyday with an awareness of vision that keeps in sight the pleasures that let us “take care of business” with aplomb? A possible answer might be to go into a “survival” mode, where only the basic necessities of things are taken care of, and others fall to the wayside as one finds time to enjoy the simple and beautiful things in life. This might only provide a fleeting satisfaction, as the dirty dishes on the counter pile higher, and the living of a “Bohemian” lifestyle includes visions of people living in boxes, but reading to their hearts’ content. A heart’s content should always make room for the arts and for paying mortgage payments.
This, however, is easier said than done for people like me who value doing a job well done because the same fire for otium—time spent in leisure to pursue one’s interests and happiness—is the same fire that ensures lessons for school are done, that bills are paid promptly, and that the house is vacuumed well enough to not have guests gossip about the upkeep of the house once they leave it.
Maybe all a person can hope for is an uneasy balance between the seeking of pleasures and the keeping of regular responsibilities. That there might be a new term created by the person herself who lets work responsibilities dominate one weekend, while another weekend is dominated by the museum, or by books who speak of a beloved writer or artist. That part of this uneasy balance is an acknowledgement to the fact that the marrying of these two things will never run smoothly. But the course of poets and bookkeepers never do.

It's the Little Things, Grammatically Speaking

The teacher struggle within me starts making itself known, as one of my freshman girls talks excitedly about any of the many things freshman girls get excited about to the point where their voices are raised to a preternatural pitch that even dogs cannot hear. As she giggles endearingly, she ends her conversation with "anyways." I can no longer keep my red-inked tongue from staying its course: "K..., 'anyways' is not a word; however 'anyway' is." She takes it in stride, and now, anytime she says "anyway," she says it loudly enough to catch my attention, with a sly and knowing look on her face. It's become an inside joke with her and her friends, and not least importantly, me. One small step for K, and one giant step for helping save the English language, one student at a time.

Being a teacher in today's changing climate of education, where one must always take into account the political movements sweeping the region of the country in which one lives, is a tricky business, indeed. Issues of immigration, political sensitivity, educational institutions moving towards an insidious notion of a "customer service" industry rather than an educational industry, and educational and political leaders not acknowledging the tough issue of discipline within the school system are all issues that impact the teacher in the "trenches." And it is that reason why teachers are trying persistently to instill a love, knowledge, and respect for the content they teach to their students. It becomes ever more sacred, as traditional notions of what education should be fall to the wayside.

And even though as a teacher, I might fall sway sometimes to the idea of "correcting equals hurt feelings," I still correct gently because I hold reverence to a language that enables its speakers to use a vast array of words in a dizzying multitude of ways just to express one clear thought. And the speakers that are in today's classrooms should understand and acknowledge that grammar, vocabulary, and syntax are all tools one needs in order to shape roughly hewn ideas, lingering in shells, into liberated pearls of wisdom.

I fancy myself an English commando, as I maneuver my students through the tricky labrynthine mazes of "good" vs. "well." I see them stealthily climb over the walls of "their," "they're," and "there." I watch with pride as my freshmen can recite the differences among homonyms, synonyms, and antonyms. I feel the impact that I make, and not the impact that the educational tides have on me, as I watch my students correct themselves over something I've taught when speaking to me. And, when I go home at the end of the evening, I know that I have done not good, but well. Grammatically speaking.