My wife (Wendy) and I on our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic.

Hello future teachers! My name is Matt Holborow. I, like others, have difficulty writing up a “biography” of sorts, but I’ll take a whack at it. My early childhood is somewhat inconsequential to this (plus, you will all get a little taste of my childhood based on my essay), so I’ll skip to the after high school part.

I graduated from Fox High School in Arnold, MO in 1996. Shortly after high school, I started working for a large, multi-national telecommunications company as a Service Representative. I spent a good portion of my adult life (so far) doing that. I started dating on of my childhood friends during the summer of 2000. Shortly after she moved to Texas to start her Graduate/PhD program at the University of Texas Health & Science Center – San Antonio. I stayed in St. Louis, continuing to work.

In the summer of 2003, Wendy got an opportunity to move to New Haven, CT to finish her PhD program at Yale University. Luckily for me, Connecticut was the one state in the northeast that my company covered, so I got a transfer and lived up there with her. We spent three and a half years in Connecticut, while she finished up. During that time I became sad about my professional situation and decided I needed a career move. When she finished her PhD program, Wendy decided that since I supported her for a few years, she would support me while I went back to school to become a teacher – something I have always wanted to do.

We moved back to St. Louis in December 2006, and got married in June 2007. I started up at Jefferson College (hey – it’s cheaper!) with the intention of getting my degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Mathematics. Unfortunately, I hit a wall during Calculus II and decided it would be better for me to change my emphasis to English. I hope to graduate in Spring 2011 (that may be a lofty goal at this point), but things are going smoothly so far. I’m loving the class work and I’m anxiously heading toward the finish line where I will get to shape young minds for the future!

The Object of My AffectionThe Woobie

Matthew HolborowFinal Draft

October 7, 2009

“I understand that you little guys start out with your woobies and you think they're great... and they are. They are terrific. But pretty soon, a woobie isn't enough. You're out on the street trying to score an electric blanket, or maybe a quilt. And the next thing you

know, you're strung out on bedspreads, Ken. That's serious.”-Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) from the film Mr. Mom

Nearly twenty-five of us arrived at the table that evening and I couldn’t have

asked for a more perfect evening. The temperature was a little on the warm side, as it

usually is in mid-August, but not a cloud in the sky. The date was August 12, 2008 – my

30th birthday. The day before, I sent e-mails and mass text messages to my friends and

family just to let them know that I planned on going with my wife to Zia’s on The Hill –

my favorite restaurant – for dinner. Although it was a special birthday, as any of the

“decade milestone” birthdays are, I generally don’t make a big deal about my birthday.

“Feel free to join me, but don’t feel obligated,” I said in the message. It was more of a

chance for me to get my family and friends together at the table and enjoy good food and

great company. We all ate and drank, family and friends all mixed in together. Even as I

sit and type this I get a little lump in my throat thinking about how incredible it was

having everyone there enjoying each other’s company and conversation.

At one point someone conversed with my mother and my wife about my

childhood. I overheard the stories that they told – about how my mother suggests that I

went directly from crawling to running (skipping the whole “walking” step in the

process), how when I was two years old any time I was at any kind of function with my

family I would always introduce myself, “My name is Matthew, please to meet you.” –

the usual stories I’ve heard a hundred times. My mom then proceeded to start some

stories about the “woobie.” Some of you may ask, as many of my friends did that night,

“What exactly is a woobie?” Well, I’ll tell you.

My mother began the story about the blanket I was brought home in from the

hospital. No big deal, just a standard blanket that many hospitals utilize to wrap children

in when they are sent home. For me it turned out to be much more than that. For many

years after that, the blanket stuck with me. I would carry it around the house, wear it as a

cape while I prentended to be Superman, have it with me while watching TV, and of

course sleep with it. However, I never covered myself with this blanket. I always

employed it as more of an accessory; something I always had next to me when I needed

some comfort. I even carried it with me to friends’ houses on sleepovers. Early on, it

was never given an actual name, but after the film Mr. Mom came out, it was officially

given its namesake – the woobie.

At that point, many of my friends got a little chuckle at my expense. And why

wouldn’t they? It’s funny, really – I carried around a blanket for much of my childhood.

But the conversation didn’t stop there. It was then that my wife, Wendy, chimed in with,

“Wait, you guys don’t understand. He still has it!” The look of incredulity from my

friends that was directed at me was priceless. Of course, I was obligated to clarify – yes,

I still possess ‘a’ woobie, but I don’t have ‘the’ woobie. Many years earlier, the original

woobie began to deteriorate and was rendered useless. At first, I tried to rid myself of it

completely – quit cold turkey. That worked great for a while, except when it came time

to sleep. I always needed something to have in my arms and to wrap around my head and

neck to allow me to sleep comfortably. So, I began using a different blanket.

The questions continued from my friends. “Why do you wrap it around your head

and neck?” they asked. My mother answered that she believed that it all stems back to

when she was pregnant with me. When I was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped

around my neck. The doctors explained that I was in no danger and it wasn’t even

wrapped around tightly, so my mother assumed that wrapping the blanket around my

head and neck was a form of comfort for me.

As the years progressed and as additional woobies became too deteriorated or

worn for use, I would generally discard it and use a different one; usually one that was

around the house that I found. In 2003, it seemed to be fortuitous that my current woobie

was deteriorating as I began my trek half way across the country to Connecticut to live

with the woman who would eventually be my wife. I thought there was no way in hell

Wendy would allow this ratty thing into the house, let alone the bedroom. So, I

commissioned my grandmother to make a new woobie for me.

As the rest of my friends looked at my grandmother across the table, she just

nodded and confirmed this information. My current woobie is the same one my

grandmother made for me and completed in July 2003. It has been date stamped with a

little note written in permanent marker that just says “Love Memaw.” Again, my friends

shared another chuckle as they discovered that I still call my grandmother “Memaw.”

As the night dwindled down, with our bellies full of the finest Italian food and

alcoholic beverages that St. Louis has to offer, the number of patrons at the restaurant

diminished. We had the whole restaurant practically to ourselves as we continued to

digest our desserts, still laughing at the stories my parents would tell. One of my friends

looked at me and said, “I can’t believe you still have a woobie. Dude, that’s so weird on

countless levels.” I answered with a simple statement – “Don’t judge me, man.

Everyone has a security blanket of some sort. Mine just so happens to be an actual

blanket.”

Lesson Idea 3 – Final DraftMr. Holborow’s English Literature Class

Matthew HolborowFall 2009 (November 18, 2009)

OVERVIEWWHAT ON EARTH IS SHAKESPEARE TRYING TO SAY?

Rationale: This project will be a way for my students to be able to translate the works of Shakespeare. Many students find it difficult to read Shakespeare and understand specifically what he is saying, since he uses an archaic form of Modern English. This assignment will give the students the freedom to pick scenes from Shakespeare and re-write them into language and dialect they understand – their own language. Additionally, on a recursive level, I will have my students create a “gloss” of a segment of a Shakespearean monologue. Many plays have glosses – or small definitions of words and how they are meant to be interpreted – in the margins, or noted at the bottom of the page. My students’ gloss will be the same thing – to take a sample of a Shakespearean monologue or speech and search for the words they don’t understand, look them up in the Oxford English Dictionary, and create meaning from them. For example, when Talbot compares his son to Icarus in Henry VI Part I, the student can look up the “Encyclopedia Mythica” online, find the story of Icarus, and explain how Talbot’s description if his son fits the description of Daedalus (Icarus’ father) and Icarus. Or a student may choose to look up a word like “swain” in the OED and try to find a different interpretation of that word and the context in which Shakespeare used it. Students will be encouraged to use a variety of strategies to help them along their way such as the “KWL” process and using “Vocab Marks” for the gloss.

Objectives: Understanding – allows for students to interpret Shakespeare and translate it into

ways that the students will understand. Evaluating – by allowing the students to put the words of Shakespeare into their

own language, it helps them understand and enjoy the material in a way they’ve never really experienced.

Creating – many students will be able to create new meaning or a new point of view by rewriting a scene or learning true 16th-17th century definitions of words they may not understand.

Length of curriculum: This project will last approximately 4 school weeks. Much of the work the students will do as homework, but some class time will be allowed for students to research and write. At the end of the first two-week session the students will turn in the final draft of their re-written scenes. At the end of the second two-week session the students will turn in the final draft of their “glosses.”

Assessment: The project will be worth a total of 20 points, with each assignment equaling 10 points each. The students will be assessed in two areas – writing and content. The writing aspect will cover general writing guidelines (correct verb tense, sentence structure, punctuation, etc.). The content aspect will cover

LESSON PLAN

Name of Lesson: WHAT ON EARTH IS SHAKESPEARE TRYIN TO SAY?

Subject: English Literature

Grade Level: 11-12

Objectives: Allow students to create understanding by allowing them to translate Shakespeare

their own way with a rewrite of the Creating new meaning from words or phrases the students may not be familiar

with by having them do a “glossing” exercise. Evaluating Shakespeare’s dialogue and language by letting the students translate

his words into their words.

Introductory Class Period:

Time Frame Discussion/Questions5 mins Introduction of the assignment

10 mins Detailed explanation of the Rewrite Assignment. Field any questions the students may have. Leave no question unanswered.

15 mins Detailed explanation of the Glossing Assignment. Explain the definition of a “gloss.” Introduce the students to the Oxford English Dictionary online and the Encyclopedia Mythica (pantheon.org). Show examples of a Glossing Exercise. Field additional questions.

10 mins Explanation of “The Rules” and “Tips for Success.” Stress connection with another subject area (History, Sociology/Psychology).

15 mins Brief explanation of strategies “KWL” and “Vocab Marks” to assist the students in understanding. Allow students to take a few moments to determine which scenes they would like to use for the Rewrite Assignment.

KWLGraphic Organizer - for use with the Glossing Assignment

Name: ___________________________________________

K – What I know. W – What I want to know.

L – What I learned.

TEACHER CALENDAR

11/2/2009 – Introduction of material to the students. Field any questions the students may have. Allow remainder of class period for students to review the material and pick their scenes.

11/4/2009 – Scene selection for the Rewrite Assignment will be due.

11/6/2009 – First Draft of the Rewrite Assignment is due.

11/9/2009 – Return of First Drafts to students for further review and rewrite. Field additional questions from students and/or one-on-one time to discuss drafts with students.

11/13/2009 – Final Draft of the Rewrite Assignment is due.

11/16/2009 – Return of Final Draft of the Rewrite Assignment to students. Allow full class period for students to review the material and have students select monologue for Glossing Assignment.

11/18/2009 – Monologue selection is due for the Glossing Assignment.

11/20/2009 – First Draft of Glossing Assignment is due.

11/23/2009 – Return of First Drafts to students for further review and rewrite. Field additional questions from students and/or one-on-one time to discuss drafts with students.

11/26-27/2009 – Thanksgiving Break (No Class)

11/30/2009 – Final Draft of Glossing Assignment is due.

12/4/2009 – Return of Glossing Assignment for review and questions from students.

WHAT ON EARTH IS SHAKESPEARE TRYING TO SAY??

Mr. Holborow’s English Literature Class

Name: __________________________________Date: ___________________________________

Be honest – in our studies of Shakespeare over the past few weeks – how many of you have found yourself asking that very same question? Thou, thy, thee, speaketh, ay, beseech…. AHHHHH!!! Who talks like that?? Well, in the late-16th & early-17th century, Shakespeare did.

We have read a handful of Shakespeare’s plays (or at least segments of Shakespeare’s plays) throughout the course of the semester. The objective in this assignment is simple:

THE REWRITE1. Pick a scene from one of the plays we have read this semester (no less than 75 lines of

dialogue, try not to go over 125 lines).2. Rewrite it (line-by-line) using today’s language.3. You will be allowed to work with a partner for help and/or guidance, but I want each

of you to turn in a different scene. Sign up sheets will be available on a “first-come/first-served” basis – so if you want to re-write a particular scene – GET UP THERE AND SIGN UP BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES!

THE GLOSS1. Pick a segment of a scene (different from the one that you chose to do your rewrite) –

in this case, a monologue or a speech spoken by ONE person (no less than 25 lines, try to keep it under 50 lines).

2. Write a “gloss.” What is a gloss, you ask? Well, a gloss is a “word inserted in the margins or between the lines as an explanatory equivalent of a foreign or difficult word in the text.” So, what I want you to do is go through the monologue and find words that you find difficult to understand or define and, well, define them. I not only want you to define them, I want you to interpret them as they would be interpreted during Shakespeare’s time. Use the Oxford English Dictionary and only use definitions that would have been available to Shakespeare during his time. For instance, don’t use an 1832 definition of the word “fleet.” Also, you can use Encyclopedia Mythica (pantheon.org) to find definitions or explanations of words or situations – example, look up “phoenix” in Encyclopedia Mythica. Did you find

something there that may be helpful for your gloss? Use “Vocab Marks” or “KWL” as strategies to help guide you on your way.

THE RULES/TIPS FOR SUCCESS

1. On the re-write – NO BAD LANGUAGE. Keep it clean, folks.

2. I have seen every Hollywood “remake” of a Shakespeare play. Yes – Every. Single. One. So, don’t think you can just watch 10 Things I Hate About You (which is an adaptation/remake of The Taming of the Shrew – see? It rhymes!), type some dialogue from the movie and turn it in. I’ll know you plagiarized and you will be given a “zero” for the assignment.

3. I concede that there may be lines of Shakespeare that do not need to be rewritten or translated. I trust you to use your better judgment if you need to rewrite a line like “Of course.”

4. The attached rubric will tell you what I’m looking for in the way of how you will be scored on this assignment. Feel free to have some creativity! Have some fun with this one!

5. Don’t feel you have to think only within the context of the play itself. Do some fact checking and learn some history. For example, in Richard III, Richard is portrayed as a having a disfigurement. Was Richard III of England really this way? Tell me what you find out! Researching the history and the context of historical events within the plays will definitely help you in your gloss and/or rewrite.

ASSESSMENT RUBRICThis is the rubric I will use for both the rewrite and the gloss.

Good: 1-4 points

“Wherefore art thou, Romeo?”

Better: 5-7 points

“To be or not to be – that is the question.”

Outstanding: 8-10 points

“Now is the winter of [my] discontent!”

Writing Basic rewrite done, many grammatical

errors, sentence structure or dialogue

is poorly written and/or contain

misspelled words.

Few grammatical errors, sentence

structure is solid but contains a few

mistakes, minor misspelled words.

Excellent! No grammatical errors exist; dialogue and sentence structure works great, no

misspelled words.

Content Little understanding shown in rewrite, lines of dialogue don’t match intent of the scene and don’t fit the context, few (1-3) words used from the OED for the gloss, student still leaves a lot open for interpretation, no clear indication of critical thinking.

Some understanding shown in rewrite,

few errors in connection with Shakespearean

dialogue, context of scene or monologue may have changed

but still leaves open some

misinterpretation, some indication of critical thinking.

Rewrite shows clear understanding and

originality in dialogue, scene

context may have changed but still

works for the interpretation, gloss

shows clear understanding and connection with Shakespearean

meanings, complete indication of critical

thinking and no questions exist about

interpretation.