Janie Slaven: THE TEACHER'S DESK: A little time in the classroom

Jan. 12—I beat the sunrise to my classroom by 54 minutes. That's not bad for a Monday. Consequently, this is the last week of the semester, and as I dutifully pull up behind my desk (a hot cup of coffee within my reach), I begin to prepare that final lesson for this part of the year. As always, I find time is fleeting.

I can feel the cold from outside breaching my windows as I look around my room. Mix-match bookshelves line one wall, filled with the colorful bindings of many a written work. To the right, beyond a scattered pile of ungraded papers, a stack of classic novels teeter on the edge of my desk.

There is a plethora of works to choose from as I search for a lesson, but for some reason, here at the beginning of the new year, a poem about mortality pops into my head.

After some preparation, I introduce my students to the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. It is a clever little sonnet written in iambic pentameter.

After letting the class listen to Brian Cranston read the poem on YouTube (Which I recommend), I set my students loose to complete a deeper reading. I offer up several discussion questions and put them into groups for a presentation.

The poem is about a traveler that comes upon some ruins in a desert. Amongst the ruins is the sculpted image of a king named Ozymandias, and under this likeness is a proclamation stating the king's greatness. In his own words, the arrogant ruler says, "Look upon me ye mighty and despair." There is nothing but ruins in the wake of these words. The mighty nor the weak have nothing to fear from what is ironically dust in the wind.

I challenge my students to find not only the irony, but the meaning behind the poem. What was Shelly's purpose in writing "Ozymandias?" What little jewels will they find in their treasure hunt for deeper meaning? One group end their presentation with the astute observation that "power is temporary." As the poem states, "nothing beside remains."

For the most part, students grasp this obvious concept. However, while it is my hope they are able to apply Shelley's understanding that even tyranny is subject to time, I also hope they understand the dangers of ignorance. Of course, there is also metaphor, rhyme scheme and all those other poetic elements.

Comparatively, as social media is a big part of our lives, and politicians and representatives dictate at least some factors of our existence, I would hope my students recognize the deficiency of character in an individual. One of those being, if a person has to tell everyone that they're great (i.e. Ozymandias's inscription), then perhaps they are not. That might be one of the major differences between confidence and arrogance.

There is also the value of time. Time is the most valuable thing a person can own. Terrifyingly, you can't get it back, and you cannot buy more. It can be wasted and sadly, robotically spent in a 60-hour week doing something you hate. But those are big lessons that come later. I'm just planting a seed.

One by one, I watch as my students explicate the poem, reading and discussing the questions in front of the class. Some stand aloof, reading their answers in a dry apathetic voice that proves they are smarter than Shelley. Others stand at attention and enthusiastically deliver their short critiques on Shelly's work.

It was captivating to watch their young, sometimes passionate remarks about the persistence of time in contrast to their youth. Interestingly, few acknowledged that nothing lasts forever, and instead pointed out that Ozymandias was not great because he did not last. In my humble opinion, most did not recognize the nod to mortality because sometimes the young unconsciously think they will live forever.

Consequently, as I type the final words to this editorial, the last class has ended for the day. Most times I find I do not always finish that second cup of coffee, and it currently sits to the right of this keyboard. I take a drink and wince at the cold bitterness of that familiar brew. Time is the most valuable thing a person can own, and it is time to go home.

Brian Theodore is a language arts teacher at Corbin High School and lives in Corbin with his wife, who is also a teacher at CHS. He can be contacted at Theteachersdesk.theodore@gmail.com.