My co-teacher came up with an idea. She said to me: âIâm going to project a Shakespearean sonnet on the board that you have never seen before. They are going to watch you struggle through it, and they are going to see what it takes to authentically annotate something to attempt to understand itâ.
This was a good idea because it targeted a pitfall of my teaching: that I already know the answerâ a predetermined answer I want my students to come to. Therefore, when I ask the class a question, they are aware that there is an answer in my head I want them to arrive at. This method can stifle studentsâ voice.
So, I stood at the front of the classroom that day, feeling exposed, sight-reading Shakespearean sonnets. With most of the sonnets, I, with the help of the class, could only get to about 75% understanding and accuracy at best. But my confusion â my apparent struggle and frustration in understanding each new sonnetâ was key for my students. They felt free to posit their interpretations and even to disagree with me.
In each session, a student shared a thought or possibility that not only I had failed to see but was also ultimately accurate. One student couldnât wipe the smile off her face when she figured out a metaphor that stumped both me and my co-teacher. âThis was funâ, she and her classmate said to each other when the bell rang.
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