Reflections
Reflection One
When I came to humanities class for the first time I was honestly intimidated by how the class seemed to work. I was unaccustomed to the structure of Andy’s “democratic classroom.” It was admittedly, very difficult to adjust to his unfamiliar style of teaching. The first few days of class were spent becoming more accepting of my classmates sharing their thoughts. That was undoubtedly the most difficult part of adapting. I’m not very sensitive or considerate. So, when a peer says something that I believe is fairly stupid or asinine it becomes difficult to withhold any retorts that may be offensive to them. I am still slightly tempted to very blatantly insult people occasionally but, I feel like I have made a promising amount of progress.
The essays that we have written in class have despite their intent, only made me more frustrated than I was before. I already found writing essays in a concise, informative way difficult. However, now I must also consider the near impossible implementation of “practical and meaningful” metaphors and idioms. This concept in itself keeps me from writing. Completing a single essay is difficult. Completing a single essay while you’re trying to adhere to unfamiliar standards you dislike only enhances that difficulty.
The personal learning plans were a good idea. I will restate that. Idea. Very few people actually follow their own plans. I am amongst those individuals. I look over it occasionally, but never in a serious manner. This applies to the majority of my peers as well. I attribute this to the fact that everyone focuses more on Andy’s general program, because they want to pass the class.
The Film project was fun and extremely entertaining. The major issue though was that it seemed like my classmates (and I) weren’t focused. With extra time, they could browse the internet or distract themselves with idle conversation. I was glad to learn the fundamentals of new software, but the time we spent on it was pretty much wasted.
My understanding of myself has not become stronger, but replenished. The curriculum has inspired me to explore old, nearly forgotten facets of my personality. I can even express my creativity again through writing, poetry and drawing. The most influential assignment had thus far for me was the essay project, coupled with what we learned by reading Orwell’s work. Even though the lessons taught caused me great amounts of frustration, they were still insightful and worth the effort.
Within the last eight weeks of class there has been one discussion unlike the rest. I distinctly remember it because of Andy’s extremely lively representation of two men acting like members of the hip hop culture. It was very amusing. The discussion that ensued after his interpretation was also engaging and filled with passionate thoughts. The arguments delivered by Ross defending the actions of the illustrated characters were obviously heart-felt. He held empathy for them which truly enhanced his point. The opposition, Eric and Jordan also had very close-to-heart feelings, which made for an interesting debate. I can recall the word “racism” being thrown around a few times though, which sort of spoiled it. I hate when people jump to the conclusion that an insult against one person is a generalization.
So far Andy’s curriculum has proven itself to be unique and engaging. I personally enjoy being able to walk away from tings I don’t want to be a part of. It’s pleasing to be treated like an adult instead of a child. The only disappointment I’ve had thus far has been the result of disagreements with the democratic process (mainly the free speech part). I’d still definitely recommend the class to my friends that have yet to experience a similar classroom environment.
The know thyself unit leaves little to be desired for most of my peers. However for me, it has done little outside of what I mentioned before. I am unsure of if the unit will provide me anything new before it is over, but I enjoy surprises.
Most of my decisions concerning humanities class are made using earlier teachers as a reference. When I say “Andy’s class allows you to express yourself,” I am thinking that’s when compared to every other teacher for the same subject. My reaction to the class itself is probably measured on the same scale. Andy’s teaching style is unique because when it’s compared to for example, Ms.Gil’s humanities or Ms.Bonnor’s it’s significantly different and unlike anything I’m used to.
Thankfully I have been able to point out my own flaws and mistakes, meaning that I can fix them. Above all, I would focus on “playing well with others.” I would say that of other people as well. When opinions are shared, conflict rises temperaments become a myth. That shouldn’t be occurring and the entire class should work toward preventing that in the future.
Reflection Two
The past few months have resulted in a somewhat depressing amount of progress. Overall, it seems as though nothing has been achieved. I contribute to the class, but not always positively. I’ve yet to reconsider saying something offensive and still put forth sarcastic commentary that blatantly anger those they’re aimed at. A series of in-class examples can be taken from any discussion in which I am arguing with a classmate. Any point is often accompanied by a veiled insult or passive aggressive mocking.
My writing has received little attention, as well. With my lack of inspiration, I’ve produced less work this year than any other. No work equates to no feedback, which results in no progress or change in style.
The individual learning plans, as I mentioned in my first reflection, are ignored completely. I haven’t looked it over since I finalized it several months ago. I see no reason to. My goals change constantly and updating it with their fluctuation would just be tiresome and tedious.
Reading has become a joke, as almost everything we read in class has given me no challenge thus far. I sit down, read four words a paragraph and can discuss the content with my classmates as though I had read the entire thing. That’s assuming that the given piece has even kept my interest. Otherwise I won’t even do that. I found reading a few things particularly insulting based solely on their simplicity or inflatedness. The most inflated piece I’ve had to read thus far was “Night to his day” by Judith Lorber. It was inflated and filled with pointless content.
If there’s anything holding me back it’s definitely the speed on my peers. I feel as though because they want to take it slow, I consistently run into a wall. Every time I build up momentum, they construct a metaphorical wall with their pace.
It’s somewhat amusing, but despite my antagonistic attitude, my feelings of empathy have been strengthened the most within the last two months. How I perceive the feelings of others has changed drastically. I find myself more able to pinpoint their motives or problems. While this in itself is an advantage, my new perception has also made me more cautious. I am more hesitant than I was previously, at least when something involves other people.
There have been a few moments that I have been particularly proud of being part of the class. They are few in number, but I feel they show progress. Among them are seeing my group for a reading, after my instruction, carry out a very detailed and insightful conversation about boys and their relationships with their fathers. Hearing Nian come to the conclusion that “boys are conditioned from birth to fear their fathers” nearly brought the proverbial tear to my eye. Another exciting moment that I certainly wouldn’t want to forget was seeing everyone in the class try to follow the eight minute abs video. It was the funniest thing I had seen in the class in awhile.
I enjoy the idea of exploring phenomenology, as it interests me. I could see myself becoming very involved in discussions. I am fascinated by where perception and reality part ways. However, I would also like to get there quickly! It’s disappointing to see how we have to move so slowly because people loaf about and do nothing with their time! Aside from that, though, my feelings in relation to the class are positive. The topics we have covered are interesting and original. They do not reflect the seemingly
Reflection Three
I didn’t get to take much from phenomenology. That’s mainly because I missed five days of school as a result of the transit strike. I did get to deal with enough of it to become interested, though. I intend to purchase “The spell of the Sinuous” as suggested by Andy in class. I found the language mini-unit very intriguing. I was able to take away from it a greater appreciation for the differences in languages. I didn’t understand why dialects exist previously, but I do now. I still dislike them, as I believe they stubbornly contribute to the lack of equality in our society.
I particularly enjoyed the language unit as a whole. I find language and its effects on society interesting because of how powerful symbols are. Learning about signs and signifiers was specially fulfilling for me. I’ve always thought that the intent and the interpretation of symbols were related but different; however it was pleasant to see that I was not the only one who thought such.
I also found the connection between phenomenology and language to be interesting. The piece by John Zerzan, “Language: Origin and Meaning” contained many insights into this specific link. It mentions, “Language creates false separations and objectifications through its symbolizing power.” This powerful statement, which implies that language separates humans from their experiences, will stay with me for the rest of my life.
I both despised and enjoyed writing the fifteen essays for the minimal requirements. I don’t find nearly enough excuses to simply sit down and enjoy writing. The essays gave me a reason to do so. I completed them with relative ease, but toward the end they became marginally more frustrating. I wrote them three at a time. Communicating my thoughts isn’t difficult. What’s immensely difficult is coming up with topics to pursue. I had the most difficulty completing the conversation logs, because they required that I inevitably divide my attention between participating in the class and looking in on it. I don’t enjoy not being able to fully devote myself to something I’m interested in or trying to accomplish, which is why I find I get flustered. I tried concentrating on only writing what I heard, but that required paying minimal attention the conversation and fighting the impulses to comment on topics that I found interesting or insightful.
I’m sure that I will complete them. I have not, as of the time of this reflection’s completion. I should’ve spread out my work, but didn’t. I procrastinated and ended up having to write all of my essays two weeks before the final due date. I don’t really care though, since I did actually complete it and am perfectly fine with accepting the consequences or ill effects of my own decisions. I complete the majority of my assignments on time, so they don’t pile up. The essays however are difficult to write. I work best under pressure. I could easily be compared to your typical desperate seventies reporting, sitting in front of a type writer, white collar shirt, slacks and a cigarette in my mouth—dripping sweat like a team mascot in June. These for me though, are the best work conditions.
If I change anything about my plan next semester, it will probably be how I approach the conversation log process. I think it would be much safer to write the first ten conversations of each type down as soon as the semester begins, to make sure I have them before it is too late to acquire them. I think other students should do the same. The class as a whole has already demonstrated that it’s lazy and dislikes the conversation logs. I think this is really a problem. Andy should be more firm in his teaching style. As much as I admire new and unique teaching techniques, it’s difficult to get anything done when everyone exploits the democratic voting system for their own end. There is a difference between having a legitimate concern and just wanting to avoid doing work. I hope that he will be able to accurately judge when the line is becoming blurred. The class as a whole should work toward becoming more interested and active. The lack of enthusiasm lately has been a downer. As much as I enjoy making comments in class, when no one appears to be listening, I become discouraged. If no one feels the desire to take initiative, we’ll only perpetuate the lack of forward motion.