Who is Anne Frank? In fact, that is not the point

The diary of Anne Frank is neither written by a popular writer nor by a known one. It was actually written by Anne Frank (special ed. 2007). Departing from the title, many facts come to the mind: that the book is a diary, that the diary belongs to Anne Frank, that the name of the author is present in the title, that the author is a girl and her name is Anne Frank. However, all the presuppositions that emerge from the title seem minor, irrelevant, almost meaningless and even quite naïve when our thinking and imagination are immersed in the dark side of humanity, between 1942 and 1944, where Holland was not characterized by its wooded lands, as the etymology holds (Wikipedia, n.d.), but by lands covered in blood, death, prosecution, living clandestinely.

On 12 June in 1942, Frank celebrated her thirteenth birthday. Her parents gave her a present that she longed to have: a diary. The diary is an impressive record of the daily lives of real people who lived in constant fear due to Nazi ideology. The first hints to the story are traced with horrendous expressions such as prosecution, hostility, concentration camp. Between these words, the name of Anne, a child, is present. Her family lived in Frankfurt, but Hitler´s anti-Jewish thinking mobilized the Franks to Amsterdam, Holland. The family was finally apprehended in 1944 and Anne died of typhus. Imagine a child or any person living in “purposefully unsuitable hygiene conditions”, suffering from extremely high fever, backache, several headaches, and delirium (Wikipedia, n.d.).

Even though her mental condition deteriorated slowly but severely due to her illness and the Nazi harassing, Frank was able to write and describe the holocaust in which she was surrounded by. She wrote a long list of the things she could not do: “Our freedom was severely restricted by a series of anti-Jewish decrees: (. . .) Jews were forbidden to be out on the streets between 8:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M.; Jews were forbidden to attend theaters, movies or any other forms of entertainment; Jews were forbidden to take part in any athletic activity in public; Jews were forbidden to sit in their gardens or those of their friends after 8:00 P.M.; Jews were forbidden to visit Christians in their homes; Jews were required to attend Jewish schools, etc.” (Frank House, n.d.).

Human disaster described in the book would not have become opaque if the author had excluded unpleasant sexual descriptions of her mother and other people living with the family. However, the book is recommendable as the author makes a memorable and believable heroine in a world of sadness and horror. It is also remarkable that the clarity with which this child describes many everyday situations brings those moments of extreme cruelty back to us vividly.  Frank expresses a view to the effect that in spite of the terrifying and devastating denotation of atrocities and systematic murder, one finds refuge in her innocence.

Reference

Anne Frank House (n.d.). Anti-Jewesh measures. Retrieved in November 2011, from: http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Franks-History/The-Nazis-occupy-the-Netherlands/Anti-Jewish-Decrees/

Frank, A. (special ed. 2007). Diario de Ana Frank. Santiago de Chile: Ministerio de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología.

Wikipedia (n.d.). The diary of a young girl. Retrieved in November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diary_of_a_Young_Girl

Critical incidents and journal entries: tools for teaching reflection

When writing journal entries in academic settings, it is possible to keep a record of issues that teachers consider important and valuable enough to analyze and reflect upon. Journal entries can be productive in critical incidents as they may offer a “mechanism for self-reflection” (Gazin, 2003). Critical incidents trigger the expression of thoughts and emotions with confidence.

As I reflect upon my teaching experience, I find meaningful the idea of writing journal entries as a way of expressing my thoughts concerning conflicts that may arise in my context of work. First of all, it is important to bare in mind the fact that in order to make use of this strategy, we should first develop this skill (Gonzalez, Escartín and Pérez, 2003). When referring to this type of incidents, we should consider the overall context, time, place, participants, actions taken and resolution of the event. After that, reflection and evaluation of the incident help reviewing the teaching experience and behaviour when one is immersed in the school environment.

The analysis done after reflection is a fruitful resource to be put into practice before unpleasant and unexpected events. I have discovered that working with incidents implies an internal conversation, a travel of introspection where I am able to see myself changing and growing as thoughts and attitudes change and grow.

Reference

Gazin, A. (2003). Reading and writing workshop: Focus on Autobiography. Education Resources Information Center.Retrieved in November 2011, from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ602568&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ602568

Gonzalez, J., Escartín, N. and Pérez, M. (2003). Los incidentes críticos en la formación y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de ciencias de la naturaleza. Revista Universitaria de Formación de Profesorado, año/vol. 17, número 001. Universidad de Zaragoza. España. Pages 101 and 106.

Reflecting on my classroom attitude and action

Critical incidents are related to uncomfortable or disgusting situations that can be used in a positive manner by teachers who wish to reflect on and analyze their teaching practice. So I would like to write about an event that occurred the first semester of this year, at the school where I have been working for the last three years. The institution is located in an urban area in Merlo, though some of the students live near rural environments. One of the courses where I teach is a 5^th year of secondary school. The class is integrated by 25 students who are 16 and 17 years old.

There is one student whom I met last year when he was in 4^th year. At the beginning of the first semester, while I was talking with some students, I heard him saying he wanted to have sexual intercourse with me. I acted as if I did not hear him and continue talking. However, I felt humiliated and anger at him, and at the same time weak, as if he had taken my dignity away from me. I continued with the lesson.

A week before winter holidays, I had a meeting with the psychopedagogic staff concerning problems in the classroom. When the meeting finished, I talked with one of the specialists. I thought I should first dialogue with her before talking with the student, so as to guide me towards a proper solution (Rodríguez, n.d.). I informed her about the conflict occurred. She asked me about the expressions he used and how I interpreted them. I pointed out my anguish and she gave me a piece of advice that, in case a new problem arises, I should talk to him in private and explain to him the inappropriateness of his words in the context of the classroom.

Now I think, and at that moment also, that her questions and my answers affected or were related not only to my private life but also to my “classroom teaching and teaching thinking” (Rahilly and Saroyan, 1997). Furthermore, the fact of expressing my sensations to other person and having found a positive response to the issue make me feel confident when I have to deal with a difficult or unpleasant event.

Reference

Rahilly, T. J., & Saroyan, A. (1997). Characterizing poor and exemplary teaching in higher education: Implications for faculty development. Montreal, Quebec: McGill University.

Rodríguez, L. (n.d.). Classroom management. 4Faculty Project. Retrieved in November 2011, from: http://www.4faculty.org/includes/108r2.jsp