UPDATE: This year's heroes announced!

UPDATE : The 2012 heroic classes have been named: the Honors Brit Lit sections went with Dumbledore's Army and 007, which I will be tempted to cast as adversaries when we hit the 20th century, I predict. My first ever sophomore American Lit class chose the Avengers after this summer's blockbuster movie. I foresee strong curricular links in their future this year. And the senior World Literature class? Well...

A word about seniors first. They have the most evolved view of themselves as teens go, but they also enjoy a last chance to imagine themselves as wild, untamed and untameable. So they chose Bane's Disciples after one of the Dark Knight's most terrifying (in my opinion) foes. Not sure what I can do with that--but wasn't that their point? And it is not all that bad to be Batman: I am not sure they realized that since they are the villains of the class, that means I get to be the hero. 

  From 16 September 2010: Every year, each of my classes chooses a "team name" to represent themselves in Healigan's world. Most teachers name their classes by color, but I hate to give up a teachable moment. I only require that the name avoid insulting anyone, represent some heroic traits, and promote class bonding. It is an agonizing process for me, since we begin the year with very different concepts of what makes a hero. Some years they live with a name that fits them less and less as they learn more about heroes, good and evil, and archetypes. The year of the Jokers was tough: we discussed everything in terms of anti-heroes and villains. They were a oppositional group, and had chosen the right name. But it was not much fun. So today I was so pleased to see one group arrive and three members immediately bring up the name they had chosen last week, the GoodFellas. They wanted to know more about GoodFellas, so I showed them the movie trailer. Much consternation ensued, after many realized they had given their vote away on the word of other classmates. What a great lesson about the political process! So I agreed to reconsider if they discussed amongst themselves and decided they would like a run off election Monday. I'm hoping for Watchmen (one of the better choices). No hope for Beowulf.