Teaching Lord of the Rings

[Forkbeard]

Originally posted by Valandil
Hang in there Forkbeard. Even if it didn't seem like it worked within the constraints of a class, maybe you piqued the interest of at least a few of them to give the books a more thorough reading at some later time. If so, you'll likely not even hear about it, but I hope you will. And I expect that some at least WILL go back and give them a good reading... maybe even this summer!

Hey Valandil,

Its ok. The thing that is difficult for one such as me to learn (and we all go through this at big state universities) is that while we love our subject matter passionately, our students do not. And they likely never will, or at least we will never see it. The only class I've taught at this level that has not been this way has been Bible as Literature. But that is the nature of teaching freshman and sophmores in humanities classes: no matter how one attempts to find a way to turn the lights on, it won't happen unless the student first wants them turned on. Too often the switches are locked and guarded against one.

[Olmer]

Originally posted by Forkbeard
Too often the switches are locked and guarded against one.

It does not matter. If you really tried to reach them, then the seeds were sawn.
Even the most unattentive will carry out the knowledge.

Looking back at my school days I see myself with bored look doodling on the page, half listening as my literature teacher reading poetry to the class with her face alight with emotions.
We called her "pain in the neck" because she asked from us not just a simple reading. Every book was a quest to conqeer. We were groaning at her wild and out of program projects, but after the school I found myself to continue thinking the way she taught us, and later this analitic and creative way of thinking helped me to deal with everyday life matters, not to mention to get life-long love for literature.
God bless teachers!

[Forkbeard]

Originally posted by Olmer
It does not matter. If you really tried to reach them, then the seeds were sawn.
Even the most unattentive will carry out the knowledge.

Looking back at my school days I see myself with bored look doodling on the page, half listening as my literature teacher reading poetry to the class with her face alight with emotions.
We called her "pain in the neck" because she asked from us not just a simple reading. Every book was a quest to conqeer. We were groaning at her wild and out of program projects, but after the school I found myself to continue thinking the way she taught us, and later this analitic and creative way of thinking helped me to deal with everyday life matters, not to mention to get life-long love for literature.
God bless teachers!

Thanks Olmer, I'll keep that in mind. It is after all the eventual goal: to get people to think.