Content+Knowledge

//"Follow the yellow brick road." -E.Y. Harburg //


 * Content Knowledge **

The color yellow is the brightest of all, and the classes I have taken related to English and history have certainly made me brighter. Below are provided artifacts to display my achievement and knowledge gained in two of my content-related courses at NC State. I know that the classes I have taken have given me the perfect opportunity to expand and share what I already know with my future students. It is so important to “follow the yellow brick road” in any career, and I believe this is especially significant in teaching because sometimes it takes a while before connections are made with students. As long as I focus on **relationships** and THEN focus on the necessary //content//, I know that my students will be successful.




 * __HI455 Paper Reflection __**

The paper above that I have provided for your viewing is important to me for two reasons: I was given the chance to choose my own topic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the class that it was written for. I am very proud of this paper, and my teacher, Dr. Kelley, enjoyed it. In HI455, we learned about the Civil Rights Movement and the leaders that made it possible. Not only did I learn about events, people, laws, and world views, but I learned about how important it is to overcome obstacles. Persevering and giving all there is to give is something I must model for my students, and this paper describes Marcus Garvey, who did that even though people were against him.

I did not know anything about Marcus Garvey, and his life and motivation inspired me to do more research after seeing a documentary in class. There are so many people like Garvey who are never learned about in school. Because the movement was so large, voices and efforts are often skipped over. If I do end up teaching the eighth grade curriculum, I will certainly not gloss over the Civil Rights movement like my teachers did. By comparing the efforts of Garvey to those of W.E.B. Du Bois, my paper explains that SEVERAL voices were being used but not successfully heard.




 * __ENG207 Paper Reflection __**

Although I have written several papers for my English courses at NCSU, I chose an essay from my “Intro to Poetry” class to share with you. The reason I chose this specific paper is because the class and its texts introduced me to a genre I thought I knew about already. My readings and instruction allowed me to write this paper on Rita Dove’s “Daystar.” Although the poem is a short one, it holds so much meaning that I was luckily able to interpret it on a deep level. On my first paper, I received an A, but I related more to this one because of its close connection to gender, race, and family history.

People often think that the subject and language of English is only about essays, writing, and reading, but I think that it is more about exploration. Students have the right to explore literature, authors, history, meaning, and so much more when it comes to reading and writing. Poetry is such a beautiful way to inspire children who are reluctant to appreciate the work they can make on their own. I have already seen the power of poetry in my future student teaching classroom, and the outcomes are breathtaking. This paper shows just how much a poem of four stanzas can mean to one person, and I think it also says a lot about the power of a woman’s voice. I plan to share my voice and inspire my students to share their voices, too.


 * Enjoy the poem! **

“Daystar” by Rita Dove She wanted a little room for thinking: but she saw diapers steaming on the line, a doll slumped behind the door. So she lugged a chair behind the garage to sit out the children's naps <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Sometimes there were things to watch-- <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">the pinched armor of a vanished cricket, <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">a floating maple leaf. Other days <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">she stared until she was assured <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">when she closed her eyes <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">she'd only see her own vivid blood. <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">She had an hour, at best, before Liza appeared <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">pouting from the top of the stairs. <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">And just what was mother doing <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">out back with the field mice? Why, <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">building a palace. Later <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">that night when Thomas rolled over and <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">lurched into her, she would open her eyes <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">and think of the place that was hers <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">for an hour--where <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">she was nothing, <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">pure nothing, in the middle of the day