Lesson Report:
Title
Identity through Names and Choices: Free-writing, Self-introductions, and “The Road Not Taken�
In this second session, students explored personal identity and agency through two connected strands: the meanings and origins of their names and a reflective sequence on major life decisions (“forks in the road�). The class closed by introducing a collaborative “popcorn reading� of Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken to bridge personal decision-making with literary analysis.
Attendance
– Students mentioned absent: 0
Topics Covered
1) Opening and setup: handwriting + upload workflow
– Modality and tools:
– Students were asked to handwrite responses in a notebook, then photograph and upload to a Google Drive folder for Session 2. Links were shared in Zoom chat and Google Spaces.
– Default protocol: if chat access is limited or messages are not visible to late joiners, write in the notebook first and upload to Drive.
– Submission instructions:
– Upload clear photos to the correct Session 2 folder.
– Ensure the student’s name appears on each image or file name; separate or combined files accepted.
2) Writing Prompt 1: “The meaning and origin of my name�
– Objective: Begin identity work by situating names as carriers of family history, culture, and aspirations.
– Prompt details (handwritten; 2–3 minutes):
– What does your personal name mean?
– Who gave you your name (mother, father, grandparents, others)?
– Is there family history or cultural tradition attached to it?
– Are there hopes/aspirations connected to your name?
– Expected deliverable: A short handwritten reflection uploaded to the Session 2 folder.
3) Technical clarifications and link access
– Students who joined late could not see earlier chat messages; instructor attempted to re-send/pin the Session 2 Drive link in Zoom chat and Google Spaces.
– A non-class “appeal formâ€� was visible in Drive; instructor clarified it is unrelated to this course and should be ignored.
– Audio issues: Instructor noted difficulty hearing one student due to a loud environment; reinforced that photos can be uploaded once writing is complete.
4) Round-robin sharing: name stories and brief self-introductions
– Activity goals: Build community; model concise narrative sharing; connect identity themes to future writing tasks.
– Sharing protocol: Students read or summarized their handwritten name reflections and added a brief personal introduction (hometown/current city).
– Examples captured (for instructor roster/context):
– Omra Tamim (Kabul): “Omraâ€� (Arabic) = pilgrimage/visit; named by mother to keep her close to faith and Mecca.
– Sara Ibrahim (Farah; in Kabul): Named by mother; family discussed multiple options; appreciates family involvement.
– Razi Sultani (currently in Iraq; born in Iran): “Raziâ€� = satisfied; named by an uncle; strong personal identification.
– Sara Sultani (Kabul): Named after grandmother Sara who passed away; name honors her memory and personality.
– Mariam Rahmatyar (from Parwan; born/raised Kabul): “Mariamâ€� has ancient roots; in Hebrew, “servant of Godâ€�; shared across Islam, Christianity, Judaism; chosen by mother.
– Muhammad Jawad Hassanzadeh (Herat): Arabic “Jawadâ€� = generous; named by parents; aims to embody generosity.
– Oumani (Afghanistan): Arabic/Islamic name; reported meaning “sweet momâ€�; named by grandfather.
– Afeya (Kabul): Name means “caring womanâ€�; chosen by grandfather, inspired by an intelligent family member with the same name.
– Abdul Bayez (Kabul): “Bayezâ€� in Arabic = one who will rise/awaken; in Persian = motive/reason; identifies with the Arabic meaning; rising after setbacks.
– Yalda Oshimi (from Kunar; in Kabul): Named by mother; “Yaldaâ€� refers to the longest night; rare name; personally does not favor it but kept it.
– Kathayun (goes by “Tataâ€�; Kabul; raised in Pakistan 17 years): Ancient Shahnameh-derived, non-religious name chosen by grandfather; loves it and would pass it on to a daughter.
– Zahra Mohammadi (originally Kandahar; in Kabul): Two names—Zahra (shining/brilliant/blooming flower; Arabic) chosen by father, and Sama (sky).
– Muhammad Atef (reported “Karakorâ€� province; in Kabul): “Atefâ€� means kindness and love; named by father.
– Iftikhar Ahmad (Nangarhar): “Iftikharâ€� = pride/proud; named by father.
– Najma Wahidi (Parwan; born in Pakistan; in Kabul): “Najmaâ€� = star; chosen by elder sister; aligns with her interest in astronomy.
– Instructor modeled sharing:
– Name: Nathaniel (“gift of God,â€� Hebrew); named after a moment his mother described; goes by “Nate.â€�
– Background: From New York; currently in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; teaches Political Science at AUCA; long-standing connection with Afghan students; degrees from Bard College (BA) and American University (MA); considering a PhD. Expressed enthusiasm for orientation teaching; first time delivering it online since COVID-era teaching.
5) Writing Activity 2: “A fork in the road� sequence of focused free-writes
– Concept introduction:
– Defined “fork in the roadâ€� as a major turning point requiring a choice between divergent paths; confirmed via student explanation.
– Three sequential prompts (handwritten; ~3 minutes each):
1) Describe a significant fork in the road in your past. What was the situation? What choice did you make?
2) How did that choice change things? Provide one concrete way your life is different today because of it.
3) Connect that earlier choice to your decision to attend AUAS and be in this Zoom room. How did one lead to the other?
– Submission instructions:
– Upload all responses (combined or separate images) to the Session 2 folder.
– Ensure each file includes the student’s name (on-page or in filename).
6) Reading technique introduction: “Popcorn reading�
– Rationale: Increase engagement, create community, and avoid monotonous assigned turns.
– Procedure:
– Instructor reads the title and first line; any student may unmute and continue spontaneously for any number of lines; stop when done; another student picks up organically until the text ends.
– Text:
– Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken (PDF provided in Zoom and Google Spaces; instructor shared screen).
– Execution:
– Instructor read the title and first line to start; students continued. Readers included Razi and Mariam (others may have contributed briefly during a handoff).
– Purpose: Let the poem “settle inâ€� before analysis; link back to personal decision-making.
– Break:
– 10-minute break announced; return at approximately 19:27 for discussion.
Actionable Items
Immediate (before next meeting/after break)
– Confirm uploads: Cross-check that each student has uploaded both the “nameâ€� reflection and all three “fork in the roadâ€� free-writes; follow up with any missing submissions.
– Re-share links: Post the Session 2 Google Drive folder link and the poem PDF in both Zoom and Google Spaces; consider emailing a consolidated “links and normsâ€� message for late joiners.
– File naming convention: Announce a simple standard (e.g., FirstLast_S2_Name; FirstLast_S2_Fork1/2/3) to streamline tracking.
– Address Drive clutter: Remove or clearly mark unrelated “appeal formâ€� content as not part of the class to avoid confusion.
– Prep poem discussion: Prepare guiding questions on The Road Not Taken (e.g., imagery of “yellow wood,â€� irony vs. sincerity of “less traveled,â€� the role of the “sigh,â€� inevitability in “way leads on to way,â€� and connection to students’ forks).
Short-term (this week)
– Participation follow-up: Note who shared today; invite any who did not speak to open the next session with their name stories, if appropriate.
– Tech norms: Establish quick Zoom norms (mute in noisy locations; raise hand or chat if audio is unstable; how to volunteer during popcorn reading).
– Access fix: Explore a way to “pinâ€� or persist key links (folder, syllabus, meeting room, PDFs) in Google Spaces or via a pinned email; keep a backup link doc.
Ongoing
– Roster accuracy: Verify correct spellings and preferred names (e.g., “Kathayunâ€� vs. “Tata,â€� dual names like “Zahra/Sama,â€� and variants like “Atefâ€�), and maintain a pronunciation guide.
– Reflection continuity: Plan a bridge activity that explicitly ties students’ personal forks to their developing academic goals at AUAS (short paragraph or discussion warm-up).
– Online pedagogy: Continue adapting in-class activities (free-writes, popcorn reading, small-group breakouts) to sustain engagement and equitable participation.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK
All tasks (the name reflection and the “fork in the road� free-writes) were done during class and immediately uploaded to Google Drive (“please take a picture of what you have written and upload it,� “once we’re all done, we’ll put that on Google Drive�), and the poem was to be read together “very shortly,� with no instructions for work to complete after the session.