Rationale
In Greek mythology, the phoenix is a bird that arises from the ashes of its predecessor. The phoenix is reborn and a new journey begins. Like the phoenix, Cape Henlopen High School arose from the ashes of an old school and negative image, to become a beautiful eight million dollar building epitomizing the perfect beach school.
Whenever I tell someone I work at Cape, eyes light up. There is an air that surrounds working at Cape Henlopen. Para-educators and substitute teachers constantly tell me how lucky I am to work full time at Cape. Teachers from other schools constantly apply to job postings because of the great things Cape does for students and faculty. Parents, too, are proud of the Viking pride. Enrollment increases every year. A new elementary school will be built within the next year to support this increase. Bleachers are filled with moms and dads cheering their sons or daughters on and Back to School Night is parent driven. Teachers and administration know how lucky we are and do not take it for granted. It is more than just a job for teachers and that is evident through the rigor of their lessons and little to no turnaround. Our new assistant principal has worked at numerous Sussex County schools and now often exclaims that she is a Cape lifer.
It is no wonder that Cape receives such accolades. Our athletic program is the best in the state; our DCAS scores soared last year and our extra-curricular activities help improve not only school, but also community. There is such a community, which is funny because Cape is such a small beach town. Nevertheless, everyone truly supports one another to make Cape better than ever. Through YNI, I am able to help continue in those efforts.
When one passes by Kings Highway, the light of our rotunda is always shining, symbolizing the light for our students’ education will never go out. If you look closely, you can see Cape’s mission statement in a delicate gold plaque, available to be read by all who enter. If you do miss it, you can read it on the electronic school sign outside the building. The statement reads, “The Cape Henlopen School District prepares each student for a healthy, creative, and rewarding life in a diverse and global society by creating an educational environment which enables each student to achieve personal excellence and lifelong learning skills to become a productive and responsible citizen.” Enter a classroom, speak with a current student, a parent of a student, faculty member or administrator and each individual will stress how Cape students embody this message, or at least try.
However, things are not always as they appear, just as William Shakespeare demonstrates in The Taming of The Shrew. Just because Cape’s image is perceived as perfect, it doesn’t follow that our students are or can be. Just as sisters Katherine and Bianca are labeled ‘shrew’ and ‘treasure’, these labels are just that, labels. These labels do not define them, nor are they necessarily accurate. Does a moment in our students’ lives or a monologue in a Shakespeare speech define who they are or who the character is? More importantly, can we ever know who a person is? As teenagers, whether at Cape Henlopen High School or any high school anywhere, students are in disguise because they are struggling to figure out who they are themselves. They wear a mask to avoid exposure and susceptibility, which opens up to being vulnerable, hurt or excluded. Through the reading of The Taming of the Shrew, with close examination of Kate’s final monologue and the disguises of characters, students will be able to examine their own life and see the value of honesty and self-worth.
This unit will be taught during the early weeks of the beginning of the school year. As 12th graders, they are on display to their peers but their image is not always authentic. With these students, The Taming of the Shrew as we read it will be peeled away like the layers of an onion. Many of students need assistance to become proficient in the use of reading strategies and are able to learn these strategies through our class discussions and reading of the play. This will be the first layer that is vital in ensuring all students understand what the play is about and the difficulty in knowing when someone is genuine, along with the relatability of Shakespeare in their own lives. When analyzing Katherine’s final speech, the class may be divided or united. They may assume she is performing a charade and manipulating not only her husband, but also all around her. Or they may believe she has in fact been tamed and it is her sister Bianca who had really needed to be tamed all along—supposing that to tame women is what the play calls for. Regardless of the outcome, students will learn about Shakespeare, a new play and themselves.
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