Forget the Alamo

Dispatch from the Valley:
Laurel and I had four days to shoot 25 movies with a cast and crew of 130 7th graders. (We went slightly over schedule because on the first day I lost my voice and got food poisoning. I, like, don't even know what to say about that. It's not even like anyone would have thought teaching middle school was a walk in the park, but seriously.)

We were working with two super-VHS cameras, editing with a VCR and remote control (a very blunt editing system, it must be said), with props provided by Wal-Mart and what the kids could make out of paper. Mainly, weapons. (Grulla MS prinicipal had valid concern about kids running around with fake guns, but a shame because most films involved a lot of death by shooting.)

What movies exactly were these kids making? Reenactments of important historical events. A lot of Alamo battles and, due to recent non-Texas colonial history unit, Boston Massacre/Tea Parties, as well as surprisingly dramatic renditions of the Townsend Act of 1767 and the Quartering Act of 1774. (Pivotal, but hard to dramatize. Students were up to the challenge.)

Highlights included:
* Miss Staab let the kids cut off a chunk of her hair on-camera for a Holocaust film. She and other concentration camp prisoners were then shot dead during an escape attempt. Definitely one of the grimmer offerings.
* Newly-discovered acting phenom Robert in 2nd period telling a village of colonists about the new Intolerable Acts:

Robert: King James put a tax on the tea!
7 Villagers speaking in unison, in style of Greek chorus: Nu-uh!
Robert: We have to do something about it!
7 Villagers: Okay!

* 8th period's 20 person, all-out Alamo battle, which included the death by torture of Davey Crockett (Miss Anna: Ok, just don't really hurt him), a triumphant Mexican soldier stabbing an already-dead Texas soldier in the heart (aka left armpit) with a Texas flag, and a final shot in which Santa Anna and his army crowded around a pile of fallen Texans and hollered together ¡Viva Mexico!

Lowlights:
* At one point while Santa Anna's army was setting up camp under the shade of a tree, I realized I was going to be visible in the background of the wide shot, and tried to make myself inconspicuous by turning my back on the camera. Did not really work. I kind of stand out as tall, confused/lost-looking White girl in neon pink t-shirt.
* During Columbus's discovery of the New World, we didn't have anything that looked like a ship so we tried to make one out of people. I laid down to be the deck, Orly raised his hands above his head to be the mast, Heather kneeled at the front to be the mermaid figurehead, etc. Upon review of dailies Miss Staab thought we were trying to act out an S&M scene.

Overall I think the project was a smashing success. We worked hard and had fun. And it made me want to teach. It looks hard: crazy hard. But Laurel is a little bit in love with her job, and it shines through.

A special prize to anyone who knows what movie the title of this entry is quoting.