Wednesday, November 5, 2008
So it's been a year!
The adventures (or lack of?) haha
Lit Class of 2008... 
So, finally we've finished a year.
I remember the trepidations and excitement when I first stepped into class.
We started with the reviews of Drama, Prose & Poetry...and then came my nightmare...
To Kill A MockingBird.
An MCQ test, A Common Test, Written Assignments, Mr Laremy Lee's wonderful presence...one of my favourite lesson through the PowerPoint on Discrimination, Klu Klux Clan...and finally...the PIZZA CHALLENGE.
I used to say "We're killing the bird. The Bird is killing us. Sigh..."
Whew.
Next came... POETRY.
Oh yes, what poems!
The Secret Sits
"We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows."
- Robert Frost.
The Prose intersperse our lessons once in a while...with the ring in the I/C, and many others in our Mining for Meaning...I always enjoy the Eureka! moments we had!
Then came...Off Centre.
I think we all know the power of this text on us in different ways - the choice of words, the language, the actors/actress, the days we were in AVA room for the videos. I really really look forward to us tackling this text deeper next year.
Of course - our learning journeys & outings. Whew, I've never brought a single class to such classy learning journeys in a year! (The perks of a literature literature. haha)
- Black Box @National Library
- Off Centre @Esplanade
- Seminars @CHIJ Toa Payoh
I'm excited about the NUS and IMH outings next year. Let me see if there are more to enrich your learning... perhaps we can go and present at the seminars next year!
On this note, I just really want to thank you for being my students this year - for teaching me patience, for being patient with me, for the fun, the joy, the understandings and of course, challenging me to have "backup plans" all the time and pushing me to "think more out of the box" to get you all engaged. I will try my best to run the race with you next year.
Will you run this literature race yourself, with the class, and with me?
(On a cheeky note: can you please sleep all you want during this holidays, so that we can minimize the sleepyness and "slackness" next year?)
During this holidays, I'll be uploading more links and materials on the blog.
Do re-read MockingBird once again - love it, and come next year - we'll focus on writing more essays for Mocking, OffCentre and Unseen.
Reach for the results, and grow as a literary person! 
Love, Ms Denise Chan
Have a most blessed holiday.
