"Yes, but other than that, Mrs. Lincoln ..."

OK, an informal poll...

This week is the week I take two of my students to DC for the Ford's Theater National Oratory Retreat. My two students will get to work with the teaching artists and students from across the country. On Sunday, they will get to perform their speeches on the Ford's Theater stage. I am so excited for them! I will spend my time with my fellow Fellows, out first time working face to face all year. I'm excited for that as well. Which leads me to my poll.

They have asked all of the teachers to prepare a speech for the event as well. The prompt is: “Tell us how your experience in the National Oratory Fellows program has impacted your teaching practice, and why was it important for you to be a part of this program?” I am working on my speech and I keep coming back to the idea that we've distilled curriculum to a point where it is purified for test taking but not good for much else. Oratory is one of those things seen as 'other than' and so distilled out. Like the tragedy at Ford's Theater, you can't parse it--you have to see it as a whole.

And so...

I'm playing with starting the speech with the quote, "Yes, Yes, Mrs. Lincoln, but other than that, how was the play?" I'm worried, however, that it would be seen as rude or disrespectfulto Ford's, they have been a pleasure to work with and generous to a fault. Disrespect is the last thing I want to be so I am asking all of my closest Facebook friends ... does it cross the line? Post in facebook or on the blog itself.