Book Review: And Tango Makes Three

The picture book, And Tango Makes Three, was a really refreshing story that completely took me by surprise. I absolutely did not realize that it was a true story, and my astonishment only increased as I read through the book. It is very engaging (seriously, who can resist penguins?) and the illustrations were beautiful. I think that this book definitely deals with a very important, very debated issue about GLBTQ literature and their lives. It has been debated that sexuality is genetically determined, something that is part of one's nature and not an actual choice that a person makes. Some are for this argument, others are against it. I believe that this book supports the idea that gayness is not a choice, it is a scientific reality through telling the story of these penguins. If animals are gay, then it must be nature, because animals do not have the capacity to reason. They act on their instincts, embedded in them since birth and created through millions of years of evolution. I believe that this book could be used as a tool for an argument in a much higher grade than it's reading level. Would I have it in my classroom in a younger grade? Probably not. I'm still not sure about my comfort level in explaining sexuality to young (K-2) children, but I am comfortable teaching them about how everyone is different and it is vitality important to accept those differences in order to live in peace with one another.

Boy Meets Classroom?

First things first, I LOVED Boy Meets Boy. I think it's a fantastic novel that portrays a loving relationship, complete with struggles, flirtation, and even meeting the parents for the first time. The characters are completely relatable, the language is beautiful, and the story just pulls at my heartstrings. But I am confused about how to use this book? Could it be used for a project or a discussion in my classroom? What age group would it be for? I feel like it would have to be for high school students, and it is definitely a romance novel in a lot of respects. Would boys at that age be receptive to it? I feel like this is something I could definitely have in my library, but I do not know how I would implement it in my curriculum. Any suggestions?

Getting Lost

I think the point of novels is getting lost in this class. People have become so focused on analyzing the book as a tool to portray a different culture that they forget that it is a novel. About PEOPLE. People are inherently complex, battling a variety of issues at any given time. So when Justine is worried about being fat and liking boys and her grandmother dying, she's still Jewish, still portraying a multicultural perspective, but it's from a TWELVE YEAR OLD GIRL. The impression from our discussions in class is that people expect these novels to be textbooks that cover everything about a culture from A to Z accurately. I believe that they cover the narrator's life from A to Z accurately, and it is important to remember that these books are written from a certain perspective. That person may not be completely orthodox Jewish, or know everything about ancient Native American rituals, or be entirely proud to be Palestinian. That said, it is still important to be aware of that narrator's perspective as well as the cultural representation. But take the words, practices, places and people with a grain of salt. For example, Levithan created an entirely idealistic high school representation in Boy Meets Boy, but he did it with PURPOSE. Authorial intent and artistic license are also something to consider when reading. Please, when reading, don't forget that novels themselves are complex, to say nothing of the subject matter and people within them.

Leftovers

So, I've been thinking a lot about the discussion that was had about the book, Confessions of a Closet Catholic. I realize I was a big part of that discussion, and I left feeling kind of unsettled, like I did not say everything I had intended. As far as the discrepancy between the kinds of Catholic practices presented in the book is concerned, I realize now that some of those practices were outdated. BUT, put in context of the book and the narrator, who consistently throughout the book demonstrated a classic view of Catholicism. This makes sense, because she was a self taught Catholic who had access to limited, outdated resources. Therefore, it makes sense that the church she visited offered Saturday confessions. This fits with the theme of classic Catholic practices that has been constantly referred back to in the novel. So that's my last word on that.

I've Got My Philosophy

Is a philosophy something that can be written in a sentence? Two? A paragraph? I feel as though it is something that has been formed of a lifetime of experiences, educational and other, and will continue to change, grow, develop, mold, as life goes on. Teaching is about life, and life is never still. Up until this point, I would say that so much of me, my personality, experiences, interests, pains, problems all contribute to my life philosophy, and therefore my teaching philosophy. Educationally speaking, my philosophy has been formed through my experiences, both good and bad, painful and engaging, in thirteen years of school (including kindergarten!).
MSU and the College of Ed have both been integral in shaping my philosophy of education through the classes I have taken, as well as the intense promotion of diversity that saturates the university. Until college I had not really been concerned with diversity, I have always thought that everybody is different in their own way, and that was just fine with me as long as they weren't hurting themselves or me at all. Diversity has definitely achieved a new and much more complex definition after arriving here.
Now I feel much more well equipped to deal with situations of diversity and teach diversity to my students, hopefully in a light of social justice and equality. I want everyone to feel welcome into my classroom, to promote peace among all people, and work hard to establish principles of equality in my students, my classroom, and my community (ie. the world). Pretty ambitious, to say the least. But I think that's all part of my philosophy. To make a difference. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Live peacefully and simply. Love. I hope to take all of these qualities, ideals, ideas and promote them in the classroom. It is a goal of mine to teach life skills, to empower students to be the best person they can be, to be themselves, believe in themselves, and make a difference. Go and change the world. I'll be right there with you.
So this is kind of an unrefined, scattered, wild attempt at gathering thoughts for my personal philosophy. Hopefully by the end of this year I will be able to create something refined and eloquent, something that I can carry with me through my years of teaching and life.

Appalachian Trail

This post really doesn't have anything to do with class, it's just something I would like to post about my Spring Break trip, if anyone's interested.

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Symbolically Speaking

Our discussion about The Heart of A Chief revolved around the use of names as ways to identify, stereotype, and control people. I realized not too long ago that the school district in which I am employed, Okemos, uses the Chief as it's mascot and logo. The Native American head with a feathered headdress is all over the apparel from the school district. I was wondering, how is it that some schools have gotten away with using such stereotypical images as their mascots while other schools have been so persecuted? Does anyone know if Okemos has encountered any suits or issues over the use of the Native American Chief as it's mascot? Should this be taken up with the school district? Why hasn't it before? It really made me realize how subconsciously these stereotypes reside in me. I had not noticed until well after the discussion that the mascot was a Native American chief - it had not bothered me, it was of no consequence at all. Do I consider myself biased? No. Have I internalized these stereotypes which have invaded the media unconsciously? Most likely, yes. How can we go about combating these stereotypes, aside from learning about them in this class and taking what we know about diversity into the classroom? So many questions from such a seemingly simple symbol.