They weren't the most literary stories-but they were unique, and created especially for me. There are still nights where I am restless, either from nerves or excitement, and when I almost begin telling myself my own Chip and Dale story.
This positive experience with reading and stories has carried with me. My desire to read, at times, is insatiable. I just have to know what happens next and I can read for hours on end. My husband knows not to bother me while reading and has even gotten into the habit of making dinner for us if I my nose is stuck in a book (I guess he finally realized that was the only way he'd be eating before 11 pm).
In high school, I had some great teachers who made reading even better by giving me the tools to think about it in different ways and/or understand it on a deeper level. Although writing for me can be stressful, I have never regretted my choice to do English Education. I think this base love for literature is what will keep me motivated through the years that I am teaching. Although I realize that I will not be teaching a literature-based curriculum, instead focusing on skills, I can still use great literature to teach those skills and hopefully connect to students.
I think thoughtfully selected literature can connect to students with a variety of backgrounds. While they may not understand a community that's been molded into a false sense of perfection, as in The Giver, they can relate to questioning the norms of society or finding out that parents aren't always what they appeared to be while growing up. Looking at main ideas or themes in a book and relating them to everyday life or a current event can be a great way to activate students' background knowledge about that particular topic. Beyond reading, learning to write and speak articulately, analyzing, and looking at something from different viewpoints are also helpful skills learned in English, many of which can be tied to a good story or text.
While I realize that not ever student likes to read and didn't have the positive experiences I did with this area while growing up, I hope that I can take my love for literature and pass it along to my students, even if it's just a sliver.
When I taught English, sometimes I was really struck with amazement that I got to sit around with my students and talk about stories.
ReplyDeleteYou're right--you will be teaching skills, and not just "literature," but I also don't think there is ever any reason for English teachers to apologize for teaching literature. It is such a unique genre that allows us to connect with each other, with ourselves, and with the human experience in transformative and powerful ways.
I remember one of my students read "Freak the Mighty"--a touching, funny story about a middle school student who does not want to grow up to become like his dad in prison. This student of mine had also had dad in prison who had sharpened a bone in the prison kitchen and tried to kill somebody with it. This student used the novel and his writing about the story to reflect on the novel's theme that you don't have to grow up and become like your parents. I'm probably oversimplifying this a bit here, but hopefully I'm still communicating the idea that literature plays such an important function in society by helping us reflect on our lives, by providing an outlet for us to read for enjoyment, and for many other reasons.