Not gonna lie, when I found
out I would be taking this class I thought it was going to consist mainly of
watching Disney movies and reading page long stories. But I was SO wrong and
this class turned out to be a completely different and awesome experience!
Little did I know that fairytales weren’t all about cute animals, the rule of
threes, and handsome men with good voices, but rather a whole lot more in terms
of maturity. Never did I expect the tales to hold so many hidden meanings
related to sexuality, abuse, and even psychology.
Looking back at all of my
blog entries for this class, I was surprised by what I picked up on but, then
again, not surprised that I missed a ton of stuff. This class, of course,
helped with that and despite these fairly vague entries I feel that I have
developed a strong understanding of the class’s topic.
I think the best part of this
class was simply the discussions we had. While we would sometimes get off topic
(no complaints – they were fun!) we mostly stayed focused and the openness of
these discussions definitely helped in understanding the material. Another part
of this class I liked was the end-of-term project where we taught a particular
fairytale to a group of kids at the Boys & Girls Club and the middle school
down the road. While the Boys & Girls Club was fun, I did find teaching at
the school more organized and therefore easier/les stressful. The kids were far
more interested in what we were teaching them which also made the experience
more fun and fulfilling.
At the beginning of the course
back in August and September, I was slightly overwhelmed because of the fast
pace and level of difficulty of the class. Like I said I naively expected it to
be an “easy A,” but over the course of the first semester, I discovered how
laid back, while still passionate about the subject, Dr. Esa was and how much
he cared about us feeling comfortable and succeeding and I began to feel more
confident that I could do well in his class. What also helped was the
enthusiasm of my fellow classmates and, of course, peer mentor. Without this
enthusiastic vibe, I’m sure the class wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable!
