Back to School
It wasn't easy, but we started back up Tuesday. I really, really wish our school was on the same kind of schedule as colleges: finishing one semester with midterms before Christmas break, then starting a new one after a nice break of two or three weeks. I'd really be willing to start in the middle of August to accomplish this.
Just finished discussing "A Doll's House" by Ibsen with my AP class. Such an interesting premise - a woman who does what she believes to be the right thing to save her husband's life (and face), just to be treated like a plaything. When everything comes to a head, she realizes she is drowning and has to leave to save her own life. It was outrageous in the late 1800s - even today the idea of a woman leaving her children gives us pause.
Tomorrow we start "J.B." - a play in verse by Archibald MacLeish based on the Book of Job. I asked the students to do a little bit of web search to see what they might find about it. We'll see.
Have you ever read "All Quiet on the Western Front"? So amazing. Such a universal story. I didn't expect to like it so much. Every leader in the world should be forced to read it before being sworn into office. It wasn't until I went to England and Ireland that I realized what a terrible war World War I was. My students seem to like it (as much as they like anything that requires reading).
In 12 school days we'll be halfway done the school year. Midterms two weeks from tomorrow.
posted by BookBabe at
6:24 PM
2 Comments:
I LOVED All Quiet on the Western Front. We read it my junior year of high school and I was so affected by it. About a year later, we went to London for Christmas and wandered into the Imperial War Museum there, where they have a great WWI exhibit. It was much more touching to see that exhibit in Europe, where the war actually took place and affected normal, every day people directly. It reminded me of the book a lot. I'll have to read that one again, if I ever have another free moment.
Yes, we were in Ireland during the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme - in which a ton of Irish soldiers died - and listened to a radio program that talked about it like it was ten years ago. Many people have commented that WWI was for the UK what Vietnam was for us - sending young men to a place that seemed to have nothing to do with them and a pretty much unsatisfying outcome. I'm glad I'm finally really learning something about this "War to End All Wars"!
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