I was not sure what to expect when I walked in on Friday for the discussion on Notes of a Native Son, I was really nervous that I was underprepared, I felt as if I should have written a paper or prepared for a debate, but instead I was met with a pretty laid back discussion. This I have to say, was a disappointment I was really curious about some of the thoughts I had such as, if the father suspected his son of being gay, or how the story reflects the Trey VanMartin story, or even peoples thoughts on the story as a whole. In the past I have struggled with engaging in a story, poem or essay but I was really excited with this discussion and wish that the people in my group were also, rather than waiting for a prompt or having to fill there requirements. I felt like I stepped out of my box and took a risk in voicing what I thought I had noticed or wondered and was met with blank stares.
I was not really sure how to prepare for this discussion but I did read it twice and I as usual really enjoyed the short Bio at the beginning of the story, I think that this helped me the most in understanding where he was coming from when he wrote certain passages. I think that my interest in genealogy and history also gave me a perspective of what it was like back then, and what he was up against.
I am taking away a few things from this discussion, student led discussions not always the best and being aware of the world around you is important, the last thing would be not being afraid to speak up and engage in whats going on. I had a hard time not saying anything once my requirements were met. I think I would have liked to have been led by our instructor although this would make it hard for him to grade us, but there is always next Friday.
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