Den of the Beastly Bear
"The best-laid plans of mice and men, oft times go awry."
-Robert Burns-
Hi Folks!
After those last few we'll lighten up a little...
I'd like to start the day by wishing a very Happy Birthday to my friend and blogging mentor MiMi Smith, and my sister-in-law Kim Boesel!!!
Kim is a new reader who sat down last weekend and read every-single-blog I've written since the first of the year! It took her over three hours...Now that's dedication! Thank you, Kimmie!
The above quote inspired the title of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" and certainly has applied to my life! As I think I adequately demonstrated in my "Consequences" trinity.
But it reminds me so much of Sophomore English, and my teacher Mr. Hal Farah!
Now Mr. Farah could have just assigned us the reading of Steinbeck's short story...but instead, he read it aloud in class and had us follow along. Then to mix it up he'd have students read a paragraph or two!
I can still see him hopped up on his desk, legs swinging as he read...doing voices for the different characters. A trick I picked up for reading to my daughter, it got us and her more involved in the story!
He did the same for Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby" and Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliette". He got us engaged in the stories like I'd never experienced before!
-Robert Burns-
Hi Folks!
After those last few we'll lighten up a little...
I'd like to start the day by wishing a very Happy Birthday to my friend and blogging mentor MiMi Smith, and my sister-in-law Kim Boesel!!!
Kim is a new reader who sat down last weekend and read every-single-blog I've written since the first of the year! It took her over three hours...Now that's dedication! Thank you, Kimmie!
The above quote inspired the title of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" and certainly has applied to my life! As I think I adequately demonstrated in my "Consequences" trinity.
But it reminds me so much of Sophomore English, and my teacher Mr. Hal Farah!
Now Mr. Farah could have just assigned us the reading of Steinbeck's short story...but instead, he read it aloud in class and had us follow along. Then to mix it up he'd have students read a paragraph or two!
I can still see him hopped up on his desk, legs swinging as he read...doing voices for the different characters. A trick I picked up for reading to my daughter, it got us and her more involved in the story!
He did the same for Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby" and Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliette". He got us engaged in the stories like I'd never experienced before!
I don't know how many of you here are " The Walking Dead" fans, but the episode of 3/16/14 "The Grove" was certainly an homage to Steinbeck.
When Carol took Lizzie to the grove and told her to "look at the flowers Lizzie.."
I turned to my wife and said: "Of Mice and Men"!
She said "Huh?"
She didn't have a "Mr. Farah"!
So thank you, Mr. Farah!
Thank you for instilling in me a love of classic American literature, and literature in general by your love of teaching and sharing your knowledge with us!
You opened the world to me!
I thought of an April Fools blog today but decided against it.
Also, today starts the blogger April A-Z Challenge...I've been encouraged to join in, but have decided to opt out.
It feels too "contrived" and WAY too much like Homework...and I HATE homework!!! Lol.
Even Mr. Farah wasn't able to cure that!
Be Well!!!
Beastly Bear
Teachers like that made school worth attending. They are the teachers we carry with us for the rest of our lives! ♥
ReplyDeleteIndeed he is Kathy, he has since retired...I still run into him Evey now and then!
DeleteI had an English teacher like that too...Mrs. Webster. She was awesome. She lived with another awesome teacher, Mrs. Winnings (said to be 'just' roommates although it was highly doubted by most people but no one in town cared b/c their kids loved both of them). At the end of my 5th grade year I timidly walked to the front office and asked if I could please please please be assigned to Mrs. Winnings for 6th grade. Doing something like that was real out of character for me but I had to be in her class. They smiled and made no promises, but I got her for 6th grade. The fact that my dad did their plumbing probably also helped!
ReplyDeleteGood Teachers make all the difference!!! If you can involve the kids, capture their imagination...they WANT to know what comes next! I was lucky that most of my teachers were above average and some were excellent!!!
DeleteGreat post. I had a couple very good teachers that left lasting impressions. I am starting to agree with you on the A-Z blogging feeling a lot like homework.
ReplyDeleteHey GG, great to see you! Thanks for stopping in! Just couldn't make myself join the A-Z challenge...I'm long winded at the best of times, and trying to do both my personal AND the A-Z would have been too much! And JUST doing the A-Z would have felt forced and contrived.
DeleteAw, thank you Joe and I too loved Mr. Farah.. Did he ever show you that pic of his wife that he kept in his wallet? He was so proud of her. She looked like she just stepped out of one of those "Beach Blanket Bingo" movies. :) And did you know his family is those Farah knit slacks?
ReplyDeleteYou're Welcome MiMi! Yes, he did...I think he showed us all! Lol
DeleteI did not know about the family connection to the slacks! I learn something new everyday!