tonight = malbec wednesday... because red wine is good for you.
which leads me to three more favorites (i'm into the favorites thing lately):
- wine
- the black-grey-white spectrum (as seen in: b&w photos, black furniture, grey nail polish, anything grey spelled with an "e")
- my couch
--
i'm showing my 102 (intro to political islam) students the award-winning paradise now, a film set in the occupied territories & addressed to the question of what motivates extremism, particularly in its violent manifestations. it is a film which poses more questions than it offers answers, & my hope is that it will introduce in a relatively sophisticated way some of the recurring themes in the debate over the relationship between religion (in our class, islam), politics, & violence -- themes we'll spend the rest of the semester dissecting.
the most gratifying moments in my 102 sections today were the those when i looked away from the screen to find each of my students intently following the english subtitles (the film is in arabic), not texting or scribbling in notebooks or sleeping. most seemed genuinely interested, & genuinely engaged. (maybe they're just good actors/actresses, but "seemed" is sufficient for me, i'm ok with the possibility that i've donned a pair of rose-colored glasses for the evening!)
i have students in all three classes (103 included) who are really getting it. they're engaging with the material, feeling compelled by new ideas (or old ideas seen through a new lens), even responding to questions in class with many of their own. i'm exhausted -- physically, mentally -- but it sure is worth it. the job comes with a host of tactical, intellectual, even ethical challenges. but mostly i'm worn out by the constant tug i feel, the "i wish i knew more more more so i could impart that more to my students." then i have to gently remind myself that i'm not supposed to know everything yet, i only have a master's degree & i'm 25. i'm just beginning. then i feel so excited for the future, for the opportunity to continue my education & to be better someday.
which leads me to three more favorites (i'm into the favorites thing lately):
- wine
- the black-grey-white spectrum (as seen in: b&w photos, black furniture, grey nail polish, anything grey spelled with an "e")
- my couch
--
i'm showing my 102 (intro to political islam) students the award-winning paradise now, a film set in the occupied territories & addressed to the question of what motivates extremism, particularly in its violent manifestations. it is a film which poses more questions than it offers answers, & my hope is that it will introduce in a relatively sophisticated way some of the recurring themes in the debate over the relationship between religion (in our class, islam), politics, & violence -- themes we'll spend the rest of the semester dissecting.
the most gratifying moments in my 102 sections today were the those when i looked away from the screen to find each of my students intently following the english subtitles (the film is in arabic), not texting or scribbling in notebooks or sleeping. most seemed genuinely interested, & genuinely engaged. (maybe they're just good actors/actresses, but "seemed" is sufficient for me, i'm ok with the possibility that i've donned a pair of rose-colored glasses for the evening!)
i have students in all three classes (103 included) who are really getting it. they're engaging with the material, feeling compelled by new ideas (or old ideas seen through a new lens), even responding to questions in class with many of their own. i'm exhausted -- physically, mentally -- but it sure is worth it. the job comes with a host of tactical, intellectual, even ethical challenges. but mostly i'm worn out by the constant tug i feel, the "i wish i knew more more more so i could impart that more to my students." then i have to gently remind myself that i'm not supposed to know everything yet, i only have a master's degree & i'm 25. i'm just beginning. then i feel so excited for the future, for the opportunity to continue my education & to be better someday.
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1 comment:
Yesterday at least three people in my office were wearing black and grey.
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