Mr. Locke’s Classroom

In the interest of disclosure, I should admit up front that I am unquestionably biased when it comes to my fondness for the Beowulf Epic. I have studied it extensively, been inspired by it, and taught it as well. It’s a powerful story, and I am convinced it will continue to be told for the [...]

Last night I finally took Amy to see Stardust, one of my favorite films this year. I’d seen the trailer for the new Beowulf movie before, but for some reason last night I really started thinking about it for the first time. I taught Beowulf to high school freshmen for many years, and have a [...]

Happy Thanksgiving! Now that the turkey-leftovers are growing cold, and the football games are over, it’s time to get started with Mr. Locke’s cruel, evil, Thanksgiving homework… Instead of posting topics for discussion on each separate film, let’s maybe focus on things they might all have in common: What (from the perspective of the film) [...]

Alright–as of today, my freshman should have finished the A&E Biography of John Steinbeck, so here’s a chance to comment. I realize that documentaries are by nature very different than movies you might be used to watching–no car chase scenes, no huge gun fights and violent deaths by the thousands–but Steinbeck did have a pretty [...]

His “due date” was two days ago, so I was beginning to think that he was his mother’s child: frequently late. But today I finally got my classroom ready for my weeklong paternity absence, graded all my ungraded papers, had “closure” with my students, and finished packing my side of the hospital bag (all but [...]