Narrators

Today, I am asking my students to reflect on their favorite narration. We will be reading Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain. It's a great family story, but it is unique in the sense that it is told from the point of view of the family dog. Their favorite narrator can be a first-person narrator that is a character in the novel, or it can just be a novel whose third-person perspective is unique or clever.

1. Who is your favorite narrator? What is your favorite narration?
2. Tell readers about the novel and the narration.
3. Why is this your favorite? Why might others appreciate it as well?

One of my favorite narrators is definitely Budo from Matthew Dicks's Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. In Dicks's novel, imaginary friends are real. Not only are they real, but they can also interact with every other imaginary friend. In a world where imagination is real, Budo is an excellent tour guide. Budo is the imaginary friend of the autistic Max. Since imaginary friends are exactly how their child sees them, Budo is a very smart humanoid who can walk through doors and can exist in a space without Max. Other imaginary friends are not so lucky. Some are two dimensional, while others are freakish creations. While others are restricted to exist with their child, Budo has the luxury of walking around town while Max is asleep. He can visit gas stations and hospitals observing human life and checking out imaginary friend support groups for those whose children are sick and dying in the pediatric ward. Budo is also rare in the fact that he is the oldest imaginary friend. Max has had him for years. Most do not last as long since their children gradually do not need them any more and disappear. Budo has even witnessed imaginary friends come and go in as short as ten minutes.

Budo is my favorite because he offers a unique perspective on life. He mostly spends time with Max, who is unable to communicate for himself due to his autism. Budo is there to help Max cope. While simple things like which flavor popsicle can launch Max into a panic, Budo is there to whisper into his ear that blue is the best option. From coping with bullies to taking spelling tests, Max relies on Budo, which is why Budo is able to exist so much longer than his fellow imaginary friends. However, when Max gets kidnapped, the tables are turned. Budo knows that Max will keep him in existence forever, but is that worth keeping Max away from his family? Or will Budo help Max escape, meaning that Max might learn that he can help himself and therefore not need Budo anymore?

Matthew Dicks's narrator is one of my favorites. It's a great viewpoint into a fantasy world while also staying rooted in contemporary life. It's a great read for anyone. This is one of the few books that ever made me cry because it was over.

Book Reviews (Repeat)

 [Full Disclosure: This is a repeat post from the previous school year.]

Having finished reading their first novel of the semester for this course, it is now time for the students to write their first book review. The students will review Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Each book review will start with a summary, include two parts of the novel to evaluate (not just analyze - evaluate), and finally give their overall recommendation. The evaluation part seems to be the hardest for my students because they are not used to using stuff like theme and characterization to express their opinion, only literary analysis. To help, I created one body paragraph that might serve as an example for my students. (FYI: I do not agree with this evaluation, but I thought it would be fun to branch outside of my comfort zone.)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone suffers because of its negative theme for children. When tracking down a rogue professor who means to steal a magical item that promises eternal life, the main characters Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger follow him down a trapdoor. This path leads them to a series of challenges that guard the stone. The first task is a strangling plant known as the Devil’s Snare. Harry and Ron are trapped, but Hermione is free to help. She remembers that this plant hates light, but she does not have the resources to start a fire. Ron shouts, “ARE YOU MAD? ... ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?”(278). Hermione remembers she has a magic wand, makes some fire and saves the day. The lesson here, obviously, is that no one needs hard work because magic will always be there to save the day. This is a horrible lesson to teach the youth of America because it will only create a generation of lazy individuals who wait around for a Hogwarts letter instead of actually trying in school and getting into a good college. Humans need to face their problems head on in this life, and thinking that there is a magical resource to come and save you is dangerous. Humans need to be in control of their own life and do what it takes to achieve goals in the real world. The unrealistic message of this book to its readers makes it a poor choice.

I used theme as one of my main topics to evaluate this novel. Yes, I had to analyze the theme and say what the author's main message was, but I continued to use that as an evaluation tool for whether the book is good or bad. This extra step is crucial in writing a book review. For more information, please check out the directions on MUDJ and the grading rubric included in the directions.

[New Resources]

1. Good Book Review explanation
2. Bad Book Review explanation
3. Sample student book review on The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (36.5/40)

Book The Flight, Take the Trip

 

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Ask any teacher for their favorite season, and the majority will give you the same answer: summer. Summer is a time of rest, relaxation, and recharging. It is also a time of freedom – freedom from students, freedom from responsibilities, freedom from the constant effort that this career choice requires. If it weren’t for summer, teachers across the nation would be even more burnt out that they already are. (Not so) Fun facts: Up to 30% of new teachers quit their job within five years of teaching. Those who stay in the career average 53 hours per week during the ten-month school year, which is more total hours than those who work 40 hours a week all year. Most teachers don’t take the summer off, though, as they still need to make ends meet during the two months they are unemployed.

Until recently, I taught summer school during those two months. I even served as summer school principal for five years, meaning there was no down-time to recharge at all. I just went straight into the next school year whether my batteries were charged or not. Most years, they were not, which always made for an interesting beginning to the school year to say the least.

In 2019, I took an amazing 10-day trip to Europe with my friend Isabelle. We were able to time it for exactly when summer school ended. I returned on the Sunday before going back to work. There’s nothing like traveling for an entire day, and then heading straight into a faculty meeting the next morning.

That trip was an amazing experience, and I wanted more of that feeling. There were some tour group experiences that caught my eye, but I couldn’t attend any of them because their days and length never matched up with when I was free between summer programs. If I was going to continue in my summer positions, then there was no way I could ever enjoy these experiences I’d started dreaming about.

That’s when I took a step back and realized that my entire life was wrapped up in my career. There wasn’t much about who I was and what I did that wasn’t connected to school, teaching, or extra-curriculars. I wasn’t okay with that. I needed some more variety in my life. This revelation came while school administration was starting to pile more responsibilities on my plate because no one really understood what my role meant to be summer school principal. Everything was lining up perfectly toward the same decision: leave summer school and go live your life.

In J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Fellowship of the Ring, the wizard Gandalf says, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” Summer vacation is a precious time to teachers, and I was foolishly filling it with activities that would further drain my batteries instead of recharge them. This would change.

In 2022, I spent an amazing three weeks exploring England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Wales. I met some amazing people on that tour group that I am still friends with and talk to on Instagram. The same is true of my recent 2023 trip to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. I had some amazing experiences and formed some real bonds with my fellow travelers.

Now, when I look back on my summers, I don’t see the constant work and weighty responsibilities. I see smiles and citi
es and cinnamon rolls. When I look toward the end of the school year, I don’t dread another round of even more constant work. Instead, there is a light at the end of the tunnel full of possibilities and adventure.

I choose to use the time that is given to me to live my life and gather as many new experiences as possible. That’s why, if given the opportunity, I’m always going to choose to book that flight and to take that trip. Isn’t that why I have a job with a paycheck in the first place? I choose to work to live rather than live to work.

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For other examples of "This I Believe" blog posts, check out these links to some past favorites:

1. Unmade Beds (Mr. Davidson, 2017)

2. Millennials (Mr. Davidson, 2016)

3. Rock and Roll (Evan, 2015)

4.. Detroit (Ryan, 2015)

5. Getting Lost (Mr. Davidson, 2019)

You can also check out even more examples at the official website for the program: thisibelieve.org