I am very sorry about your dad deleting your story. Something similar happened to me in high school, and I still get pains in my chest thinking about it. I thought I was stupid to be so upset, until my mother told me that it was okay. "That story was your baby," she told me. It's terrible when you loose something that you put so much work into.
It's a little difficult to think of questions to ask when you've known someone for a long while. You said that people told you on numerous occasions that you'd be a good teacher, even if they didn't say why. Why do YOU think they believed that? This is less because I am curious, and more because it is good to see things from the outside perspective every once and awhile, even if you're only guessing at the other's thought process.
Well, the good news about the story is that it happened so long ago that it doesn't bother me much nowadays. I cried initially, but after a while I moved on to other things and my (rather bizarre and incoherent) story that I lost buried itself into my past.
Hmm...that's a good question. I've thought about it myself, and the best answer I can give is that I feel like my demeanor would have been a big factor. I was a very quiet, kind, and reserved person in middle school and even to some extent in high school, so many people (including teachers) could have assumed that it would make me an approachable person. I've also always possessed a strong speaking voice and have no problem being heard when I choose to speak. That could be part of it as well.
Hi, Kayleigh! Your biography was an interesting read. I am an Early American Literature fan myself, but I am partial to Victorian Literature. What would you say is the text that most stands out to you from the period? "Goblin Market" is certainly top of the list for me.
Oh, I love Goblin Market! It's hard to say, though, since there's so much material from that period (and a lot of it is very well-known, even if people don't realize that's where it's from). I read "The Importance of Being Earnest" in high school and thought it was hilarious, so that's definitely a work that comes to mind. "Alice in Wonderland" is still a great little read, too. I haven't read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories that were published within the "established" Victorian dates, but "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is a fantastic novel as well.
Hey, Kayleigh! It was great getting to know more about you and I look forward to working with you.
I thought it was interesting how you specifically mentioned that you wanted to make your students feel okay about not liking a classic. That said, my question to you is, are there any classics that you yourself do not like? If so, why don't you like it?
Also, I love William Blake. I also enjoy Victorian literature, especially Robert Browning. Are you a fan of any of his poems?
I have...a bit of a love-hate relationship with Frankenstein. I don't think it's a particularly well-written book, but the fact that I have such a visceral hatred of it's main character says a lot about the text beyond the quality of the prose. I can say that, generally-speaking, I don't care for many American literature from 1940-1960's. I took a class on it at GCSU and said that I out-righted hated Ginsberg's "Howl" and I'm pretty sure the professor almost fell out of his chair. He never called my opinion stupid, but his reaction made me feel like I was crazy for not liking it, and even when he asked why and I tried to explain it, the look on his face just said "Shock" and I felt really uncomfortable.
Yes! Browning writes very monologue-type poetry, so it's the kind of stuff that's especially fun to read aloud. I know it's super popular in general, but I always thought "My Last Duchess" was hilarious. You go into it thinking it's one thing and it turns into another, with a rather dark twist.
Hi Kayleigh! I really enjoyed reading your biography and getting to know you more! My question is would you prefer to teach literature or creative writing or perhaps both?
I think I'd enjoy both, but maybe for different reasons. I love interacting with books and seeing what other people think about them, but it would also be rewarding to see students create their own work. Creativity is such a fun thing to spark in kids and I think both avenues of teaching would allow that to happen.
Hello! I hope that you will succeed in your goal to make English class fun, because, despite my love of reading, English classes were always my least favorite. My question is what is your favorite Disney movie?
Aw, no! I'm sorry that that was your experience! I hope that I'm able to make it fun, too. Oh gosh...that's a hard question to answer! I'm actually a huge fan of Bambi if for no other reason that it's just a completely gorgeous movie and an impressive accomplishment considering the fact that animation was still such a new art form at the time. But I also really love Beauty and the Beast & Tangled. Rapunzel is my favorite princess.
I love going to comedy clubs in Atlanta and would love to tagg along next time you go see your brother. I was wondering if you have a preferred grade you would like to teach?
He'd love that! He's always glad when people indulge in his jokes haha. I don't actually have a preferred grade. I thought for a while that I wanted to teach high school, but I'm now willing to go the middle school route as well. It just depends on my experience this year, I think.
Hi! I was just wondering what has been your inspiration to teach language arts? Did you have any professors or teachers throughout your education that particularly inspired you?
I actually had the same English teacher for three years in high school (it just kind of worked out that way because my school was brand new and kept tripping over its English curriculum), and I liked her a lot. She showed a lot of movies and we did several projects and creative activities that I enjoyed, so I hope to apply some of those things to my teaching as well.
Thank you! Hmm...my answer could change a lot depending on what I'm doing and what experience I have with a language. I've taken both French and Spanish and would love to, if not speak them, be able to read them or understand them when spoken. At the moment, if I had to choose a language to learn to both speak and write/read, it would be Japanese. It's such a neat, musical language and something so completely different than ours. Not sure how much I'd actually use it, but hey! It's always fun to learn things for the sake of it!
Kayleigh, I also love to question, what makes a classic, a "classic," and challenge people from time to time on books or poetry, that they love and I'm "so so" on. It's fun to have subjective debates that no one can win. I had an English professor who graduated from Haaarvard (which he was quick to point out) and his focus was primarily Hawthorne, along with his published essays/works, and I believe dissertation. So although the class was supposed to focus on Early American Lit, we basically just studied Hawthorne. Each novel or short story, I wondered why Hawthorne was so highly respected. Are there any works or authors you’ve not really considered as brilliant as seemingly everyone else does? Or possibly, just don’t connect with? JF
I am relieved to meet someone with the guts to admit to not liking some of the classics (with the exception of Joyce's "Ulysses" which is apparently the only classic you can dislike and not be scoffed at.) I also started a lot of my writing on a virtual website when I was a kid. I used Neopets; what about you? Also, since you mentioned geek and London, I must ask, are you a Whovian?
Haha yes, I'm not afraid to admit that I don't like certain classics. A lot of times I think we get stuck on the idea that they've been around for so long and are so well-known that to challenge them is a shocking and scary thing. Ahhhhh no way! Neopets was the site I used! I used to play on it constantly. It still holds a special place in my heart. No, I'm not. I am into so many different things that I was never able to get into that. One of these days I should definitely try at least a few episodes of the show.
Hey Kayleigh, its so refreshing to meet somebody else who wants to make English classes more fun! I agree that it should be okay to dislike a classic work and I think that if more students were given books to read that actually entertained them then it would be a much more enjoyable subject. If you could, would your classroom ban the classics completely in favor of more contemporary works?
Hi Kayleigh, I love the spelling of your name, by the way--very pretty. Do you think that your battle with anxiety has helped you relate to more groups of people? In college, more people battle with anxiety and stress than we would like to admit. I think that many of the contributing factors are our environment and what fears we allow to reside in our brains about life.
What do you think would be a way to minimize stress and anxiety for your future students?
I am very sorry about your dad deleting your story. Something similar happened to me in high school, and I still get pains in my chest thinking about it. I thought I was stupid to be so upset, until my mother told me that it was okay. "That story was your baby," she told me. It's terrible when you loose something that you put so much work into.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little difficult to think of questions to ask when you've known someone for a long while. You said that people told you on numerous occasions that you'd be a good teacher, even if they didn't say why. Why do YOU think they believed that? This is less because I am curious, and more because it is good to see things from the outside perspective every once and awhile, even if you're only guessing at the other's thought process.
Well, the good news about the story is that it happened so long ago that it doesn't bother me much nowadays. I cried initially, but after a while I moved on to other things and my (rather bizarre and incoherent) story that I lost buried itself into my past.
DeleteHmm...that's a good question. I've thought about it myself, and the best answer I can give is that I feel like my demeanor would have been a big factor. I was a very quiet, kind, and reserved person in middle school and even to some extent in high school, so many people (including teachers) could have assumed that it would make me an approachable person. I've also always possessed a strong speaking voice and have no problem being heard when I choose to speak. That could be part of it as well.
Hi, Kayleigh! Your biography was an interesting read. I am an Early American Literature fan myself, but I am partial to Victorian Literature. What would you say is the text that most stands out to you from the period? "Goblin Market" is certainly top of the list for me.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love Goblin Market! It's hard to say, though, since there's so much material from that period (and a lot of it is very well-known, even if people don't realize that's where it's from). I read "The Importance of Being Earnest" in high school and thought it was hilarious, so that's definitely a work that comes to mind. "Alice in Wonderland" is still a great little read, too. I haven't read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories that were published within the "established" Victorian dates, but "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is a fantastic novel as well.
DeleteHey, Kayleigh! It was great getting to know more about you and I look forward to working with you.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how you specifically mentioned that you wanted to make your students feel okay about not liking a classic. That said, my question to you is, are there any classics that you yourself do not like? If so, why don't you like it?
Also, I love William Blake. I also enjoy Victorian literature, especially Robert Browning. Are you a fan of any of his poems?
I have...a bit of a love-hate relationship with Frankenstein. I don't think it's a particularly well-written book, but the fact that I have such a visceral hatred of it's main character says a lot about the text beyond the quality of the prose. I can say that, generally-speaking, I don't care for many American literature from 1940-1960's. I took a class on it at GCSU and said that I out-righted hated Ginsberg's "Howl" and I'm pretty sure the professor almost fell out of his chair. He never called my opinion stupid, but his reaction made me feel like I was crazy for not liking it, and even when he asked why and I tried to explain it, the look on his face just said "Shock" and I felt really uncomfortable.
DeleteYes! Browning writes very monologue-type poetry, so it's the kind of stuff that's especially fun to read aloud. I know it's super popular in general, but I always thought "My Last Duchess" was hilarious. You go into it thinking it's one thing and it turns into another, with a rather dark twist.
Hi Kayleigh! I really enjoyed reading your biography and getting to know you more! My question is would you prefer to teach literature or creative writing or perhaps both?
ReplyDeleteI think I'd enjoy both, but maybe for different reasons. I love interacting with books and seeing what other people think about them, but it would also be rewarding to see students create their own work. Creativity is such a fun thing to spark in kids and I think both avenues of teaching would allow that to happen.
DeleteHello! I hope that you will succeed in your goal to make English class fun, because, despite my love of reading, English classes were always my least favorite. My question is what is your favorite Disney movie?
ReplyDeleteAw, no! I'm sorry that that was your experience! I hope that I'm able to make it fun, too. Oh gosh...that's a hard question to answer! I'm actually a huge fan of Bambi if for no other reason that it's just a completely gorgeous movie and an impressive accomplishment considering the fact that animation was still such a new art form at the time. But I also really love Beauty and the Beast & Tangled. Rapunzel is my favorite princess.
DeleteI love going to comedy clubs in Atlanta and would love to tagg along next time you go see your brother. I was wondering if you have a preferred grade you would like to teach?
ReplyDeleteHe'd love that! He's always glad when people indulge in his jokes haha. I don't actually have a preferred grade. I thought for a while that I wanted to teach high school, but I'm now willing to go the middle school route as well. It just depends on my experience this year, I think.
DeleteHi! I was just wondering what has been your inspiration to teach language arts? Did you have any professors or teachers throughout your education that particularly inspired you?
ReplyDeleteI actually had the same English teacher for three years in high school (it just kind of worked out that way because my school was brand new and kept tripping over its English curriculum), and I liked her a lot. She showed a lot of movies and we did several projects and creative activities that I enjoyed, so I hope to apply some of those things to my teaching as well.
DeleteHey, Kayleigh! I thought your bio was really interesting. If you had to choose a language to learn, which one would you choose?
ReplyDeleteThank you! Hmm...my answer could change a lot depending on what I'm doing and what experience I have with a language. I've taken both French and Spanish and would love to, if not speak them, be able to read them or understand them when spoken. At the moment, if I had to choose a language to learn to both speak and write/read, it would be Japanese. It's such a neat, musical language and something so completely different than ours. Not sure how much I'd actually use it, but hey! It's always fun to learn things for the sake of it!
DeleteKayleigh, I also love to question, what makes a classic, a "classic," and challenge people from time to time on books or poetry, that they love and I'm "so so" on. It's fun to have subjective debates that no one can win. I had an English professor who graduated from Haaarvard (which he was quick to point out) and his focus was primarily Hawthorne, along with his published essays/works, and I believe dissertation. So although the class was supposed to focus on Early American Lit, we basically just studied Hawthorne. Each novel or short story, I wondered why Hawthorne was so highly respected. Are there any works or authors you’ve not really considered as brilliant as seemingly everyone else does? Or possibly, just don’t connect with? JF
ReplyDeleteI am relieved to meet someone with the guts to admit to not liking some of the classics (with the exception of Joyce's "Ulysses" which is apparently the only classic you can dislike and not be scoffed at.) I also started a lot of my writing on a virtual website when I was a kid. I used Neopets; what about you? Also, since you mentioned geek and London, I must ask, are you a Whovian?
ReplyDeleteHaha yes, I'm not afraid to admit that I don't like certain classics. A lot of times I think we get stuck on the idea that they've been around for so long and are so well-known that to challenge them is a shocking and scary thing. Ahhhhh no way! Neopets was the site I used! I used to play on it constantly. It still holds a special place in my heart. No, I'm not. I am into so many different things that I was never able to get into that. One of these days I should definitely try at least a few episodes of the show.
DeleteHey Kayleigh, its so refreshing to meet somebody else who wants to make English classes more fun! I agree that it should be okay to dislike a classic work and I think that if more students were given books to read that actually entertained them then it would be a much more enjoyable subject. If you could, would your classroom ban the classics completely in favor of more contemporary works?
ReplyDeleteWhat was your favorite part about attend GCSU for your undergrad?
ReplyDeleteHey Kayleigh, I'm so glad we get to be in the same cohort! I was wondering if there's one place you could travel to, where would you go?
ReplyDeleteHi Kayleigh,
ReplyDeleteI love the spelling of your name, by the way--very pretty. Do you think that your battle with anxiety has helped you relate to more groups of people? In college, more people battle with anxiety and stress than we would like to admit. I think that many of the contributing factors are our environment and what fears we allow to reside in our brains about life.
What do you think would be a way to minimize stress and anxiety for your future students?