Pre-AP English II: Ain't I a "Whatever" Essay

In class today, we worked on our own versions of Sojourner Truth's speech, "Ain't I a Woman."

In preparation for the assignment we listed stereotypes someone might have about some aspect of our lives (race/ethnicity, gender, occupation, neighborhood, size, athletic or intellectual ability, etc.) and how we don't fit that mold.

For instance, my information looked like this:

An area of my life where I defy/contradict stereotype:

• English Teacher

Three stereotypes typically believed about people like me.

1. English teachers are boring


2. English teachers always have their noses stuck in books


3. English teachers have perfect grammar and spelling

Six ways I defy/contradict those stereotypes:

1. I incorporate humor into my classes


2. I celebrate student achievement in weird and wonderful ways like wearing a prom dress or shaving my head


3. I watch a lot of television, especially cartoons and crime/mystery shows


4. Sometimes I write short stories


5. I frequently use grammar ironically or pronounce words they way they're spelled (high-per-bowl for hyperbole)


6. I'm human. I make mistakes.

The next step was to write an essay similar to Sojourner Truth's. Our first paragraph was devoted to establishing how we aren't like what other people expect. Our body paragraphs each addressed one of the stereotypes that we defy/contradict. Below is my opening:

Sometimes people make assumptions about me when they hear I'm an English teacher. Like they think they know me. Like they think I have to behave they way they expect. But I'm not that way ... for reals.

For instance, people think that I must always use proper grammar and spelling. But sometimes I don't, and ain't I an English teacher? Using slang and other colloquialisms makes the language fun, and I want my students to enjoy learning English. Still, people think that English teachers want the language to be stuffy. I'm not that way, and ain't I an English teacher?

You modify my introduction, or use a variation of Sojourner Truth's, or come up with your own.