Remix #1 (Visual) Prufrock's Love Song

So, when I read Prufrock, I think of a highly intelligent, over-dramatic (and melodramatic), egocentric kinda guy.  I feel like he is well-liked, but tired of always feeling examined or inspected.  His obsession with his outer appearance raises his anxiety levels to an absurd level, as far as calling himself a specimen "pinned to a wall".  Sometimes I just want to tell him, "Hey, buddy...no one really cares that much about you. Stop worrying so much." 

Steps to complete this picture:
1. Use www.picmonkey.com 
 1. Find a nice black background off Google Images to use.
2. Honestly, all I did was randomly search for pictures of "Old Bars" "Misunderstood", "All seeing Eye", "Staircase", "Legs going down stairs", "Pinned bug".
3. Once having an ample collection of good photos to use, I started placing them where they looked good. (The revising portion of this assignment takes the most time!)
4. When you use the "Overlay" option on www.picmonkey.com, you must use an eraser to cut the excesses of the images.  (I used the erase button to trim my images on almost every picture.  You should use this option as needed; it is a great tool to help your creation)
5. Insert text with the simple text option. (I found some lines from the poem that moved me.  I would use the text sparingly as the picture(s) should speak louder than the text(s)). I used the font called "STAMPETE".
6. It is important to add some type of movement to your art.  (Ex. The drink spilling over.  Or, Prufrock coming down the stairs) You must direct your spectator's eyes to follow a smooth-flowing cadence.
7. Have fun, revise often, and be patient! (I messed up so many times.  And nothing bothers me more than time you will never get back!)




      

A Day in the Eye of the Teach

 

This photo represents my normal teaching day in the blink of an eye.

 The only pictures that I have of my students are the two that you see, the one in the center and the one of the boy sleeping at his computer.  From these two pictures, I wove a simple narrative about my daily "belief system".

When all feels lost or arbitrary--or when I am feeling like I am not seeing any gains in my students, I look towards the middle of the picture to see why I teach.  It is for the students.  Despite the other stuff that goes on during a normal day, I like to think that I can focus on the positive aspects of the job. 

I am an optimist by choice.  I know that the students, including myself, are beleaguered with adverse circumstances that hinder our ability to succeed...if we let them.  But with a healthy dose of optimism--the right outlook--we can achieve.      

Top Left: I see a lot of my students as scarcely scraping by in school, hanging by a thread. (Or, a rock in this case).

Top Center: My constant despise for sleepers, apathy, and boredom.  

Top Right: When the days are long, I feel cooked. (And I just like this picture)

Bottom Left: I often feel like students have a very difficult time making figurative connections in class.  The absurdity of this picture represents this difficulty.  

Bottom Center: I notice a pervasive cast of anti-intellectualism in school, where students make fun of other students for saying something brilliant or beyond the norm.  

Bottom Right: Just represents the normal interruptions that occurs when you're trying to teach.

Center: Despite everything, I focus on the positive. 

Last year, my department chair said during the first month on the job, "Best thing to do is to ignore all the bullshit that surrounds us, shut your door, and love your students more than anything. Do that, and you will be a fine teacher."