One of my peers in class today said something in passing that really resonated with me. He is going to be an English teacher, like me, and was talking about the point of teaching books. I can't remember exactly what was said. But, his point was that you can teach students all about the themes, characterizations and settings of a book; if the book doesn't resonate with them, they really will have learned nothing at all.
When I read a book, and when someone else reads a book, there are two completely different images in our heads. We all have different experiences in life that cause us to imagine scenarios differently. One part of the book might have been really profound to me, but to someone else that part didn't mean much.
A lot of students look at reading for school as a chore. Many of them won't even end up reading the book. As an English teacher, it is your job to get students excited to read something. Pull out different themes in the book that you know will resonate with them. Teach the book in styles that are interesting to the people in the room.
I read "The Catcher in the Rye" in 11th grade, and I remember doing a project where I tweeted as Holden Caufield. That was so much fun to me, because I like twitter. My teacher had other options, too. Students made paintings, picked songs that could relate to the book, or just simply wrote a paper. Every student got something different out of their project, and the book. She allowed us to use our interests, while also learning something.
Of course, as an English teacher you want to make sure students are reading the book. Mini quizzes after a couple chapters is a great, easy way to do this. Or make students want to read by making it a competition. Make a jeopardy board, and have different teams. With a little friendly competition, you might motivate more students to read. In order to have students get something profound out of a book, they first have to read it.
My goal as an English teacher, will be to get students passionate about reading it, and thinking about something they might not have before. That's it. I don't really care if any of them remember the plot, or the motifs of the book. As long as they learn something about themselves, or about the world, I will say I have succeeded. Too often students go through an entire year in a class, with nothing to show from it.
Dress up, bring in food, have engaging activities. Make the books that you teach memorable. So many people that I know hated the "Scarlet Letter" in high school. That was one of my favorite books. My teacher had so much enthusiasm for such a slow book (No offense to anyone). She didn't just teach at us for this one. Maybe she knew we wouldn't get much out of it if she did.
We worked in groups of 4 and each week, each person had a new role. We all had something important to look for, and we would come back with our expertise to share with the rest of our group. Every week there was a leader to lead the group discussions. It was fun to laugh with my classmates, and to learn with them. The book might not have been so interesting if I listened to lectures everyday. Being in groups, with specific things to bring every time, made everyone read it and participate.
It's so important for students to get something out of the books they read in school. If it feels like they are being forced to read, they won't learn anything substantial. Remember to relate the story back to their own lives. Remember to be engaging, and to use different approaches. Remember that every student has different opinions, and they should have the opportunity to share them. English is all about interpretation, so let them interpret for themselves.
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