Winning Over the Boys

I’ve discovered the key to student approval. It’s one itsy bitsy word. Something you’d never even plan to use in order to win over a group of semi-apathetic 11^th grade boys. But before I tell you the word, I’ve got to set the scene. 

My 11^th graders are currently deeply immersed in The Great Gatsby. If you’ve never read it, here is the gist:  it’s a jazz era novel told from the perspective of Nick, a newcomer to West Egg, and his fascination with finding out all there is to know about Jay Gatsby, his wealthy and mysterious neighbor who leads a lavishly exciting lifestyle. 

Daisy is Nick’s cousin, and she is married to Tom. Tom is having an affair with Myrtle. Daisy is aware of the affair, but she ignores it. When Daisy is reacquainted with Gatsby, her long-lost love from five years ago, she begins her own affair. 

I won’t kill the ending; if you want to know more, you’ll have to read it. 

Today we were reviewing chapter six before we began listening (yes, AUDIOBOOK IN CLASS because I’m the coolest!), and I was asking the kids questions to help with the review. We were talking about Gatsby’s party, which Tom and Daisy attended in chapter six, and I asked how Daisy felt internally about the party and then what she told Tom she felt about the party. Internally, Daisy hated the party because it included many things deemed “socially unacceptable” in her aristocrat mind, but she told Tom that she loved it. Why did she lie to Tom? Because she is a cheating ho who wants to be able to go back to Gatsby’s mansion without her husband becoming suspicious. Did you catch it? The magical word? It’s ho. One syllable, two letters, and instantly I had the approval of my 11^th grade boys. 

Now, I can’t take credit for using the word on my own. I don’t refer to characters as “hos” often. When I was leading the review, the students said ho first, and who am I to replace their perfectly correct word with one that is less approachable to them? Promiscuous, wanton, immoral, or philandering all would have been fine replacements for the word that is less “academic,” but ho is approachable to semi-apathetic 11^th grade boys. When they hear ho, they know what it means. When they hear wanton, they don’t have the background knowledge to create as vivid of a meaning. 

Most of the time, I use academic words in place of the more colorful words they select while we discuss. I promote elevated language in my classroom, and I frequently make students repeat their sentences with more appropriate adjectives, but today I was tired, and ho is an incredibly accurate description of Daisy, so I went with it. Little did I know that two-lettered word would win the admiration of high school boys. 

The class broke into laughter at my use of the word. They understood that Daisy, whose actions we had analyzed and broken down, was indeed a ho. My acknowledgement of their choice word made them feel validated in their comprehension and interpretation of the book. I can't tell them that Daisy isn't ho because she is. I heard from one student, “I don’t even like teachers, but now I like her!” Who knew it was that easy?

I don’t go throwing vernacular words like ho around very often. I take pride in promoting elevated language and heightened thought in my classroom, but every once in a while, I have to tell it like it is. I think that’s one of the reasons why reluctant students are willing to produce in my classroom. I make them work, I have high standards, but I’m not afraid to acknowledge when a character is being a ho.