Blog # 4

When Teague was talking about that experience with her high school teachers and how she thought they knew it all, it really reminded me of my high school career. One teacher comes to mind, Mrs. Bretherick. Everyone saw her as the teacher with all the answers not just in her classes but in the whole English department at the school. I remember reading my assignments just one time and if I didn’t get it I would come to class and wait for her to give in and tell us the answers. She did teach us how to “read” though. She would give us background sheets on the period of the reading assignment and for the complicated readings such as “Beowulf” and “Ride of the Ancient Mariner” she would read it with us and teach us the “flow” of the reading. Then towards the middle she expected us to get the hang of things and take over. She wouldn’t explain every line in the Act II like she did in Act I she would make us answer her questions and then by the last Act we would be able to interpret everything by ourselves. Teague tips on how to read reminded me much of my old high school English teacher. She told us about underlining or highlighting key phrases and things like that. She also told us about making notes on a post it note and sticking in the margin of the book. Of course in those days you weren’t allowed to write in your books, but in college you can! Yes goodbye to post its forever! I would much rather put my marginal comments on the actual margin of the book. Also now underlining is a lot easier because I don’t have to go back and erase it all after I’m done with the story and the class has moved to another text. These two tips that Teague told us in the reading I have heard before but the other two are new to me. I do not know how I feel about writing a response journal but it sounds interesting. Often when I read I’ll stop and think about the questions Teague mentioned and that usually interferes with the actual reading. Maybe if I write those opinions down I can continue reading without those thoughts to sidetrack me. However I do not think that will work all the time because sometimes I get into a reading and stopping to write in a response journal will just kill my “mojo”. Then there is the “Double-Entry Notebook”. I’m going to have to go with Teague’s original response and say that it does sound like busy work. Actually it sounds a lot like Cornell notes which they taught me in History class. It’s the same concept only what you write first are word to be defined or important dates and other things of that nature. Then you would respond to what you wrote on the other side by making a shorter definition that is maybe easier to understand, or an anecdote that will help you remember something and other thing.