My Comment: I lived in Las Vegas for two years right after I graduated from college. I was teaching at a local High School and absolutely hated it. I really disliked the city and everything associated with it. I hated that I had to walk through a casino to do anything: go to dinner at a nice restaurant, go to a movie, even go to ice cream in some cases. I also saw how Vegas ruined people's lives. I was living in Vegas when the flood of foreclosures began to happen. I saw good people forced from their homes. Many of these people had to return home to live in their parents' basements. I saw businesses close. And probably even worse, I saw many of my students who just didn't care about anything. Their plans included inheriting their parent's job parking cars at the casino. That same job which their parents had inherited from their parents. And these students knew, deep down, that they didn't need any of the things I was teaching. There was no reason for them to try and excel in my class. They didn't need to know Romeo and Juliet. Who cares when you are going to survive while parking cars or dealing cards. Many of these students seemed to exist within this sad life where they had no dreams or aspirations. This, to me, is the real ruins of Las Vegas--these students who will "survive," but won't necessarily thrive.
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
PBS Idea Channel: The Ruins of Las Vegas
I just watched this episode of PBS Idea Channel, which really got me thinking. I liked what they were saying about Las Vegas, but more than that it got me thinking about my time living and working in Vegas. I have posted the comment I made on the video below. Please take a moment to watch this video. It is very thoughtful.
My Comment: I lived in Las Vegas for two years right after I graduated from college. I was teaching at a local High School and absolutely hated it. I really disliked the city and everything associated with it. I hated that I had to walk through a casino to do anything: go to dinner at a nice restaurant, go to a movie, even go to ice cream in some cases. I also saw how Vegas ruined people's lives. I was living in Vegas when the flood of foreclosures began to happen. I saw good people forced from their homes. Many of these people had to return home to live in their parents' basements. I saw businesses close. And probably even worse, I saw many of my students who just didn't care about anything. Their plans included inheriting their parent's job parking cars at the casino. That same job which their parents had inherited from their parents. And these students knew, deep down, that they didn't need any of the things I was teaching. There was no reason for them to try and excel in my class. They didn't need to know Romeo and Juliet. Who cares when you are going to survive while parking cars or dealing cards. Many of these students seemed to exist within this sad life where they had no dreams or aspirations. This, to me, is the real ruins of Las Vegas--these students who will "survive," but won't necessarily thrive.
My Comment: I lived in Las Vegas for two years right after I graduated from college. I was teaching at a local High School and absolutely hated it. I really disliked the city and everything associated with it. I hated that I had to walk through a casino to do anything: go to dinner at a nice restaurant, go to a movie, even go to ice cream in some cases. I also saw how Vegas ruined people's lives. I was living in Vegas when the flood of foreclosures began to happen. I saw good people forced from their homes. Many of these people had to return home to live in their parents' basements. I saw businesses close. And probably even worse, I saw many of my students who just didn't care about anything. Their plans included inheriting their parent's job parking cars at the casino. That same job which their parents had inherited from their parents. And these students knew, deep down, that they didn't need any of the things I was teaching. There was no reason for them to try and excel in my class. They didn't need to know Romeo and Juliet. Who cares when you are going to survive while parking cars or dealing cards. Many of these students seemed to exist within this sad life where they had no dreams or aspirations. This, to me, is the real ruins of Las Vegas--these students who will "survive," but won't necessarily thrive.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Reclaim and New Follower
I know I said I would be better. And I know I haven't. I have been teaching this summer program, where students who are not proficient in writing come and we teach them for two weeks. The goal of the program being to get these students to write a proficient paragraph. So far so good, but classes have been starting and I wanted to have a little fun before it was back to the grind stone and so most of my time has been filled with reading and video games. Not much writing has been happening. I see that changing beginning now.
Yesterday one of my summer courses started up at DU. Natural Science and Literature. While I am not thrilled about science, I do feel it will be an opportunity to strengthen my writing skills. We specifically are writing essays, memoirs, or narrative journalism pieces that have to do with science or nature in some way. I'm not quite sure what I am going to do, but hopefully soon I will - I would really like to get started on it soon. I do see many poems coming out of this class. For some reason when I look at or talk about nature poems just issue forth. We shall see.
Tonight my Advance Poetry Workshop begins. Joe Hutchison is teaching it and I am super excited. It looks like a small class, which should be fun. And I am hoping to really crank out some good writing.
Here is a poem - it didn't start as one, last night in class we were asked to write something after looking at a picture in a Natural Geographic. I came up with something a little more obtuse, but here is the revised prose poem edition. And as always comments are welcomed.
She (good old mother earth) is reclaiming. Taking back what is hers. Serpentine grasses: brown & yellow. Those shrubs, spiked with angst; snake their way through the broken down, fielded car. The rust pits his skin, cancerous. He screams in fright. A remorseful water tower, like a lonely water god; silently watches the valley. Does nothing to stop the mother’s onslaught.
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YES! A new follower. My apocalyptic twelve is complete. All other followers must participate in a rigorous application and interview process.
Welcome to Kevin - one of my former students from Pomona high school and a wonderful writer. Check him out here.
Yesterday one of my summer courses started up at DU. Natural Science and Literature. While I am not thrilled about science, I do feel it will be an opportunity to strengthen my writing skills. We specifically are writing essays, memoirs, or narrative journalism pieces that have to do with science or nature in some way. I'm not quite sure what I am going to do, but hopefully soon I will - I would really like to get started on it soon. I do see many poems coming out of this class. For some reason when I look at or talk about nature poems just issue forth. We shall see.
Tonight my Advance Poetry Workshop begins. Joe Hutchison is teaching it and I am super excited. It looks like a small class, which should be fun. And I am hoping to really crank out some good writing.
Here is a poem - it didn't start as one, last night in class we were asked to write something after looking at a picture in a Natural Geographic. I came up with something a little more obtuse, but here is the revised prose poem edition. And as always comments are welcomed.
She (good old mother earth) is reclaiming. Taking back what is hers. Serpentine grasses: brown & yellow. Those shrubs, spiked with angst; snake their way through the broken down, fielded car. The rust pits his skin, cancerous. He screams in fright. A remorseful water tower, like a lonely water god; silently watches the valley. Does nothing to stop the mother’s onslaught.
----------------------------------------------------------------
YES! A new follower. My apocalyptic twelve is complete. All other followers must participate in a rigorous application and interview process.
Welcome to Kevin - one of my former students from Pomona high school and a wonderful writer. Check him out here.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
On Not Writing and POETRY BOOT CAMP
I recently read the article by Gabriel Cohen in the Jan/Feb issue of Poets and Writers entitled "On Not Writing."
I really enjoyed it. Cohen has good insight and I felt a connection to what he was saying.
We all have those times when writing is just SO hard and it is the last thing we possible want to do. And those times are probably the most important times to be writing. There is no magical equation to follow to make writing easier - other than just writing I think. I have never had a time when I sat down, either at my keyboard or at my notebook, and couldn't write something. The trick is getting sat down. I find that it is most difficult when my life is really busy. Which makes sense. But then I also feel that my life has become increasingly busy since I moved from Las Vegas. In Nevada it seemed I had all the time in the world to just sit and write and I wasted that time away playing endless hours of video games. And now I am without the hours I would like and spend my evenings staying up way later than I intended to get some writing in.
Ahhhh what a life.
WHAT HELPS YOU TO SIT IN THE CHAIR AND WRITE?
------------------------------------------------------------------
I am really excited about the poetry unit I am preparing for my students. POETRY BOOT CAMP I am calling it. I really can't take credit for the name, a colleague has used it in the past. But essentially I am going to focus on helping the students enjoy poetry - Like they used to enjoy poetry when they were young. Here are some of my ideas in list form.
1. Students will receive a list of around 25 poems - grouped in fives - and they will be asked to read those five or so poems for a specifc day. We will discuss the poems round-robin style in that class period. They will also write a short response to one of the poems they read - these responses will be very emotion/reader response driven
2. Students will be taught the tools of explication and will be asked to explicate three poems of their choice over the course of the unit.
3. During class periods, when we aren't discussing the response poems mentioned in 1 - we will be looking at poets craft. So one lesson on poetic forms/open form, one lesson on figurative language, one lesson on images...etc.
4. The unit will culminate in two projects - The first will be a power point, where the students will pick a particularly poignant poem to them (one that we read for class preferably) and find pictures/images to go with each line and then organize it into some sort of presentation. Second students will be asked to create a "Favorite Poem Project" presentation AL A Robert Pinsky's website. We won't be video taping them - but it should prove to be interesting.
My main goal is to get students to enjoy poetry. Even if it is just for one poem. If I can get them to enjoy and understand one poem then I will feel like the unit was a success.
For a creative touch I will be dressing up in camo gear on the introduction day of the unit and marching my students around the school chanting LEFT LEFT LEFT RIGHT LEFT - POETRY IS REALLY COOL, IT IS THE BEST PART OF SCHOOL. POETRY IS REALLY NEAT, IT WILL GET YOU OUT OF YOUR SEAT. SOUND OFF... ah it should be fun.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
One last thing. I just noticed a new follower.
A big welcome to Ben
I really enjoyed it. Cohen has good insight and I felt a connection to what he was saying.
We all have those times when writing is just SO hard and it is the last thing we possible want to do. And those times are probably the most important times to be writing. There is no magical equation to follow to make writing easier - other than just writing I think. I have never had a time when I sat down, either at my keyboard or at my notebook, and couldn't write something. The trick is getting sat down. I find that it is most difficult when my life is really busy. Which makes sense. But then I also feel that my life has become increasingly busy since I moved from Las Vegas. In Nevada it seemed I had all the time in the world to just sit and write and I wasted that time away playing endless hours of video games. And now I am without the hours I would like and spend my evenings staying up way later than I intended to get some writing in.
Ahhhh what a life.
WHAT HELPS YOU TO SIT IN THE CHAIR AND WRITE?
------------------------------------------------------------------
I am really excited about the poetry unit I am preparing for my students. POETRY BOOT CAMP I am calling it. I really can't take credit for the name, a colleague has used it in the past. But essentially I am going to focus on helping the students enjoy poetry - Like they used to enjoy poetry when they were young. Here are some of my ideas in list form.
1. Students will receive a list of around 25 poems - grouped in fives - and they will be asked to read those five or so poems for a specifc day. We will discuss the poems round-robin style in that class period. They will also write a short response to one of the poems they read - these responses will be very emotion/reader response driven
2. Students will be taught the tools of explication and will be asked to explicate three poems of their choice over the course of the unit.
3. During class periods, when we aren't discussing the response poems mentioned in 1 - we will be looking at poets craft. So one lesson on poetic forms/open form, one lesson on figurative language, one lesson on images...etc.
4. The unit will culminate in two projects - The first will be a power point, where the students will pick a particularly poignant poem to them (one that we read for class preferably) and find pictures/images to go with each line and then organize it into some sort of presentation. Second students will be asked to create a "Favorite Poem Project" presentation AL A Robert Pinsky's website. We won't be video taping them - but it should prove to be interesting.
My main goal is to get students to enjoy poetry. Even if it is just for one poem. If I can get them to enjoy and understand one poem then I will feel like the unit was a success.
For a creative touch I will be dressing up in camo gear on the introduction day of the unit and marching my students around the school chanting LEFT LEFT LEFT RIGHT LEFT - POETRY IS REALLY COOL, IT IS THE BEST PART OF SCHOOL. POETRY IS REALLY NEAT, IT WILL GET YOU OUT OF YOUR SEAT. SOUND OFF... ah it should be fun.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
One last thing. I just noticed a new follower.
A big welcome to Ben
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Graveyard Bed and other stuff
I went to the hospital today. Well not because I needed to - my Grandfather was in, poor fella. Anyway, it was an odd experience and I kinda felt as I was leaving that I hated it. I think it is the smell - it is hard for me to describe, but I just really don't like hospitals. Maybe I will write a poem about that.
I didn't post yesterday because I felt like if I did I would have to mention Obama and it felt cliche at that point to do so. But I am glad there is a change, lets hope it is for the better.
John Gallaher had an interesting post on his blog today - a lecture on writing and a writing exercise. I didn't think it was awesome, but it was an ok read. Check it out HERE
I am missing LOST this evening. Which is killing me that I can't see it right now. I just got back from visiting my Grandpa late and I didn't want to jump into it in the middle. So I will probably take the time to watch it tomorrow and I will most likely comment on it tomorrow as well.
And here is a poem I wrote this morning while eating breakfast. I had started thinking about this one as I was falling asleep last night (which is really dangerous because I usually forget what I was writing in my head)(I should keep a pad by my bed) and miraculously I remembered what I wanted to say this morning.
Graveyard Bed
There is a graveyard
in my bed.
Complete with two bodies.
Husband and Wife,
Side by side.
Tucked into
the blanket brown earth.
No headstones.
only heads
sawing off
open and rotten.
A willow hangs
over the communal
grave.
Gently caressing
the backs
of the face
down carcasses
with it's tender touch.
I didn't post yesterday because I felt like if I did I would have to mention Obama and it felt cliche at that point to do so. But I am glad there is a change, lets hope it is for the better.
John Gallaher had an interesting post on his blog today - a lecture on writing and a writing exercise. I didn't think it was awesome, but it was an ok read. Check it out HERE
I am missing LOST this evening. Which is killing me that I can't see it right now. I just got back from visiting my Grandpa late and I didn't want to jump into it in the middle. So I will probably take the time to watch it tomorrow and I will most likely comment on it tomorrow as well.
And here is a poem I wrote this morning while eating breakfast. I had started thinking about this one as I was falling asleep last night (which is really dangerous because I usually forget what I was writing in my head)(I should keep a pad by my bed) and miraculously I remembered what I wanted to say this morning.
Graveyard Bed
There is a graveyard
in my bed.
Complete with two bodies.
Husband and Wife,
Side by side.
Tucked into
the blanket brown earth.
No headstones.
only heads
sawing off
open and rotten.
A willow hangs
over the communal
grave.
Gently caressing
the backs
of the face
down carcasses
with it's tender touch.
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