#I’m also always still learning
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Some Kingdom Hearts sketchbook stuff!!!
(Don’t mind all the soriku I have brain rot and they’re so in love)
#kingdom hearts#kh sora#kh riku#kh kairi#soriku#sokai#sorikai#(kinda again lmaoo)#I’m still learning these losers but I’m obsessed#also long haired Riku supremacy#the way I always have to draw Riku giving Sora the most longing of looks he’s so in love#Sora is too he’s so in love with Riku it’s stupid#I will always draw Sora being physically affectionate with Riku and only Riku#since he canonically seems kind of taken back/uncomfortable with physical affection apart from with Riku#aNYWAY SORRY IM NOT NORMAL ABOUT THEM#sketchbook stuff
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OLLD drawing I can share now of Timmy after recovery and care from staying on double life and being looked after by the box boys~
He’s healthier, happier, his hair and wings have grown back out and have a pretty blue-black sheen to them (that he never knew he had bc in hels his diet and environment only let them be dull) and he just heard the sound of a portal opening for someone to come visit~!
#I’m still gonna draw scraggly Timmy most of the time bc this version is only after a LONG long road of peace and health on double life#BUT LOOK AT HIM!!!!#my fave bit is that he still gets to have his long hair like he likes but he’s confident enough#to push it out of his face with ren’s glasses when he wants#the glasses also let him flip them down and protect his eyes which he needed a LOT when starting out#the sun is so warm and pretty but his eyes have known mostly darkness of his cave in hels so he needs some light reduction here and there#anyways I’m so happy to share this I will always love and explore pathetic creature Timmy and DONT GET ME TWISTED—he’s still very pathetic#even when healthy but he’s learned and growed and gets to put meat on him bones#gets a bit more of that Jimmy broadness in his shoulders and stands up a bit straighter so ppl realize even more that he kinda tall!!!#ok enough yammering BAM HITS U WITH THE TIMMY SMILE RAY HAVE A GOOD DAY#hels to pay au#htp art#Timmy#htp spoilers
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The whole “be responsible not for other people’s feelings but to them” distinction is so so true… at some point you need to realize that other people’s insecurities really are their responsibility & dimming or contorting yourself to make them feel better helps neither you nor them. Firstly, bc they need to realize what they’re doing and grow up. And secondly, bc you’re not just compromising on a one-time thing. You’re comprising on who you are as a person. I don’t want to look back when I’m older and stay stuck wishing I held my ground despite people’s projections or asserted my presence more or didn’t apologize so much for who I am. I really just want to own everything (the good and bad) & continue doing what makes me happy
#This is something to bring up to the therapist for sure bc im not perfect on this yet#and i think that’s also another thing im learning to be less hard on myself for — just realizing im 21 and that having insecurities or weak#Spots still is literally okay. Making mistakes is okay. I beat myself up for this too much#I am not a horrible person for being young & learning how to live & no one will make me feel otherwise#This goes in the other direction too in the sense that I need to stop being apologetic of my accomplishments for fear of#Triggering other people’s insecurities. That is not and nor will it ever be my responsibility#I’m always going to be graceful w other people’s emotions but I’m no longer going to overcompensate bc it helps no one#And is not a marker of love for me to do so
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Hello creatures of the night 😍😍 I have come back to fix the planetlord design
I need to stop pushing myself so far to the point the quality is the worst when I get long periods of inspiration 😔
#Spoke is tomorrow 🔥#Also whoever tagged their reblog on the old design with#Planetlord if he was awesome#Score tag It makes me laugh every time I think about it#Don’t really know why I think it’s so funny but I thought you should know if you come across this#also noticed you guys are pretty easily hypnotized by colors so prepare yourself for spoke#so flattered that you guys would still appreciate planetlord at his worst when he looks horrific#I do kind of like it though. the eyes SCARE me#It also scares me#Because it is so much worse than what I’m actually capable of#but whatever a sketch it a sketch#and this isn’t my main 🤑🤑🤑‼️ I will post bad things because I care less#Just having fun here guys#lifesteal fanart#lifesteal smp#lssmp#planetlord#practice is practice and shitty art always makes me learn something anyway#plus the design isn’t that bad whatever is under the eyes is sick as hell
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diego seeing through mia is the coolest idea ever, but how exactly does it work? are there any limitations?
First thought: well of course he can see through her! She’s a ghost!
Second thought: it’s more of he can only see her, so she leads him, tells him visual information he might need to know, and also just keeps him company
BUT this did give me an interesting idea of like him actually being able to see through her eyes after the spirit bond between the two gets stronger
like like like Zane and his robo-bird from Ninjago?? Y’know what I mean?? So like, not all the time, but it’s like a power, sort of like being like a spirit medium
But instead of channeling spirits, he’s watching the spirit channel or some dumb joke like that LMAO
She isn’t tethered to him, so she can go wherever and still be channeled by Maya and Pearl, but she tends to stay by his side (just like she would have been by his side at his hospital bed before she got killed)
Her spirit also fluctuates in strength and power, so sometimes she’s very visible to him and basically feels corporeal, but then other times, she’s more faint and see-through
#doctorsiren#ace attorney#ace attorney au#diego armando#prosecutor godot#mia fey#miego#phoenix wright#good guy godot au#art#digital art#my art#fanart#procreate#I hope what I’m saying makes sense to anyone else but me#but also! even though she usually acts as his ‘eyes’#he’s still capable of going through life without needing her guidance#he learns how to be blind just in case she ever isn’t with him#he’s always planning many steps ahead
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Some doodles from today
#bloo’s art :)#qsmp badboyhalo#qsmp bbh#qsmp fanart#qsmp dapper#qsmp pomme#qsmp richarlyson#I hope my translation is right- I’m still learning#but I’m also experimenting with a new style!#I always wanted my style to look more cartoonish rather than realistic#so here we gooo#hopefully I can improve with this more!#so far I love it- It looks so silly and squishy#there’s a lottt of other artists that inspired this style btw#like omggg
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The thing is that in developing a habit of staying silent about things I feel I don’t know much about I’ve accidentally strayed into also staying silent about things that I actually know quite a bit about because, yknow, I’m very aware of how many other people know much more than me about Most Things. So I end up thinking things like “well I can’t make a tumblr post about dr who because I haven’t seen/read all of the sci-fi that influenced dr who, let alone all of dr who media and criticism itself,” despite having literally gotten a degree in knowing things about dr who. The thing that was one of my biggest hurdles in finishing my thesis (I kept refusing to write for fear that I was missing Vital Research somewhere despite the fact that I had already constructed a complete argument) has become a hurdle in my day-to-day social interaction which is probably, like, not great
Starting to develop a strong fear that I’ll say something incorrect in public and they’ll execute me by firing squad for it
#this post ended up more personal than I expected. whatever#I don’t know how anyone is comfortable with Speaking when they’re not 100% sure of what they’re talking about.#what if you’re wrong. what if they kill you. with hammers#and of course it doesnt Actually stop me from making posts about dr who#but it does stop me from ever talking in-depth about the parts of dr who I’m still learning about#(which are almost always the parts I’m most enthusiastic about!)#I would Post so much more if I thought I were allowed to make posts about the dweu things I’m still reading#I would also Post so much more about Star Trek
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Preston x Danse is the only companion ship I think would actually work because Preston’s inner turmoil is sort of a loss of faith in himself due to the traumatic experiences he’s faced while Danse is looking for something to have faith in and would find the fact that despite the desire to give up Preston held out so long not just for the honor of the Minutemen but because he had some hope.
It would 100% start off as a lotta unhealthy on Danse’s side as I believe he completely lacks the emotional intelligence (due to a combination of factors) to recognize the he’s feelings as anything but a sort of respect for a superior along with leaning too much into Preston as a substitute for the BoS. Preston may not really have a title but he’s like THE Lieutenant of the Minutemen. Realistically he’s the only companion Danse would probably be comfortable taking instructions from especially for how trusted Preston is by the Sole Survivor and his adherence to military standards despite how unstructured the Minutemen are. It would be him waiting for orders, approval, anything from Preston and he thinks it’s just the desire to have the regiment of the BoS again but he also like when Preston compliments him on being useful or resourceful. He likes the stories of Minuteman glory days and he trades the stories of the BoS that don’t hurt to talk about. He likes the familiarity Preston would provide and he’d be oblivious that it’s not just new found loyalty to the Minutemen.
Yet Preston explains it himself that he’s not a natural leader. He’s not an instructor. He helps manage what the General has put in place and he content on doing that. He relays what needs to be done and does major upkeep but I don’t think he’d know what to do with this guy this literally marches up to him and practically begs for a mission that doesn’t exist. Like the formality and respect is nice but he can tell it’s covering something even if Danse doesn’t.
Danse could go to Sturges for the many repair and upkeep assignments he gives him and has the freedom to go straight to the Castle if he really wants a big mission, but he chooses to come to him everytime. He’s aware enough that Danse only trusts him out of all of the Generals confidantes but it would take a bit for him to understand why. If anything Danse should be strategizing with him as equals seeing as he almost got the Minuteme wiped out and Danse was a Paladin for the Brotherhood with many successes under his belt before Preston even led his first scouting mission. It’s like he sees him as some figure of hope, some one who can come in and add stability. Someone with a fresh outlook who can provide a new perspective for him.
It’s like he sees him like he saw/sees the Sole Survivor but that would be crazy because that would also mean… and then oh, it clicks.
The revelation is both flattering and he doesn’t know what to do with it cause how do you address “I know you respect me but is that the only feeling you have for me?” To the guy who like refuses to rest unless you tell him at ease? He has to reevaluate his whole manner of interaction with Danse cause this is a very slippery slope that he’s sliding down and it’s even more perilous due to Danse’s repressed emotions regarding… everything. There’s an equal chance Danse will try to open up as completely shut down and he’s not just concerned about it cause Sole Survivor cares for him but because he has grown to care for the guy too. It’s not like he doesn’t also enjoy Danse’s company and value as a Minuteman member. He’s not a love at first sight guy but he’s played with the idea, anyone would when you’ve spent nights trading stories, historical facts and beers by the fire in a little home you’ve carved for yourself through literal blood, sweat and tears.
I think it’s one of those cases where it’s agonizingly slow to the actual relationship but neither part are anguished about that. If anything happened to soon Danse would be too dependent and Preston not equipped to handle it. It’s a case where I genuinely think they’d bring out the best in each other cause theyd want to figure out what is best for the other and not just apply what they think is the best. It’s the care that Preston would ask Danse what he wants to do and encourage it and at the same time Danse would be incredulous everytime Preston second guesses himself.
Long story short it’s a good ship to me because it’s just two guys with broken confidences and faith in their roles being each other’s hype man and kissin a little about it.
#my thing with the other ships is less that the compatibility is bad but a lot of these characters would not enable the best behavior in eac#other or they want drasticlu different things in life or partners and while flings or non serious things would work long term I imagine#problems would arise that a lot of them would not know how to address with each other like Preston is the most well adjusted besides like#Piper. I’d say Nick but he has the whole I’m technically another guy thing going on and DiMA and he’s a workaholic and throws himself into#danger a lot if Ellie is to be believed so like Piper is the closest next to Preston#a lot of these people should not be in relationships rn honestly because they have barely worked through their issues and should learn to b#health mentally and physically and emotionally alone first as they cling to hard to SoSu#like it’s almost all of them but like Piper Preston and MacCready but RJ is also just kinda a dick but we knows he’s always been like that#Preston x Danse is till more so a like this develops slowly and Danse doesn’t know why his stomach hurts when Preston doesn’t include him i#his patrol squad for the day and blames it on feeling like he’s being excluded for not being good at it and Preston excluding him cause he’#like I need you to do something for yourself of of your own volition but also his buddy deserves a break and does not get that Danse is lik#a work dog that constantly needs a task or he becomes neurotic#I have so many thoughts on the compatibility of the companions cause some of them are like fun partners and fwbs and others would have the#most heartbreaking toxic romances known to man but still get over it the next day and be fwbs like none of them have healthy feelings#Preston x Danse#dunno if they have a ship name#fo4#preston garvey#fallout#fallout 4#paladin danse#danse#Danse’s active flirting is like ‘you know how to perfectly create a secure perimeter I have trouble believing it wasn’t just bad timing and#luck with the misfortune that followed your group to concord Lieutenant Garvey’ and it’s like the most reassuring thing Preston has heard#but that is like not a flirty thing but Presont is still smitten by it cause what the fuck does this guy see in him or why is he suxking up#to him and his poor planning skills
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vent. sorry i’m honesty hangry and upset
actually i’m still annoyed. has anyone in this damn fandom heard of filtering tags. for shit. they don’t like
also like not to be ‘what about’ but seriously if your biggest problems are fucking shipping wars on tumblr dot com i envy you. truly.
#misc: personal text#also not to Make It Like That but like#a lot of the people i know who like making art about the legion and/or caecade and vulcade#are people of color as well. like do y’all not hear yourselves. asking racially marginalized people who have historically experienced#slavery/forced cultural assimilation#and a host of other issues#if they LIKE SLAVERY and APPROVE of it IN REAL LIFE#fiction can inform reality yes but truly? it is not that deep. some people like dark themes in fiction. be okay with it#i’m indigenous. much of the legion’s narrative is specifically anti-indigenous. i am *literally the product of genocide*#i still enjoy exploring stories with it. because i can choose to like things. or not like them.#some people like to explore unhealthy dynamics in fiction. that does not mean they approve of it.#and DO NOT come at me saying ‘wuh wuh wuh well that means you approve of csam and you’re a pro shipper’ or whatever the fuck people are#saying now. because that is NOT what i’m saying and it is not the same. and you damn well know that.#a piece of creative work does not have to always make you comfortable. i like exploring morally challenging narratives. i like nuance.#i like grey areas in my fiction.#does that mean i condone that irl? hell no#because i know what im about. i know my values. and they’re not necessarily reflected in my storytelling or art#personally i think that exploring horror and toxicity in fiction is a good way to build reading comprehension (once you’ve ‘built’#the thinking muscles for it).#honestly i’m just so so so so tired of this moral scare around always Liking The Right Things#and if you like the Wrong Things and Wrong Media that makes you Bad.#it’s fucking dumb#learn to filter out the shit you don’t like. you are allowed to not like things.
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I rly don’t see how ppl be 20+ shipping kids anymore tbh… like, it’s so rampant and I don’t see the appeal to it anymore being as tho I’m in my late 20’s.
#I’m grown….. it always baffles me to see it like man I don’t care I don’t find joy in it anymore since I’m not a teenager#I just look at them and think they’re like my fake son… daughter nephew niece whatever lol#give me the struggling and mentally fucked up 20+ year old give me those middle age bitches man if I’m going to like a ship now anyway#like i don’t care about the romance between kids man it sucks that this is such a huge thing in most fandom spaces#not that I participate in said spaces since ppl are annoying and embarrassing#also very nasty#sns is diff tho like that’s a whole other thing 🪽#sns is just a classic it’s legendary it transcends space and time it it-#I’m so glad that jjk is full of adults tho lmfaoo#one of Gege’s only W’s… especially impressive for a shounen#i like jjk outside of the goiji pairings too like I just genuinely enjoy it despite how awful it is now lol#again#I do think that ppl need to learn how to become more comfortable with enjoying media outside of shipping tho#like there’s nothing wrong with it obviously but I’m talking more like how tons of ppl only get into a new series for the sole purpose#of shipping instead of engaging with said media and the story that it’s trying to tell…#this is why fanon and wild insane hc’s usually get out of control too to the point where those who might be interested in checking out#a series might be deterred because they don’t even know what the show is about because the only stuff that ppl see about the thing is ship#stuff and like discourse#and the behavior of the fans…#these ppl be 30+ arguing with teenagers man it’s crazy to me#I just think there needs to be a balance lol#like still go crazy. Have fun and all but you get it#but anyway. with all that being said! Goiji stays winning in my heart 🚶🏾♀️#rambling
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Both love and hate the absolute DELUGE of ink a fresh sharpie unleashes onto the paper the instant it makes contact…. I have complicated feelings towards the deluge lmao
#pepper words#it might not even only be fresh sharpies idk. I don’t remember… it might always be a deluge#until it starts to die#I use to ONLY use sharpies to draw traditionally for like the longest time. but then I got fancy pens and shit.#that dont piss out all there ink instantly#it’s kinda fun tho.. like it forces you to draw faster. and press lighter. and just. be looser w ur lines#and even when ur being loose it’s STILL making thick as hell lines. but. that’s also kinda interesting..?#idk. it’s kinda fun using them again sometimes. I feel like it’s kinda freeing. u just have to accept what the sharpie puts out#u can only control it so much. u have to let go of that urge for perfection and take what u get#I feel like currently I really struggle w. liking my sketches more than my lines. and trying to replicate all my sketchwork#into my linework… but lines are not sketches!!! so it leads to linework I don’t like either cuz it’s all scratchy and weird#i feel like. 1 I need to learn. to let some pictures just be sketches. like if I like the look of my sketch and wanna keep that loose#conceptual sorta look. to just. not line it. not try to replicate a sketch in lines#and 2! to embrace smoothness in my linework more… to accept my lines. not looking exactly like my sketch#and to not go over every single sketch stroke in ink to try and achieve that.. cuz it doesn’t work!!!!!#and.. uhhh. yeah! I think using sharpies might actually help out w that. cuz u literally. u CANNOT go over them a 100 times.#or trace over every sketch mark. the spread of the ink does not allow it! and if u keep trying it’ll just become a mess#forces me to accept my lines as they are… lines….#ok anyway… sorry for the impromptu sharpie / art dissatisfaction discussion ghghg#sharpies r cool and interesting to work w!!! force me to do things differently i think I like em#but also because I’m so stuck in my ways w lining my sketches they also frustrate me initially ghgh- but who cares if I’m frustrated!#the lines down! it’s done! u just gotta move onto the next one! and boom. whadaya kno#all of a sudden u got some finished linework that isn’t exactly what u put down for the sketch. but it’s smooth and clean and shit!#thats cool lol
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need an age regression/de-aging fic where a post-KH4 riku has to take care of a younger sora, and bb sora is just completely awestruck over how strong and kind and pretty (and tall!!) his best friend riku got… and is so transparently smitten that riku, who is actually dating present-day sora, is just like: wow we really were oblivious how did either of us miss sora’s glaring crush on me??
#soriku#i’m picturing like… sora right before kh1 or post-kh2#old enough to have butterflies over this other riku but not quite old enough to know what it means yet#just a puppy crush#there’s angst potential too if it’s kh2 sora before he found his riku#so he throws himself sobbing at older riku#but a BBS sora bouncing around teen riku would be very cute also#anyway i would write it myself but i don’t have the time#also am not confident about writing children#i just want riku getting to see firsthand that he wasn’t the only one pining for years and years#and that sora always loved him even at his worst#8yo sora doesn’t care that his riku teased him sometimes he still wants to play games with big riku#10yo sora doesn’t understand why his riku said they’re too old to hold hands#and is thrilled that big riku is happy to give him hugs and ruffle his hair#kh1 sora doesn’t care about their old ‘rivalry’ or that his riku was working with maleficent#he is just overjoyed to learn that riku came back to the side of light and that they get to be friends again#kh2 sora is loud about how much he missed him and very impressed by how far riku has come as a keyblade master#(also blushes when he sees him working out and then is confused as to why)#(i am thinking of that one manga panel where sora talks about riku’s “big arms” and how he can carry big logs by himself lmfao)#any of these soras would follow a cool older riku around like a duckling and be wowed by everything he does i am convinced
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I am so sorry to ask you this, but if you don’t mind, could you please give me some tips on Backgrounds and perspective? I suck at it and nothing is helping 😭😭
Lemme tell you something…. I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing 😭
If it counts for anything tho, having a 3D ref always helps >>)b I’d say try Sketchfab or a room planner app :0 heck even minecraft apparently!! If you have a ref of the background and angle you’re looking for it’s easier to draw it ;w; or use as a base and add stuff to it or edit it. I mostly hide stuff with speech bubbles but if you add objects it also kinda helps ^^ sometimes also just drawing the floor and walls first and THEN adding furniture and objects helps too :’> you just need a simple base to start and then adding little things or characters completes it 💖
#I’m always like using the equivalent of a ruler :v for anything background related#but it miiight make everything look stiff#I know some people use curves instead of straight lines and it looks more dynamic#gotta try that sometime#pix answers#anyway hope this helps 💖💖💖#thank you for askin dbndndnd sorry to reveal my dark secrets my dude I’m still learning also TTwTT
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wrt dean hitting sam and how its obviously something with an established history of happening from the way sam acts about it (‘you satisfied?.. guess not’ ‘take a swing’ etc). i personally think this has been a pattern in their life pretty much forever. wait i ended up saying way more in the tags im gonan make another post i think
#the thing with sam and dean is also that since they were so neglected a lot of Relatively Normal older sibling behavior becomes something#different. like take in a very supernatural christmas. dean gets mad at sam and starts yelling at him to shut up#and it’s discomforting to watch!! no one is telling dean to stop or in any way contradicting the messages hes giving to sam and ur like.#christ!! but that’s like. Pretty Normal older sibling behavior i think. i was never really the kind to fight with my siblings when they were#kids like that but tons of peoples older siblings beat them up for fun when they’re like 8. but it just becomes different#with sam and dean - because dean does have all the power in a way older siblings dont normally bc usually you and ur sibling are still both#the KID. you know? whereas deans given an authority of fan. idk. deangirls like to talk about dean playing a parental role#if you subscribe to that you have to even more so admit that the way he treats sam becomes very fucked#and i’m not blaming dean for this when he’s a kid. cause how’s he meant to know better and also this is probably how john acts he’s learning#it from someone#but as he gets older? i just reckon it doesn’t ever change. he never learns that it’s unacceptable and sam always lets him treat him The Way#He Does In Canon so he just never changes. and what started off kind of as normal siblings antics quickly shifts into something entirely#different. especially as in canon when dean hits sam its usually like a punishment. after sams gone out of his control. or its to take out#his own anger. which is SO fucked up. and this most definitely was happening before canon#spn#oliver talks#sam & dean
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My mom getting a new place is kinda making me anxious I think she thinks I’m gonna move in w her instead of my dad 😭 and I’m not sure why I don’t want to. Cuz she’s way better. But I don’t. And I feel responsible I think and plus my sisters will never favor my mom over my dad… so we’d live apart. but I’m 20 years old I can live whatever I want. But. But but but
#idk I really like our house too. it’s great. it’s exactly my style. I would miss it LMAO#but again my mom is just.. she’s so much more organized and she and my stepdad actually get stuff done#and take care of themselves. living w her would be more like we’re roommates and not how it is w my dad#who needs to be taken care of and doted on like a child. my sisters too but I don’t think they’d survive living without me at my dads 💀#or they’d be really pissed at me. at the least#my dads house is constantly horrible so messy so so so bad no free counterspace anywhere can barely walk thru the house and cat vomit#everywhere. unless I take care of all of it. I can’t have company over unless I know a week in advance so I can make it look like a normal#house. and at my moms it’s never like that. it’s messier than average sure but it’s never disgusting like that#people are always telling me not to do anything and let my family learn to clean up after themselves but if I don’t it will just get worse#and worse. they’ll wait weeks before doing anything. it’s embarrassing. and depressing. if I let it go long enough I am miserable every day#after being homeless or on the verge of homelessness for 10 years my dad can’t even appreciate the fantastic house we have 😭#he has to fuck it all up. it’s not 100% his fault bc my sisters do fuck all but he DID teach them to be this way. the only reason I do#anything is because I snapped out of planning to kill myself and realized that I needed to be there for my sisters. so I started being like#their parent more and more. but they still never learned to unload the dishwasher or take out the trash without screaming about it.#I’m just very overwhelmed and nervous about this move. I also feel horrible as if I’m disappointing my mom if I don’t move in. I don’t want#to disappoint her any more than I already have..#she is soooo excited about giving me a room the basement so I can have my bunnies there..
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Well, I actually have the most mundane of questions, but it’s been so long since I’ve been in an English class that I feel like I’ve completely forgotten (and I’m curious how you do it): how do you go about reading a book as a class? Do you assign them the chapters to read at home and most of them actually do it? Or do you give them class time to read? Do you have the kids who try to spoil the rest of the book for the class? Basically, how does one teach a book in the year 2024? 😀
And do you have your students annotate inside their books? (I know the English teachers in my school require the students to do that, and I get why, but I inwardly shudder every time I see a student marking up a page.)
Haha I love this question because I too am always asking myself how DOES one each a book in 2024?
It’s sort of a combination. I absolutely assign reading every night (almost) unless it’s Shakespeare or any play in which case we read it all in class. But for a novel there’s a couple chapters a night. I read aloud to them a lot too. Sometjmes I make them read aloud to the whole class, rotating kids who read. Sometimes I assign a chapter to be read in class silently with questions or quotes due at the end of the reading. Sometimes I put them in groups and make them read aloud to each other. There’s no one way that works for sure and of course ultimately I have no control over how much they read and I’m not naive enough to think that most of the reading assigned for homework doesn’t get skipped most of the time buuuuuut.
My bottom line is that I believe it’s my job to get excited about the actual text itself (easier for me in some cases than others but overall pretty easy because it does fill me with excitement) and then commit to taking them on the journey of the story with me. And my goal—that I’m sure I often don’t reach—is to make that experience so much more fun if you have actually read. And the way that I teach is pretty text heavy which is why I always make sure I’ve read the chapters for the day and am not just relying on my memory because the way I do it is just sort of absorbing it all up like a vacuum-cleaner, schwooooop, and then either pulling stuff out of the reading to look at directly or directing them to do the same thing. So the big thing that I have going for me, if any, is buy-in. Is getting kids excited about actually reading the actual text. I also speak often and passionately about the evils of sparknotes etc. not because they help kids get better grades or whatever but because they present you with the husk and shell of a story, stripped of all that makes it interesting, and that by reading that alone they’re reading something so dry and dull and are not achieving what I always want them to achieve —which is, have an Experience with the Literature.
Again, it never works perfectly by any stretch and there are so many ways I want to explore in my quest to get better at it but overall I think, at my very best, I can create this wave of energy and excitement in the story itself which is the most organic and ultimately most helpful way to get them to want to read.
Also no haha. I don’t let them annotate! Though occasionally kids DO of course. But sometimes they bring in their own copies in order to do that. The spoilers absolutely happen and are annoying but I sort of get by it by moving on very quickly and/or talking about how it’s often not the ending but how you get there that makes it interesting. Because that’s just true!
#gosh does this answer make sense#I am so passionate about doing it well and there are huge gaps in my teaching in terms of concrete stuff#but I am doing ….. Something in terms of bringing literature closer to them#and that’s what I want to do!#also love love love the bonus of getting to reread great works over and over until they start sinking into my brain#and I think (well I usually don’t think about it) but I think that the experience for them of watching me read it again#(and sometimes literally I won’t have time to read I need 10 minutes to finish this chapter and tell them to shut up)#(while I sit there and read it)#reminds them that I AM committed to doing the work with them. that I am actually doing it and that I want to!#and idk I think that is both a rarer experience and one that’s kind of underrated in terms of how much warmth it can create#because I have nothing in common with 16 year olds we couldn’t be friends in real life without it being very weird/possibly inappropriate#but in class we have a Thing to be friends about#we have a shared goal! and not just an arbitrary one but a deeply beautiful one#idk. there’s still a lot of boredom a lot of pushback a lot of disinterest#but I’m always amazed at how often kids do want to …. idk sink their teeth into something real#it’s REAL food for their minds. and the hunger for it is there even if they decide they’re too lazy to join the group#my goal is to —merely by the situation itself—make you feel left out of the fun if you refuse to do the work#so you can CHOOSE that but it’s less fun. it’s cold. it’s boring and it’s isolating#because refusing to do the work and insisting on being a little toad SHOULD come with natural social punishments in the form of exclusion#from the best kind of fun. it often does NOT. but yeah. I think I’m also getting better at shutting down toad behavior from adolescent male#this is where teaching co-Ed helps because there are some girls who are like ‘if you stop my learning I will kill you’#not ENOUGH girls but some#ooooof this is a long answer but literally always on my mind#thank you for asking!!! also haha I assumed you were an English teacher yourself!
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