New Ideas on a rainy, sleeting, snowy day
The students I tutored probably taught me more than I taught them.
Today I was introduced to anaphora, that rhetorical device that seems to have eluded me. Actually it was yesterday that I was tutoring a student with a multiple-choice test to complete on Things Fall Apart. One of the multiple-choice answers along with simile, metaphor and personification was ANAPHORA. Do most English teachers know what anaphora is? Is that one of those words that most people know? My husband didn't, but he's not an English teacher. Did I once know it and forget that I knew it? So today I attended a Women's History Month Zoom out of Nassau Community College. It featured Maggie Smith, the poet who wrote "Good Bones," and spent a good deal of time talking about ANAPHORA and what a wonderful device it is to use in poetry. "Good Bones" is a terrific poem in her book of the same name. I recently used it as a prompt for my writing group. Who knew it was loaded with ANAPHORA?
My second discovery was a the young adult novel: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika Sanchez. I don't think I'd ever heard of it. This also came from another student I tutored today. His 12th grade English class just began this book, and I was blown away by the incredible voice in this novel. It has voice much like House on Mango Street and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. I certainly plan on reading the rest of this lively novel.
Perhaps I am learning more from the students I tutor than they are learning from me. And on this rainy, sleeting, snowy indoor day, it's nice to be awakened to some new ideas.
Heidi, you are always growing and inspiring others. I looked up anaphora and although the word is very pretty I still am not clear on exactly what it's purpose is. To avoid repetition? I agree that it is amazing that we can learn so much from our students. Today, I had some free time at the end of the day and thought we'd have fun laughing at the antics of Lucille Ball. I found a few great utube videos because I thought they needed to know who she was. One student exclaimed, "Can I share the slide show I have on her life?" I learned so much about this comedian from this student today!
ReplyDeleteThat word is new for me too! Not much anaphora being taught in 3rd grade! (Ha!) I am certain your students are learning tons from you but maybe they are also learning that you are someone who is always striving to learn more, too. And that's a powerful example. So glad the event went so well today!
ReplyDeleteI remember those rainy, sleety, snowing Long Island Days. (I moved mid-March last year). Anaphora has been appearing several times on social media. I read over Maggie Smith's poem and love it so thanks for sharing that, Heidi. I sometimes play with the literary device. While most of my education leaned toward not repeating yourself, anaphora is a wonderful device.
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