The writing prompt was preparation for reading a short story called "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant, about a woman who longs to be rich. I'm not sure if my explanation of envy vs. jealousy really translated into any kind of meaning or understanding for the kids, particularly in lieu of the story, but the fact that I had their attention gave me pause to strongly consider my use of analogies. Was is wrong to use an analogy that focused on violence to explain the difference between these two words, or is there something inherent in their definitions that warranted it? I'm leaning toward the latter, especially since it got their attention, but on the other hand, I certainly do not want to convey the message that I condone violence. I suppose that fighting is sport, so, I guess it was a sports metaphor, which I am not prone to use, but... OK, I'm over analyzing.
The point is... they were listening...
That's great you were able to reach you're students. Comparing the two words to a fight was a good example that will probably stick in their mind a long time!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this story, Sarah...it's very evocative. I think of a MAC student who had developed sufficient trust with his students that a student, who happened to be a rather troubled young man, came out to him. This MACer had to do a lot of thinking about what he could do to be an ally to this young man, and that thinking-through process was difficult and even uncomfortable. His comment was that whereas he used to worry that his students weren't paying that much attention to him, now he saw that it might be more nearly the opposite.
ReplyDeleteI say all of this by way of expressing respect for the questions that you're asking of yourself. The point for me is less to worry about any one instance as to think about what sort of messages you want to try to convey, whether about language, ideas, or how we talk to one another....because they are listening.
What a great feeling! I am glad you had such a rewarding moment so early on! I agree that you are over-analyzing: you aren't condoning violence. It seems appealing to humor our students would appreciate once in a while can be a good thing. I admire your reflection on this, and I think the question of what is appropriate is a great one to have in mind, but I'd say right on!
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