Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Classics in the Classroom chapter 3
I really liked this chapter! I am actually a little worried about what books I will be able to teach. There are some that I particularly like and that I would like to teach, but I wonder what will happen if the school I am teaching at requires books that I don't feel are challenging enough. I really hope to learn more ways of trying to challenge my students so that they do not finish the novel in 2 days and are bored with the assignments. I think a good way to do this would be to assign multiple assignments and to require many books to fulfill the requirements for the assignments. Using one novel to lead discussion and presentations while using another novel to allow the students to form literature circles. I think as long as the students are constantly engaged and reading books that will challenge and interest them they will be more inclined to put forth the effort it takes to develop a full understanding of the novels. My favorite sentence in the entire chapter was, "How are these young people to develop empathy for other, to know individuals unlike themselves, to walk in someone else's shoes except through literature?"
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I am worried about what books to teach too Jackie. I liked the lists the book provided and I like the books Dr. Pytash suggests for us to read. It is tough having to teach sometimes based on what the school should be taught and what you as a teacher should be taught. I like your idea of many novels. This could be overwhelming for some students, but could also entertain those students who are fast readers. Maybe as extra credit, or silent reading suggest novels like Jago does in her classroom. I agree that students who read more will be engaged in reading more and will be challenged.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the book list Jago provided us with. I agree with you to some extent about having students read more. I do think that students should be reading a lot more, but sometimes I think we need to plan a curriculmn for students that will keep them engaged, but not bogged down. I feel we should provide a standard that is challenging, but still attainable. I thought Jago was going a little crazy with her 20 books a year.
ReplyDeleteI look at it this way, I love to read and I have to read close to that number in college; however, I don't finish half the books. There are some that I find interesting or have time to finish them, but I have to say I don't finish 5 books on average. So I must ask: How is that helping me learn? It is frustrating and it leaves me crying at night. I don't want to overwhelm my students and have them fall behind.
Interesting post and responses. I like your idea of teaching multiple texts - and I think a great way to do this is through text sets - providing students with pieces of text (like poetry, magazine articles etc...) that accompany a novel.
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