November 16, 2009
by Andres Munoz Jr
My school has recently adopted the Great Books program (along numerous other additions, but that is a whole other story), and while I was skeptical at first – mostly because I already felt overwhelmed by the number of expectations in the curriculum – I must say I am pleasantly surprised at its reception by and effect on my students. They can’t wait to read another Great Books selection, and while they think they are not learning anything, little do they know that they are picking up the skills they need to read, think, and write critically!
I wonder if I could write the entire curriculum around the Great Books? Each selection addresses a specific topic or idea, and I could (not easily, but possibly) group that selection with various literary texts that share the same topic or idea. Now, that would be no problem in my AP classes where I could select from world authors. Even in my British literature classes – I could come up with more than enough textual ideas.
Category Education |
No Comments » | Tagged curriculum, Education, Great Books
November 15, 2009
by Andres Munoz Jr
Why am I here on Edublogs? I currently blog on Blogger and Ning, so why would I need another one? I have decided that my blog will be used as a dialogue on my journey as a reader, educator, and life-long learner. My hope is that I will be able to reflect on my experiences in education and track my growth as an educator.
Cross of St. Benedict
First, a little bit about me. I am a Catholic high school English teacher, a son and brother, friend and colleague, pilgrim and wonderer. My philosophy of education is based on the formation of the entire person: intellectual, spiritual, physical, and moral. I look at my work as an educator as a ministry and a vocation – a calling. I try to live by the “Benedictine maxim” of ora et labora et lectio. While it can be difficult to deal with all the paperwork and red tape found in the educational system, I try to remember that even the most mundane and “seemingly pointless” work is important.
My role as an educator is not to deliver fact after fact and have my students regurgitate the information, but rather to help them develop the critical and analytical skills they need to be mature evaluators of all the information they are constantly being fed. It is challenging, but it is fulfilling.
Category Education |
1 Comment » | Tagged Education, philosophy, spirituality
