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- Apr 9, 2018
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In that case, it sounds like we need to resurrect more old threads! ☺Today I checked my email and very randomly saw that some old thread I was in had been resurrected on here, and I had no idea that the site was still connected to my email or even still in existence!
Thanks for the welcome and kind words!Welcome back, Maeglin.
Your being an English teacher immediately made this question pop up in my mind:
Are any of JRRT's works on the curriculum? I'd guess "The Hobbit" for younger kids, LoTR for the older ones (you didn't state what grades you teach).
I went to school for seven years in the US (NY), 1966 to high school graduation in 1973, then two more years of college until I returned to Germany.
Oddly, somehow I missed LoTR, though it was the time of the first craze ...
Sounds like that tired old snobbery saw about fantasy not being "serious" enough.I have a colleague who teaches an elective course about science fiction and fantasy literature, and I think that he sometimes brings in parts of Tolkien's works, but beyond that it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.
Yes, I’m a high school student and sadly there aren’t any mentions of Tolkien in any of the literature classes I’ve heard of which saddens me. 😕Thanks for the welcome and kind words!
Sadly no, none of JRRT's works are in most curricula that I've come across. For the first two years of my career I taught middle school (ages 11-13) and had some freedom with material, so I did read "The Hobbit" with a small group of students in need of high-engagement texts for reading skills intervention purposes.
I only teach high school now, mostly 11-12th graders, and I have never seen or heard LOTR taught. I have tried to encourage some of my own students to read it in their free time and a few have, but for the most part they aren't interested. I have a colleague who teaches an elective course about science fiction and fantasy literature, and I think that he sometimes brings in parts of Tolkien's works, but beyond that it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.
Odd, given its popularity. I recall having "The Pedestrian" in an early class -- admittedly a looong time ago. My introduction to Bradbury. And 1984 later.it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.
Welcome back ... I, too, was surprised to see this place still ALIVE and actually THRIVING!Well, this is a blast from the past! Today I checked my email and very randomly saw that some old thread I was in had been resurrected on here, and I had no idea that the site was still connected to my email or even still in existence! It just so happens that I started re-reading LOTR for the first time in years last month, so it was serendipitous to get the email and I figured I'd poke around and was pleasantly surprised to see some old names I remember (Erestor, Ancalagon, the former Ciryaher...wow this makes me feel old)!
My original username was Glorfindel1187 (or some number like that). You might be able to tell from the grainy avatar picture that I haven't accessed this site in some time (according to my profile, I think I last updated info in 2009, but I don't think I've posted since the much earlier 2000s). Anyway, I remember discovering TTF for the first time when I was 15 years old and my parents had just moved us to a new town where I knew absolutely no one and it was the middle of the summer, 2002, so it wasn't like I could just make friends in school at the time and it was pre-cell phone era, so I was pretty much alone and friendless. Reading Tolkien always felt like (and still does) going home, so I don't remember what possessed me but I must have done a search for something about the books and it led me here, to this amazing place of Tolkien nerds like me, and discovering this was an awesome escape from my summer of loneliness and gave me a sense of community. I posted quite regularly for maybe 2-3 years, right up through the end of high school, then college and all the tomfoolery that comes with it took over and I pretty much drifted away.
All that said, I can't believe it's been 20 years since I found TTF and that it still exists with some of the same people! I'm obviously much older now, and I've got an amazing family (wife and 2 kids: 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy) and career (English teacher - go figure...a fantasy lit nerd is an English teacher) and working on my Ph.D.
I'll try to check in semi-regularly, especially as I'm slowly re-reading the series now and my daughter is soon approaching the age where I can at least try to read The Hobbit to her. It truly did warm my heart and give me some great nostalgia to find this place again today. Wishing you all the best!
At some of the Russian primary schools "The Hobbit" is in curricula.Thanks for the welcome and kind words!
Sadly no, none of JRRT's works are in most curricula that I've come across. For the first two years of my career I taught middle school (ages 11-13) and had some freedom with material, so I did read "The Hobbit" with a small group of students in need of high-engagement texts for reading skills intervention purposes.
I only teach high school now, mostly 11-12th graders, and I have never seen or heard LOTR taught. I have tried to encourage some of my own students to read it in their free time and a few have, but for the most part they aren't interested. I have a colleague who teaches an elective course about science fiction and fantasy literature, and I think that he sometimes brings in parts of Tolkien's works, but beyond that it (and all fantasy literature, honestly) has fallen out of vogue for classroom use.
My first encounter with Tolkien was the German paperback of The Hobbit, which I received as a gift when I was about 12 years old. After briefly leafing through it, I first put it aside for a longer time because I was quite put off by the rather special illustrations by Klaus Ensikat:I remember quite clearly that I definitely had no interest at all in LOTR or Tolkien when I first came across his works...
In your case, it was certainly Morgoth. 😜
Yes, I also had just edited this funny example into my original posting.But I see what you mean. And Gollum looks like he owes more than a bit to Lovecraft.
Manwe, Varda and Námo: I certainly wouldn't be so sure of that.In your case, it was certainly Morgoth. 😜
I remember quite clearly that your avatar was different yesterday; and different again a few days ago ...I remember quite clearly ...
I remember quite clearly, that ever since I joined and took notice, your avatar has never changed from the day I joined.I remember quite clearly that your avatar was different yesterday; and different again a few days ago ...
My avatar is the same one I used (and kept) for "Council of Elrond", which I joined in November 2013 - in fact, I found the avatar there; and used it again when I joined "Arwen Undomiel" in March 2017. Probably I've become attached to it because the resemblance has increased over the years. I mean, I'm now older than Ian McKellen was when the RoTK Extended Editions went on sale ...I remember quite clearly, that ever since I joined and took notice, your avatar has never changed from the day I joined.
Hmm...I think I'll leave you to your own thoughts there then.My avatar is the same one I used (and kept) for "Council of Elrond", which I joined in November 2013 - in fact, I found the avatar there; and used it again when I joined "Arwen Undomiel" in March 2017. Probably I've become attached to it because the resemblance has increased over the years. I mean, I'm now older than Ian McKellen was when the RoTK Extended Editions went on sale ...
I have explained my nick in the appropriate place, although I don't see why I would need to . . .the terms "pin-numbers" and "login passwords" keep arising unbidden ...)
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