While reading Sharon G. Flake’s novel The Skin I’m In, I initially was looking for key facts, names and topics in case I needed to use a formalist style of critiquing the book. I was both surprised and intrigued by the way the format of a photo collage allowed me to express myself. I felt that this assignment made me think about who I am on the inside much like Miss Saunder’s intended, by initially asking the question of the students in her English class. Throughout our lifetime we will share many different faces with the many people we come across. This may be due to the situations on how we meet people during or at the point in our own life when we meet them.

My first face included almost twenty eight years of experiences, successes and places. It seemed difficult to place my years before people in the class knew me on just one face. I think this was because that part of the lesson would have ideally been for a student from birth to fifth grade. By this point in my life I think I have had at least three different faces, one for each decade of my life. In elementary school I loved baseball, rode my bike anywhere and thought I could and wanted so bad to be my older brothers. In high school I was a track star who played a lot of baseball to stay out of my house. I would also say that I worked real hard on trying to be popular. Come time for college I tried to play every sport possible while preparing for my career in the Navy and Merchant Marines. I was that guy who actually listened to country music yet who lived in New York Throughout these years I was a true Yankee fan who cheered them through thick and thin, go Donnie Baseball number 23.

My second and current face would be a mixture of a new dad, husband, and an aspiring teacher. I would also have to include a sailor whose ship is fading away past the horizon. When I look in my mirror now, I think I look quite blurry and I would think that is the way I seem to many people. My frustration with the end of my time in the Navy has almost entirely gone away with the majority of its place on my face with the thoughts of being a dad and husband. I hope in my eyes people see a potentially successful teacher and coach. Don Mattingly has long since retired and new Yankee greats are here for me to cheer like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Country music is now accompanied by lullabies, nursery rhymes, classical music, eighties music and show tunes all of which make my little lady smile.

In the future I hope to have a face that says to the world that I am best friends with my wife and daughter with strong family values. I hope people can see that I served my country proudly. I will be a great coach, teacher and a friend that others would like to have. I will be a fan of the pinstripes all be it I’ll be learning my way around a new stadium.

In conclusion my face has changed a number of times over the past thirty years and it will probably change a few more times before people meet at my funeral to share stories about my life. The toughest part about looking in the mirror every morning is trying to see in ourselves what others see in us. However it will definitely make me think more when I look at an old man’s face: like is that scar above his right eye from a battle in the great war, in his skin pale from staying out of the sun with his children/grandchildren, or is his hair grey from the years teaching at the local elementary school. Everyone has a unique face that changes with them as they grow older in years and in maturity, however if you get to know a face, you realize how many faces share the same interests, problems, joys and sorrows. All it takes is to share a smile between faces to find out. I felt this lesson encompassed multiple skills to include the use of Microsoft word, Microsoft paint, photo shop, the use of digital cameras, scanners and internet explorer.

Extension Project Self Assessment

Teacher’s Comments:

Paul your first collage contained photos from the different things you have done over the first 29 years of your life (4/4). The second collage was a little confusing because of the number of children shown I understand they are your daughter and your nieces and nephews but the causal view may not understand, and what about a picture of you teaching? (3/4).  The reflection on your life that Miss Saunder’s question pulled out of you was thorough and interesting. Yes the face we meet people with is all too often the face that stays in their memory bank (4/4). I felt you did a good job participating in all of the class discussions involving the book. When asked to develop your own questions for the book you tried to include both the chapters you were responsible for as well as the role they played in the book. (4/4).

Final Grade 15/16.