"Aren't you going to tell us," she asked, "or at least give us a clue?"
"Nope," I responded, "you'll have to do some more reading to know what comes next."
"But I have to know: does Caesar die? Who becomes the new king?"
A classmate provided the response from those in the know: "No way Caesar dies! The play is called Julius Caesar, and it's only the end of Act II. He can't die with all these pages left to read!"
Ah, it's so nice to know that someone is listening, that someone is reading along, that someone is engaged in the captivating classic by William Shakespeare! It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it takes savoring the moment to fully appreciate it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Contrast the above conversation with another student's query, following a comment I made about how tired I am of finding that every single lesson in the lit book has a question that requires the student to ... "using a chart like the one below." An original idea lacks originality when it replicated a hundred times!
Anyway, I told the students that since the chart in the book is purple this time, I'll be looking for their purple chart when I collect the assignment Friday.
"But what if I don't have a purple marker?" she asked. "Can I still turn in the assignment?"
I just smiled.
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