Blog #3: Reflections on the first part of Pip's Expectations

Just recently, the Powerball was worth more than $500 million dollars. Yes, that's right, more than a half a billion dollars. Now, I know none of you are able to purchase lottery tickets, but would you have purchased that ticket? If so, how many?

As you held that hypothetical ticket in your hand, which of course you would assume was THE winning ticket, did you envision what you were going to do with all of that money? Would you pay off your parents' mortgage? Donate money to your favorite charity? Quit your job? Buy that beautiful vacation home on Torch Lake? I am not going to lie and say that I have never thought about hitting a windfall.

But when that Powerball was worth more than $500 million, I bought zero tickets. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

While I know being hit by lightning is more likely than hitting a lotto, this is not the reason why I did not purchase a ticket. I did not buy one on principle. Since my son was born, I have made a conscious effort to not wish my life away. I don't think about the what if, the possibilities...I try to avoid the fantasy. In fact, the last time I bought a lotto ticket was on March 24, 2011. My son was born the next day.

This is going to sound so cliche, but I hit the jackpot on March 25. And I realized that if I fantasized about what life could be like with (lots) more money, I would not be able to enjoy the present. I would not be able to enjoy my present, him.

I don't want to be a millionaire. I don't want to hit a jackpot. I don't want Great Expectations. I am happy with my life, and I want to embrace the moment and make this life great no matter what happens.

When I read the first half of the novel, all I think about is how Pip is wasting his youth, wasting his life...dreaming, hoping, wishing for something different. Each hour of his wondering is a moment lost.

I know its not easy to live in the present, and I am not going to lie and say that "what if" doesn't sneak into my mind every once and a while. But when it does, I stop and remind myself of everything that I should be thankful for. Pip did not see what he had and he lost his youth.

Blog #2: Alone at Home (ch. 1-5)

Last year, one of my students asked in an impromptu on TKM if it was possible to feel alone even if you are surrounded by others. While that student intended this to apply to Tom Robinson, I can't help but feel as if this more aptly connects to Pip. At least Tom had a loving wife, a black community that rallied behind him, and a dedicated lawyer in Atticus Finch. Who does Pip have in the opening chapters of Great Expectations? To be sure, I am not trying to discount the friendship of Joe, but even with all of his kind gestures (the warning of a cross Mrs. Joe and the extra servings of gravy) he does not stand up for the helpless child. As a child, if one of my parents was wrongly punishing me or yelling at me, I knew the other would stand up for me. Giving me extra gravy would just not have been enough. I feel so bad for Pip in the opening chapters. He is painted as such a pathetic character through the circumstances at the graveyard and his poor treatment by his sister that my heart aches for him throughout the beginning of the novel and through the rest of the novel.

There is much to pity in these opening chapters. Not only is Pip a helpless and neglected child, but the convict paints an equally pathetic picture. Freezing on the wet marshes on Christmas Day and crying from a simple act of kindness, paints a sympathetic character. I know he is a convict, I know he threatens to kill Pip, but my last thought related to him is his simple act of kindness of saving Pip from the wrath of his sister for the missing pork pie.

As I read this novel for the fifth time, I am noticing that Dickens paints both of these characters to be pathetic and sympathetic in the opening chapters. They are both so alone, so afraid (Pip of his sister and the convict of every sound in the night). Dickens wants the reader to connect these two characters early on. To be honest, the first time I read this novel, I did not think much of the convict after he disappears for a while after chapter five. I was a lazy reader; I neglected to see the similarities in their positions and how they clearly save each other. They needed each other in the beginning...

Blog #1: Expectations of those around me.

Your first blog is going to have you interview those that are closest to you and find out their expectations of you. Many of us think that we know our parents, friends, or teachers' expectations of us, but I think it is important to have a conversation about these expectations, especially since you have just embarked upon your high school career.

Interview three people that are close to you (one must be a parent/guardian) and ask them what they expect out of you in high school and in life. In your response, I would like you to somehow directly quote them and then reflect on their comments.

For example, I asked my husband what his expectations of me were and he told me "to be the best mother to our baby." I was not surprised by this comment because those are my expectations of myself and we had this conversation before I decided to work part-time. Our child needed to be number one, and we had to rework our life to make sure that he was getting the attention that he needed. Last year, I was trying to be the best mother, teacher, wife, daughter, chef, homemaker...IT WAS EXHAUSTING. I realized that I needed to repriortize because my expectations of myself were too demanding. They were so demanding that I knew that if I kept at that pace I would let everyone done: my students, my husband, my child, and myself. Expectations change, and that is OK. They should because life changes and what we can handle changes.

Your reflection should look something like that. I probably could go on longer, but for brevity's sake I am keeping it shorter.

Reflections on my first time teaching GE

Last year, I enjoyed coming to class almost every day. I say almost because there was a period of about four weeks that I would go into my Honors Freshman English class with a pit in my stomach. Why? Because we were tackling the very difficult Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. To be sure, I love the book. I first read GE when I was in eighth grade during an independent novel reading unit. I found the characters to be exciting and complicated. I connected with Pip and was rooting for his relationship to work with Estella (I feel like a complete sucker just writing that for reasons you will learn about after you are done reading the novel).

No, it wasn't the book that gave me an anxious feeling in my gut; it was the deer-in-the-headlight responses I would get when I asked my students analytical (sometimes even surface level) questions about their reading. It became clear to me that a majority of my Honors students weren't doing the reading or they were merely using Spark Notes (As an aside, I am NOT against using Spark Notes. However, Spark Notes should be a supplement to your reading, not an excuse not to do your reading. It was very clear to me through impromptu and quiz questions, which students only read the Spark Notes.).

This is a new year, though, and this is a different group of students. I realize that I need to approach the novel differently and my hope is that through blogging that you will all be able to understand, enjoy, and appreciate this novel. During this reading, you will not be completing study guide questions, but engaging with the book through a series of blog posts. Your blog posts will be based on the readings, but should NOT be mere summaries of the reading. Your posts should be connections and thoughts that arise from the text.

Getting Started:
Each student needs to create a blog. You can use blogger, wordpress, or any other format that you are comfortable with, but you must send me your link by Thursday at midnight.
Remember that you should never use your full name in your blog (I would be Kelli F.) and you should never give information about your location (I hope this all sounds really redundant!).

Format:
Blogs are designed to be informal. You may use personal pronouns, but you must adhere to the principals of good writing (i.e. edit and revise your work). Typical blog posts are between 300-500 words, but I am not going to limit you.

Deadlines:
Your first blog post is due Monday, Dec. 2 @ 8 a.m. This post will be based on your Expectation interviews.
From then on your posts will be based on your thoughts from the reading:
Friday, Dec.  7 @ 8 a.m. 2nd blog post due.
Friday, Dec. 14 @ 8 a.m. 3rd blog post due.
Friday, Dec. 21 @ 8 a.m. 4th blog post due.

You are not limited to only four blog posts, but these are my minimum expectations.

Questions? Comments? Let me know what you think about this approach!