i draw a sun on the board and ask everyone what it is. they all say it’s a sun. i ask them what else it is, or, what it really is. they say, “light”, “brightness”, “heat”, etc.
trying to find a theme in thoreau’s walden is a momentous task. actually finding a theme isn’t the problem. the problem is relating the theme to vietnamese life. the problem is finding a theme that the students will understand.
i decided to teach about the theme, “the truth is inside of all of us. each person must discover what the truth is on their own.” it’s a difficult concept to teach in a confucian society.
“direct your right eye inward, and you’ll discover a thousand regions in your mind” “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” i try to explain that truth must be discovered by each person. we all make decisions about what to believe and what not to believe. thoreau talks about the ruts of conformity and tradition. thoreau is an individualist.
the idea of individualism doesn’t carry too much weight over here. individualism is selfish and people should not be selfish. no one person has an idea that carries weight. the group must come up with ideas for them to be valid. there is much truth to this.
i talk about how we are all islands. we all receive and give information at our own bidding. we all decide what is accepted on our island and what is rejected. i’m not trying to force my culture down their throats, i’m really just trying help explain it. i talk about how truth must be discovered by each person in the class. i tell them to analyze everything critically. i tell them not to believe what i have told them until they have taken it under a microscope and decided for themselves. they snicker and laugh but i’m serious.
we must look at problems from all angles and decide what is the truth. we must be objective and thorough. we must find out what the sun really is. the sun is not the sun.
they look at me bewildered. the ideas resonate with some of the students and others vocally disagree. “how can one person come up with an idea that’s valid?” i remark that, in thoreau’s time, slavery was accepted. a minority had to voice their opinion for that that wrong to be righted. they don’t believe me and i’m not sure i believe myself.
the class ends and we get to the last sentence in walden. “the sun is but a morning star.” some of the students instantly understand. our perspective has made the sun out to be something it isn’t. it is nothing but a star. anywhere else in the universe it is a star but, to us, it is the sun. i tell them, “take that and apply it to all parts of life.”
Monday, March 31, 2003
i draw a sun on the board and ask everyone what it is. they all say it’s a sun. i ask them what else it is, or, what it really is. they say, “light”, “brightness”, “heat”, etc.
trying to find a theme in thoreau’s walden is a momentous task. actually finding a theme isn’t the problem. the problem is relating the theme to vietnamese life. the problem is finding a theme that the students will understand.
i decided to teach about the theme, “the truth is inside of all of us. each person must discover what the truth is on their own.” it’s a difficult concept to teach in a confucian society.
“direct your right eye inward, and you’ll discover a thousand regions in your mind” “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” i try to explain that truth must be discovered by each person. we all make decisions about what to believe and what not to believe. thoreau talks about the ruts of conformity and tradition. thoreau is an individualist.
the idea of individualism doesn’t carry too much weight over here. individualism is selfish and people should not be selfish. no one person has an idea that carries weight. the group must come up with ideas for them to be valid. there is much truth to this.
i talk about how we are all islands. we all receive and give information at our own bidding. we all decide what is accepted on our island and what is rejected. i’m not trying to force my culture down their throats, i’m really just trying help explain it. i talk about how truth must be discovered by each person in the class. i tell them to analyze everything critically. i tell them not to believe what i have told them until they have taken it under a microscope and decided for themselves. they snicker and laugh but i’m serious.
we must look at problems from all angles and decide what is the truth. we must be objective and thorough. we must find out what the sun really is. the sun is not the sun.
they look at me bewildered. the ideas resonate with some of the students and others vocally disagree. “how can one person come up with an idea that’s valid?” i remark that, in thoreau’s time, slavery was accepted. a minority had to voice their opinion for that that wrong to be righted. they don’t believe me and i’m not sure i believe myself.
the class ends and we get to the last sentence in walden. “the sun is but a morning star.” some of the students instantly understand. our perspective has made the sun out to be something it isn’t. it is nothing but a star. anywhere else in the universe it is a star but, to us, it is the sun. i tell them, “take that and apply it to all parts of life.”
trying to find a theme in thoreau’s walden is a momentous task. actually finding a theme isn’t the problem. the problem is relating the theme to vietnamese life. the problem is finding a theme that the students will understand.
i decided to teach about the theme, “the truth is inside of all of us. each person must discover what the truth is on their own.” it’s a difficult concept to teach in a confucian society.
“direct your right eye inward, and you’ll discover a thousand regions in your mind” “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” i try to explain that truth must be discovered by each person. we all make decisions about what to believe and what not to believe. thoreau talks about the ruts of conformity and tradition. thoreau is an individualist.
the idea of individualism doesn’t carry too much weight over here. individualism is selfish and people should not be selfish. no one person has an idea that carries weight. the group must come up with ideas for them to be valid. there is much truth to this.
i talk about how we are all islands. we all receive and give information at our own bidding. we all decide what is accepted on our island and what is rejected. i’m not trying to force my culture down their throats, i’m really just trying help explain it. i talk about how truth must be discovered by each person in the class. i tell them to analyze everything critically. i tell them not to believe what i have told them until they have taken it under a microscope and decided for themselves. they snicker and laugh but i’m serious.
we must look at problems from all angles and decide what is the truth. we must be objective and thorough. we must find out what the sun really is. the sun is not the sun.
they look at me bewildered. the ideas resonate with some of the students and others vocally disagree. “how can one person come up with an idea that’s valid?” i remark that, in thoreau’s time, slavery was accepted. a minority had to voice their opinion for that that wrong to be righted. they don’t believe me and i’m not sure i believe myself.
the class ends and we get to the last sentence in walden. “the sun is but a morning star.” some of the students instantly understand. our perspective has made the sun out to be something it isn’t. it is nothing but a star. anywhere else in the universe it is a star but, to us, it is the sun. i tell them, “take that and apply it to all parts of life.”
Sunday, March 30, 2003
getting dragged from table to table like you’re the bride and groom. another wedding and more awkwardness.
we were invited to the main wedding party of a teacher in the english department. she was marrying a guy we didn’t even know. they had known each other for six months and had been engaged for half that time.
they were brought to each table during the reception. there were at least seventy tables. each of the guests were given small ribbons to wear on their shirts. mine was red with a yellow star.
we were also drug from table to table as the only white guests. we were introduced to hundreds of people that i will never remember. smiles and food. everything was fake.
the wedding ended quietly and we were ushered home. the bride and groom went on their honeymoon. six months isn’t a long time.
we were invited to the main wedding party of a teacher in the english department. she was marrying a guy we didn’t even know. they had known each other for six months and had been engaged for half that time.
they were brought to each table during the reception. there were at least seventy tables. each of the guests were given small ribbons to wear on their shirts. mine was red with a yellow star.
we were also drug from table to table as the only white guests. we were introduced to hundreds of people that i will never remember. smiles and food. everything was fake.
the wedding ended quietly and we were ushered home. the bride and groom went on their honeymoon. six months isn’t a long time.
Saturday, March 29, 2003
we figured out how to make grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries. (recently renamed freedom fries in the good ‘ol us of a) (ha!)
we asked a few of the english teachers if they would like to come over and try some of our american specialties. two of the braver english teachers arrived appropriately fifteen minutes late.
one of us worked the grill and the other fried the potatoes. we had a whole mess of goodies and were excited about sharing some of our national cuisine (i’m repressing a smile while typing). the grilled cheese sandwiches came out nicely and the french (freedom) fries were grilled to perfection. we even had ketchup and mustard.
the braver of the two teachers admitted to us that he had never eaten cheese before. cheese is not a staple in this part of the world by any stretch of the imagination and there is only one store in long xuyen that sells it. they sell singly wrapped pieces of american cheese made in france (the ironies keep piling up).
the plate of grilled cheese and french (freedom) fries were placed in front of the teachers (topped off with a small slice of tomato because you can’t present a plate to someone that’s only full of fried food. there has to be something there that seems healthy.) the teacher who had never tried cheese before picked up one of the grilled cheese slices and bit into it. he mulled the processed cheese, processed bread and butter around in his mouth for a bit changing his expression repeatedly. he swallowed and concluded that it was good.
neither one of the teachers could finish off their slices of grilled cheese so we gave them to the dog who doesn’t know anything about cheese or vietnam or france or iraq. the dog ate them and appears healthy.
our little experiment with grilled cheese and french fries went well. we shall make them again and soon become cheese ambassadors.
we asked a few of the english teachers if they would like to come over and try some of our american specialties. two of the braver english teachers arrived appropriately fifteen minutes late.
one of us worked the grill and the other fried the potatoes. we had a whole mess of goodies and were excited about sharing some of our national cuisine (i’m repressing a smile while typing). the grilled cheese sandwiches came out nicely and the french (freedom) fries were grilled to perfection. we even had ketchup and mustard.
the braver of the two teachers admitted to us that he had never eaten cheese before. cheese is not a staple in this part of the world by any stretch of the imagination and there is only one store in long xuyen that sells it. they sell singly wrapped pieces of american cheese made in france (the ironies keep piling up).
the plate of grilled cheese and french (freedom) fries were placed in front of the teachers (topped off with a small slice of tomato because you can’t present a plate to someone that’s only full of fried food. there has to be something there that seems healthy.) the teacher who had never tried cheese before picked up one of the grilled cheese slices and bit into it. he mulled the processed cheese, processed bread and butter around in his mouth for a bit changing his expression repeatedly. he swallowed and concluded that it was good.
neither one of the teachers could finish off their slices of grilled cheese so we gave them to the dog who doesn’t know anything about cheese or vietnam or france or iraq. the dog ate them and appears healthy.
our little experiment with grilled cheese and french fries went well. we shall make them again and soon become cheese ambassadors.
Friday, March 28, 2003
i gave my english literature students a test today. we’re supposed to give them a test every 15 periods and this test covered chaucer, shakespeare, defoe, dickens and poe. quite a bunch for one test.
the second part of the test was a critical analysis. i had them take one of the major themes and analyze it giving their opinion of the book based on historical context. the first part of the test was a short multiple choice and fill in the blank section. the last question was, “the teacher of english literature is named __________________ moyer.”
i have been teaching these students for a month and a half. my name is on the syllabus.
here are some of my favorite answers:
jonathan/jon (about 25% of the class) (my real name)
john (about 50% of the class)
jonn
john nathan
johen
johnathan
johnyer
johnan
jonethan
jones
jone han
johnthomon
johthanan
jonenatha
jan
tonathan
jone
jon jonathan
and my favorite:
mobe (mobe moyer?)
i made none of these names up. they are how they appear on the tests. i guess names like phuc and dung would be strange to us too.
the second part of the test was a critical analysis. i had them take one of the major themes and analyze it giving their opinion of the book based on historical context. the first part of the test was a short multiple choice and fill in the blank section. the last question was, “the teacher of english literature is named __________________ moyer.”
i have been teaching these students for a month and a half. my name is on the syllabus.
here are some of my favorite answers:
jonathan/jon (about 25% of the class) (my real name)
john (about 50% of the class)
jonn
john nathan
johen
johnathan
johnyer
johnan
jonethan
jones
jone han
johnthomon
johthanan
jonenatha
jan
tonathan
jone
jon jonathan
and my favorite:
mobe (mobe moyer?)
i made none of these names up. they are how they appear on the tests. i guess names like phuc and dung would be strange to us too.
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