I teach a class called 10th grade Inclusion--where our school has placed all students who struggle with English (not just those who get bad grades--some of them fail by choice--but those who really don't get it). When I met this class on the first day I quickly realized that out of 15 students, 13 of them are boys! Fortunately I have a husband and a brother-in-law who didn't love English either, so I can relate pretty easily to what I would call the "good ole boys."
But, I have quickly learned that no matter how much I personally can find in common with these students--who prefer working outdoors, motor-sports, and hunting to sitting in a classroom--I realize that the English curriculum is not friendly to them.
Our school curriculum guide says I have to teach them poetry and that is where I have started in the past--just to get it out of the way. These boys (yes there are two girls in the class, but I sometimes forget about them) are expected to learn basic literary devices and we started talking about simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia (word for a sound in case you forget), and hyperbole (exaggeration). I actually used a Montgomery Gentry song "Gone" to teach them many of these terms. After that song we went into discussion of a fish poem, but I am running out of "boy material" for my poetry unit.
I have read them some Baxter Black poems--my favorite cowboy author! Unfortunately they do not understand some of his lofty philosophy and Baxter doesn't exactly focus on use of literary technique.
They seem to be focusing on the material that I have worked so hard to make relevant for them--unfortunately, yesterday when I asked them to apply what they learned to writing their own poem, it didn't go so well. I asked them to write a poem about an animal and use the literary devices we have been learning. Their similes, in which they are supposed to compare two unlike things using the words like or as looked more like this: Deer like to eat grass! I was so frustrated.
Any advice on material I can use for these boys or how to help them apply what they have learned? I have a feeling it is going to be a long year with these guys--I am lucky that they seem to like me, because if they didn't I don't know what I would be up against.
They like you! That's a great starting point.
ReplyDeleteI love Baxter Black too but yeah, not so available to teens sometimes. I'm not sure what advice to give you. Read from the newspaper or magazines or anything gory? Vampires? (I have never read any of the vampire books but I'd do it in a minute if it got my kids reading.) Dean was never into English much either. I'll ask if he has any suggestions for you. Good luck.