The Write Stuff

Ms. B. was our junior year English teacher. It was the year we read Steinbeck, Miller and a host of 20th-century American writers and poets. I was motivated by the curriculum and was introduced to the free-wheeling poetry of Lawrence Ferlinghetti to boot, but it wasn't just the content of the course that made it interesting, it was Ms. B's approach to learning that helped enhance our knowledge and critical thinking.

What stands out most in my mind, is the clarity with which she taught. We knew what the goals of the class were and our assignments. She encouraged open discussions in her class. There was always room for another observation from a student, and she guided us to the meanings of a poem or a novel, rather than dictating interpretations. There was a level of comfort in the classroom, which made it possible to voice our perceptions of the works we read. This group participation made for lively discussions and for eventual revelations as to what the authors were driving at. Ms. B was a good listener.

Beyond this "comfort zone," she also fostered our creativity, by expanding how we could interpret some of the literature we read. One particular assignment stood out for me that year. She gave us a choice on how we could analyze a poem. We could either take a written approach or a visual one. As a budding visual artist, I was thrilled to be able to combine a classic anti-war poem with a handmade photo collage over a map of Vietnam. I was allowed to mix my verbal and visual skills into one project. For me it was a way to make the past relevant to a contemporary event which was having an impact on shaping my generation. The assignment became very poignant to me. I will never forget the thinking and creativity Ms. B encouraged in her classroom.

-- Michele Colburn