Response to Romano CTW 9-11

I really enjoyed this reading simply because he gave so many great ideas and creative ways of teaching. He showed many examples of getting our students to think outside the box, dig deep into their own creativity and passions and write some really awesome works.

The beginning of this reading is very inspiring, it starts off with Romano teaching Sandburgs "Jazz Fantasia". His students aren't at all excited and the reasoning they give is that they don't like jazz, so Romano has his students make up their own "fantasia" poems but makes it center around their favorite type of music. I love this idea because it is creative and it allows students to relate to literature but also make it their own.

Also right after that activity he talks about having his students poems published in the local newspaper, how awesome is that?? It connects and builds up the community, it gives students an audience to write for and it allows them to be recognized for their hard work and creativity.

He also created this activity where students had mini "interviews if you will with other authors or had other authors have discussions together and narrate how that would go. I really liked how he really made it his goal to separate the gap between his students and the authors whose works they were studying. He really wanted them to understand and know the background of each other and put themselves in the authors shoes.

I also really appreciate the time he puts into making his students have confidence in themselves in terms of writing. He sees and appreciates the value in that, he knows the wonders it can do for students and their writing.