Today in class while discussing Harding and McMurphy, two characters in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Carley mentioned that McMurphy seems like a younger version of Harding. She then continued to assert that we (AP English 12 students) are like younger versions of Ms. Serensky. Although I agreed with Carley’s first statement to an extent, my eyebrows raised as I contemplated the second unsettling suggestion. For the rest of sixth and seventh periods, this thought replayed in my head.
I ventured to the library seventh period to use the computer for an in-class assignment. As I attempted to complete the assignment amidst many distractions, I found myself overhearing the random conglomeration of students around me. Apparently many of these students were never taught about “library voices” as they not only talked loudly to their neighbors but also spoke aloud each sentence they typed. As I listened to their self-talk, I identified numerous uses of contractions, many misuses of “good” and “well” and frequent displays of sentence fragments. I became extremely (probably irrationally) impatient with the students’ apparent lack of knowledge. I then began to wonder, am I really a younger version of Ms. Serensky? After all, I can not stand stupid people, I automatically correct grammatical mistakes, I read with a pen in my hand, I feel inferior when writing with blue ink and I analyze literary devices in everyday conversation. Soon my mind drifted again, this time focused more on Ms. Serensky than myself. I began to wonder, “Where did Ms. Serensky learned to annotate, write and read the way she does? Did she read books as a senior the same way we do? Where did she learn to write? Is she a younger version of her teacher?” My mind raced. “Are we, then, reflections or younger versions of one of her teachers?” Where does this stop? Why do we incorporate traits of one teacher and not of another? I guess I need to take AP Psychology next semester and figure this out.
Emily, you raise an interesting point. I have thought about how the AP English students mirror Ms. Serensky, from our extreme work ethics to our constant application of literary devices. However, I never considered if Ms. Serensky had some teacher than inspired her to work hard. I guess we like to think that Ms. Serensky just obtained her all-knowing English powers from divine intervention or something.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I can relate that I have begun to grow angrier over simple grammatical mistakes than in the past. Now, I tend to shiver when I hear someone say, "I did good." I believe that I have become more like Ms. Serensky since now when I read an article outside of class and see a literary device such as a simile, I immediately think to myself, "I need a pen."
ReplyDeleteWell first off, I am honored to have sparked an idea for your blog. I feel that we all are little Ms. Serenskys. I have changed so much from an ordinary english student to an "AP student." As you mentioned in your blog, I also correct grammer, I despise people who use the wrong their, they're, or there, and I am embarrased for other Chagrin students who don't end their papers with an audience and paper. Ms. Serensky had to have had an English teacher that brainwashed her to be the way she is (not in a bad way!) I can not wait for discussion day, the day she will release information about her past!
ReplyDeleteEmily, what an interesting idea. This is one of those idea's where if it, like you think, is a chain of events that shape who we are, where did it all begin? Who taught the teacher that taught Ms. Serensky? I think the amount of phychology in the matter is incredible. The simplest spark of inspiration, can travel through so many people before it actually grows and becomes something substancial. I am very excited to hear Ms. Serensky's story,but also to see who the A.P. English 12 students become.
ReplyDelete