Rednecks and Teachers

I was excited today. For one it was teacher's day. And I had an unconventional lesson plan--redneck culture--to test out on my advanced adult class. I emailed the adult students a link to a Colorado Springs Gazette article about the burgeoning popularity in redneck culture

The word came up last week, talking about country style coffee here. Inrae asked if English used 'country style,' and I lauched into explaining rednecks, hicks, and hillbillies. I touched on pejorative meanings and prejudices and stereotypes, and eventually even called myself a redneck at heart. I think I only confused them. This week was to set the record on rednecks straight. And hey, they want to learn English and a little about American culture. Articles about rednecks and country songs like "Redneck Woman" and "White Trash Wedding" seemed like a good break from the sometimes dull book we use.

No members of the class showed, nor did they call to say they wouldn't make it. I did however get to follow through on my first attempt at substituting the Dixie Chicks for the textbook with a lone woman--a housewife thinking about getting into teaching English again and considering a brush up--auditing the class. Poor lady. She came wanting to see the atmosphere of the class and got only the teacher, with an experimental lesson plan. I think, the article may have been a little difficult for them, but I only asked them to scan it if they had the time; we would go over it in class. The class meets again on Wednesday . . .

I received presents from two of my younger students, probably some of the only ones who genuinely enjoy class. But who wouldn't enjoy a class where we sing and make up our own words to the karaoke versions of the book's songs? Today we threw a paper ball around, practicing baseball vocab. In class, they got the syntax and structures better than the older students, though, in the hall as they left they relapsed into using an unnecessary 'are' because of the song's beat. Just hold the 'we!'