To Be Scared or Not to Be Scared

As today goes on, I hear the groans and fear about having to read Shakespeare and delve into Romeo and Juliet. But, it's really not as hard as you think. Yes, it will take some getting used to, and it won't be a walk in the park. But, you will get it. I'm not going to let you leave without getting it. I will hold your hand through this process and will break it down for you. I'm not going to let you flounder through it on your own. When we finish - you may not like it still (which is perfectly OK) - but you will have conquered it.

I'll give full disclosure - I LOVE Shakespeare. Enough so, that my best friend and I waited for stand by tickets to go see Shakespeare in the Park in Central Park for 90 minutes. I've seen, listened and read enough of them that they aren't hard for me to understand anymore (yes, at one point, Shakespeare was as easy to read for me as Russian would be). So, I get really excited for this unit. I love teaching it, and I love it when I see you guys start to get it.

I take away something new from this play every year. Shakespeare's writing is so complex and intriguing, it's almost impossible to get everything he's included in a first read. Not only that, but there's at least once during this unit that you guys bring up something that I haven't thought of or realized about the play. That's the beauty of schema and personal experiences; we all bring new ideas to the table, which gives us new insight into what we are hearing/reading. So, with any luck, this play will always keep changing for me.

Going back to being scared - you aren't the only one. Believe it or not, when I started teaching this two years ao, I was scared to death. How was I going to make it relevant/interesting/exciting? What if I missed stuff? What if I didn't explain it well enough? But, once I started teaching it, I realized those were all silly thoughts. I did fine with it. Not as well as I would have liked to, but I keep making improvements every year. I notice what I leave out and listen to what you guys need/are confused with. It's still not perfect, but with your help, I get better. Just like with my help, you'll get this!