In Fair Verona...

I love Romeo and Juliet; after Othello, it's maybe my fave. I've read the play about a dozen times, and I've seen the 1996 movie version about eight-dozen times, though that was mainly because of Leo's fresh face and floppy hair. I played a shark girl in my high school production of "West Side Story" (Jewish was about as close to Puerto Rican as things got in Portland. At least I have big hair). I even thought about seeing "Gnomeo and Juliet"--the play's most recent film iteration. I thought better of it, but you get my point.

Now, I'm teaching Romeo and Juliet. After leggings coming back in style, this is the best and worst thing that's ever happened to me.

We use the NO FEAR (!) Shakespeare edition, which includes the original text as well as a translated version on the right side of the page. For kids reading four grades below grade level, iambic pentameter is a bit of a stretch. Heroic couplets, mayyybe...But still.

While I know some of my students will end the unit with an appreciation for Shakespeare and perhaps true love, some will certainly do the play a disservice. After day one of R&J, I have reluctantly come to terms with this.

Choice quotes from today:

Upon finding that Mercutio is a master of the "Sexual double entendre" (thanks for that footnote, NO FEAR Shakespeare).

Kid: "What's a sexual double entendre?"

Fair question.

Me: "Like, when your teacher says something that's not sexual, but you somehow make it sexual. Except on purpose. Because Shakespeare's a genius!"

Kid: "Oh, like donuts?"

And then, upon meeting Benvolio: "Isn't Benvolio a type of pasta? In a blue box?"

Finally, the nurse enters, and: "What's a wet nurse?"

And that's a TOTALLY fair question. Totally. But how do you explain the concept of a wet nurse to kids who can't hear the word donut without laughing?

If Billy Shakespeare is rolling in his grave, he clearly doesn't support ed. reform in the inner city.

Asshole.