After weeks of, “Meh-Kan-Ik. Repeat! Meh-Kan-Ik. Mechanic,”
I’d finally had enough today. I have one class with only two thirteen-year-old
girls. They’re by far my most advanced students. One of the girls was absent,
and the other is one of the happiest, giggliest, most positive people I’ve met.
She pretty much lives in a Muppet musical. With her I’m allowed to teach more
American culture and less vocab, so I thought the perfect theme for today would
be American theatre (aka Broadway musicals.) I took some liberties; some of
them were British.
It went over splendidly. The only issue was that I would get
so passionate that I would start speaking rapid-fire English and she’d have to
tell me to slow down. But I could tell she was amazed. She asked for the titles
of the plays so that she could watch them on YouTube the next time she’s in
Hong Kong. Imagine a world without YouTube! Thank God for Northwestern VPN. This
was the line up:
1)
Wicked’s
“Defying Gravity”
2)
Aida’s
“My Strongest Suit”
3)
Les
Miserables’ “One Day More”
4)
Evita’s
“A New Argentina” - I know that “Don’t
Cry For Me Argentina” is the more famous number, but aside from the dress I
think this one’s a lot more powerful
5)
Dream
Girls’ “And I Am Telling You” – Dream Girls isn’t my favorite musical, but
Jennifer Holliday’s 1982 Tony Awards is my FAVORITE THING PERIOD.
6)
Jesus Christ Superstar’s “Damned For All
Time/Blood Money”
7)
Hair’s
“The Flesh Failures/Let the Sun Shine In”
I tried to include as many strong women and African
Americans as possible (oops with “My Strongest Suit.”) This is something I do
in all of my classes. If I’m teaching a vocab word like “business manager” I
always make sure that the picture I include is of a female business manager. I don't like
to think of it as brainwashing. I would call it "subliminally empowering."
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