English has never been my favorite class nor has it ever been my best. In fact it usually instills a certain sense of fear because unlike math or science classes, English is filled with indefinite answers. From analyzing poetry to interpreting a novel, the entire class is based on feelings and emotions as well as analytical thinking. It is perhaps because of this lack of formulas, principles, and methods that makes English such an intimidating class for me. Secretly, however, I love the kind of free-thinking atmosphere that comes along with this subject and especially this class, English 108.
Overall I enjoyed this class immensely. My previous experiences with English class consisted of reading novels such as Grapes of Wrath and Jane Eyre. Don’t get me wrong I loved both of these novels but what makes this class so unusual is that it focused on more modern literature and the pertinence each of these had on the society in which we live. The literature was not the only difference however between this class and previous English classes. The way in which the subject matter was taught was also an interesting change. Most of the class was taught in Socratic seminar style which allows for a free flow of ideas that is perhaps more helpful than having an instructor simply telling students answers. Instead we taught each other what each story meant both to ourselves and to society. I also liked the blog assignments. They gave everyone a chance to voice their opinions on different aspects of the novels, movies and society. What makes English classes so different from a more, for lack of a better word, "structured" class is the fact that not only do you learn the material being taught, but in the process you also learn a lot about yourself. This class was no different. In summary—this class was great.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Goodbye, English class! Hello...next semester's English class!
To be perfectly honest, I have not been a great student this semester. My grades have been sub-par in most every class, and it's a miracle that I haven't dropped out of at least one by sleeping through it. That being said, English 108 was consistently my favorite class over the course of this semester.
The people involved in the class were smart, and I'm not just saying that to make them feel good. Every time we had a class discussion, they were on top of it, which made them a joy to listen to. The books we read and the movies we watched were (mostly) gems, especially Fight Club and V for Vendetta, two stories I would never think to see being played out in a classroom. The Hours, on the other hand, made me depressed, which is something only a powerful book would be able to do, so I guess it was worth reading.
The teacher of my English 108 class, Professor Severe, seemed to really know what he was doing. He taught the class in a manner that allowed for freeform discussion, even though other parts of the class were governed by strict rules. He seems like a down to earth kind of guy, and his odd fascination with socks only heightens his relationship with his students.
It has been a great year. I've learned a lot, even if my grades don't reflect it. I'd like to leave you all with a gift; something as serious and academic as Professor's Severe's class has been.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkqP65I8Yl0
The people involved in the class were smart, and I'm not just saying that to make them feel good. Every time we had a class discussion, they were on top of it, which made them a joy to listen to. The books we read and the movies we watched were (mostly) gems, especially Fight Club and V for Vendetta, two stories I would never think to see being played out in a classroom. The Hours, on the other hand, made me depressed, which is something only a powerful book would be able to do, so I guess it was worth reading.
The teacher of my English 108 class, Professor Severe, seemed to really know what he was doing. He taught the class in a manner that allowed for freeform discussion, even though other parts of the class were governed by strict rules. He seems like a down to earth kind of guy, and his odd fascination with socks only heightens his relationship with his students.
It has been a great year. I've learned a lot, even if my grades don't reflect it. I'd like to leave you all with a gift; something as serious and academic as Professor's Severe's class has been.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkqP65I8Yl0
The End
English has consistently remained one of my favorite classes, and this semester was no different. I enjoyed being in an advanced setting, because it made the discussions more in-depth and interesting. Instead of just skimming the surface of the books and movies, we explored the cores of each piece and connected the works together. Although “Everything is an argument” was the theme of my English class last year, I did not get bored or annoyed with overanalyzing; rather, the subjects continued to be interesting throughout the semester. I especially enjoyed the fact that the type of writing we focused on was useful to all majors. As a creative writing major, I can obviously see how a writing class would be beneficial to me, but it was nice to see students with science or math focuses understand how useful a writing ability is.
Professor Severe definitely met my expectations as far as teaching is concerned. He understood what he wanted to be discussed and how his classroom should be run, while still maintaining a close, open environment where students were not judged for their opinions. It was obvious that his goal was to create better students, not to be everyone’s best friend or to scare anyone away from ever taking another English class.
One of my favorite aspects about the class was the blog assignments. It gave me a chance to see how other classmates interpreted certain passages or themes without having to read through twenty 4-page essays while allowing me to convey my ideas in a brief and informal manner.
Professor Severe definitely met my expectations as far as teaching is concerned. He understood what he wanted to be discussed and how his classroom should be run, while still maintaining a close, open environment where students were not judged for their opinions. It was obvious that his goal was to create better students, not to be everyone’s best friend or to scare anyone away from ever taking another English class.
One of my favorite aspects about the class was the blog assignments. It gave me a chance to see how other classmates interpreted certain passages or themes without having to read through twenty 4-page essays while allowing me to convey my ideas in a brief and informal manner.
English 108
Coming into English 108, I though it would be a typical English class. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise. This class was run unlike any other I had experienced before. We dealt with controversial topics and had class discussion that were certainly out of the norm. It kept the class extremely interesting and unpredictable. Overall, English 108 was a refreshing break from the monotony of my other classes this semester.
One of my favorite things about the class was the discussions. It was always fascinating to see the different views others had on certain topics. The discussions were also successful because they would just flow. We would start talking about one topic of the reading and the conversation would just naturally lead into another aspect of the reading. Also, the fact that the class was advanced aided in the depth of the discussions, which allowed me to get more out of them.
Another aspect of the class that made it appealing was the movies that we watched. In my previous English classes we dealt with only the book version of the text. However, by reading the book and watching the movies I was able to get two perspectives of the text. This allowed me to get more out of each book we read in class.
Over the course of this semester I learned so much in English 108. The unconventional approach to the class not only made it interesting, but it also allowed me to see other aspects of literature. As a result, I feel that I have improved on my writing and learned how to better analyze different texts.
One of my favorite things about the class was the discussions. It was always fascinating to see the different views others had on certain topics. The discussions were also successful because they would just flow. We would start talking about one topic of the reading and the conversation would just naturally lead into another aspect of the reading. Also, the fact that the class was advanced aided in the depth of the discussions, which allowed me to get more out of them.
Another aspect of the class that made it appealing was the movies that we watched. In my previous English classes we dealt with only the book version of the text. However, by reading the book and watching the movies I was able to get two perspectives of the text. This allowed me to get more out of each book we read in class.
Over the course of this semester I learned so much in English 108. The unconventional approach to the class not only made it interesting, but it also allowed me to see other aspects of literature. As a result, I feel that I have improved on my writing and learned how to better analyze different texts.
Final Thoughts from Emily
To say the least, this class has definitely been an experience. I’ve learned a lot about English and writing, but our class discussions are what I’ve learned the most from and what I’m going to remember. We’ve discussed everything from suicide and homosexuality to terrorism and civil rights. The class environment was a great environment to converse and debate, and I never felt any hostility or insecurity; everyone was really open and willing to listen to everyone else. I really think I’ve learned a lot about the world around me and all the different ways people view it.
I think the topic of rhetorical writing was a great topic for an English class. It has a practical application that can be use for any major, but it also leaves room to have a lot of interesting topics and themes.
The blogs are a great idea. I love how they are so informal and relaxed. I feel like I can really express my views and opinions without worrying about writing it in a super formal, scholarly way.
The only part I really haven’t enjoyed is the actual writing. I can’t help it; I just don’t like it. I have liked the class though and what we have learned about writing, I just hate applying it. But that’s not your fault.
All in all, I’ve just really enjoyed this class and will recommend it to my friends!
I think the topic of rhetorical writing was a great topic for an English class. It has a practical application that can be use for any major, but it also leaves room to have a lot of interesting topics and themes.
The blogs are a great idea. I love how they are so informal and relaxed. I feel like I can really express my views and opinions without worrying about writing it in a super formal, scholarly way.
The only part I really haven’t enjoyed is the actual writing. I can’t help it; I just don’t like it. I have liked the class though and what we have learned about writing, I just hate applying it. But that’s not your fault.
All in all, I’ve just really enjoyed this class and will recommend it to my friends!
My Thoughts
It is so hard for me to believe the semester is almost over! Honestly, I would have to say that I have really enjoyed this class. I won’t lie about it; I never enjoyed English in high school. To me, it was simply another boring and pointless subject I had to get through before I could go home. However, this class was so much better than that. The reading assignments alone were enjoyable enough for me to appreciate the class as a whole. All of my friends were so jealous of me when I was telling them about my experiences with Brokeback Mountain. That was an entertaining week for Brooklyn.
One thing that I really loved about this class was that I learned so much about things I find interesting. There were times when my roommate nicknamed this class “Psychology 101” because of our continual examinations on topics such as gender roles and homosexuality. However, I truly enjoyed the analysis and discussion we had in class as well as on our blogs. They truly made me think about issues in society and current events in ways that I had never thought about before. I feel like I have learned more about myself and society through this class than I have in all of my other classes combined.
As far as Mr. Severe is concerned, I have nothing but positive feedback. No, I am not trying to suck up; I really think he did an excellent job as our professor for this class. I like how he had a sense of humor and was generally fun to be around but demanded respect at the same time. I thought all of our assignments were interesting and relevant to our discussions and the class as a whole. I usually do not enjoy writing, but I loved how almost all of our writing assignments were assigned in a way in which we could be creative and write about what interests us.
Therefore, on a scale from 1 to 10, this class gets a 9.6.
One thing that I really loved about this class was that I learned so much about things I find interesting. There were times when my roommate nicknamed this class “Psychology 101” because of our continual examinations on topics such as gender roles and homosexuality. However, I truly enjoyed the analysis and discussion we had in class as well as on our blogs. They truly made me think about issues in society and current events in ways that I had never thought about before. I feel like I have learned more about myself and society through this class than I have in all of my other classes combined.
As far as Mr. Severe is concerned, I have nothing but positive feedback. No, I am not trying to suck up; I really think he did an excellent job as our professor for this class. I like how he had a sense of humor and was generally fun to be around but demanded respect at the same time. I thought all of our assignments were interesting and relevant to our discussions and the class as a whole. I usually do not enjoy writing, but I loved how almost all of our writing assignments were assigned in a way in which we could be creative and write about what interests us.
Therefore, on a scale from 1 to 10, this class gets a 9.6.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Excelsior!
Well, that was unexpected.
I don't know quite what I thought a college English class would be like - there is a vague notion in my mind of lectures on participles - but this wasn't it. For once, my age-old formula for handling class - Read, Regurgitate, Repeat - wasn't going to work. The homework was nothing - the hard part of the class was that it forced you to think. That's a real change from high school.
To be sure, it wasn't all sunshine. The books and films - with the exception of V for Vendetta, of course - weren't quite what I would have picked. I never did enjoy violence. That is part of what college is, though, I suppose - exposure to new things and the broadenings of one's horizons.
Did I learn anything? Was the course useful? Yes! I did not learn to write, but rather to tailor my writing. I did not learn to read, but rather how to discuss what I had read. Instead of endless basic grammar and drills, we had a few papers that challenged us.
The most important thing about this course, though? It was interesting! One day we discussed whether it is wrong to do wrong to do right, the next day child soldiers. After lecture after lecture, this was a class that I could look forward to.
I wish I could retake it.
I don't know quite what I thought a college English class would be like - there is a vague notion in my mind of lectures on participles - but this wasn't it. For once, my age-old formula for handling class - Read, Regurgitate, Repeat - wasn't going to work. The homework was nothing - the hard part of the class was that it forced you to think. That's a real change from high school.
To be sure, it wasn't all sunshine. The books and films - with the exception of V for Vendetta, of course - weren't quite what I would have picked. I never did enjoy violence. That is part of what college is, though, I suppose - exposure to new things and the broadenings of one's horizons.
Did I learn anything? Was the course useful? Yes! I did not learn to write, but rather to tailor my writing. I did not learn to read, but rather how to discuss what I had read. Instead of endless basic grammar and drills, we had a few papers that challenged us.
The most important thing about this course, though? It was interesting! One day we discussed whether it is wrong to do wrong to do right, the next day child soldiers. After lecture after lecture, this was a class that I could look forward to.
I wish I could retake it.
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