Tuesday of the week before Thanksgiving, I had nothing. (I saved my subbing stories for when I was back at work.) I had the rest of the week booked, but not Tuesday. I just missed catching two assignments during the school day Monday, and as I was leaving school for the day, I was trying to accept that I might not work that Tuesday.
Then, just as I was pulling out of my parking space, my phone alerted. I grabbed that assignment so fast...
Tuesday. Senior English. Co-taught.
Since it was a late(erish) call out, the general ed teacher taught the class as planned. (Even if it had been longer planned, I think Ms. U would have just kept on with the plan for the day anyway.) They were getting ready to start a new book, and they were doing the prelim work for it.
Me? I sat at the back of the room, unneeded.
The lesson went off very smoothly. The students were attentive when Ms. U was instructing, and they actually discussed what she asked them to discuss as the period wore on. (I know this as I walked the room then, listening in. I didn't have to prompt them.)
This is not normally the sort of day that makes the blog. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because of what they were going to be reading...
A comic book. A graphic novel. This one: Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon.
It was fascinating. Ms. U had the class do notes on the superhero genre. What were the expectations? What sorts of stories are usually told in this medium? How does one read a comic book, anyway?
She used terminology (frame, gutter, etc.). She had them write about what they knew of this type of story. She explained how they were to look at the various panels and how to compare panel sequences.
I learned a lot.
I would have loved a lesson like this when I was their age. Graphic novels have come a long way.
As I was looking up the graphic novel so I could link to it, I found it on YouTube. In case you're interested, this is for the first story in the graphic novel. (It contains five. The class was only going to read the first two or three, time permitting.)
Ms. U got them started with the first couple pages. She hinted about how they'd also be learning about subverting expectations.
Sounds interesting. Subverting expectations and all.
ReplyDeleteIt was. I'm sure the book is, too.
DeleteHuh. What a different world. That's the kind of thing my kids would study (and have) independently, because they're interested, but not something that would fall under general, regular curriculum. (I suppose that's me and my uppity homeschooling regime...but it works.) This sounds somewhere between art an english. A great mix.
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like a great teacher, something unexpected!
ReplyDeleteUnexpected as far as what I was expecting.
DeleteIt’s amazing what can be done with a graphic novel. I love it.
ReplyDeleteIt is.
DeleteI would have loved that back when I was in school, too!
ReplyDeleteIs Senior English the same for everyone? I mean, is this one of the several English classes offered? When I was in high school, very long ago now, we had quite a few English classes to choose from. I took Philosophy in Literature, and Creative Writing for two of them. Graphic novels are a great idea. And the class was attentive and contributed to discussions!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if this was the ERWC English or the general senior English. (It wasn't AP English.) ERWC English (https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/teacher-education/CARW/Pages/erwc.aspx) is for college bound seniors.
DeleteWhat an interesting assignment. We never would have done something like this in school back when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteThat would've rocked as an assignment! Graphic novels are an art form. Double, as it's story and illustrations.
ReplyDeleteAnd you have to "read" the illustrations, too. That was part of the lesson.
DeleteAnd I had to read the Grapes of Wrath. What the heck???
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this graphic novel. Read it a couple of years back. Lucky kids! @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
This would not have been an English class in my high school during the time period I was in high school. I haven't read much in the graphic novel genre, but I loved comic books as a child (I know, not the same thing.)
ReplyDeleteWell, this graphic novel was a compilation of 5 different comic books, so...
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