Summary: Teachers should try to find the "sweet spot" of teaching: the balance between over- and under-teaching. Teachers should be teaching the reader as well as the book.
I found it interesting that Gallagher mentioned that you could "drown [your students] in a sea of sticky notes, double-entry journals, and worksheets." We hear that we need to incorporate these methods into our classrooms, but we are never told that there can be a maximum level where there is too much. This makes me think that anyone that takes the methods learned in their education classes may be over-teaching or over-working his/her students.
Nancie Atwell's name has come up once again! I have now put her books on my reading list! I did encounter her In the Middle book during my Methods course, but I only read one chapter. She has great ideas for both reading and writing workshops, along with great general advice. Maybe I will get to her books this summer...
Gallagher and Atwell disagreed when it came to having students pick books or assigning required books for them. I think there should be a mixture. For example, I read Romeo and Juliet in 9th grade, Great Expectations in 10th, Angela's Ashes and A Prayer for Owen Meany in 11th, and The Kite Runner and its sequal, A Thousand Splendid Sons in 12th. As one could tell, my teacher tore away from the required reading my last two years in high school. I did enjoy the latter novels more. I thought R&J was too hard to read, and I found GE terribly boring. Our class was still learning about themes and learning to be life-long learners by reading newer books. With this said, I do feel like I have missed out on reading many classics that others have read, especially when it comes to Shakespeare. When classic literature is brought up, I find people saying, "Wow. You've never read that?"
I loved her statement that "there is no such thing as a lousy classic... It's an oxymoron. By its definition, a classic has something valuable in it or it would not have survived as a classic." I forget this often, so it is a great reminder as I will have to be in the schools trying to get students excited about the texts.
All through high school, I experienced teachers chopping up entire chapters. It was not until I came to Evangel until I was introduced into looking at smaller pieces in a deep way. It has taken some getting used to, but I generally like it better (as long as I'm understanding the plot of the story as a whole). I will definitely try to make sure I do this in my classroom.
Gallagher, Kelly. (2009). Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It. Portland, ME: Stenthouse. Print.
You are gathering great ideas! I highly recommend Nancie Atwell...I hope you find time to read her. She will be a big help to you in launching an effective readers' or writers' workshop as an English teacher! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteI LOVED Great Expectations! It's probably still one of my favorite books, "Pip, sir!" I cannot understand why anyone things freshmen can comprehend Romeo and Juliet, but I did love getting to watch the movie after I read the whole play. Choosing what to include in your curriculum probably will not be a decision you make on your own, but you will likely have input on it, so be prepared to justify what you feel is important to English curriculum in our schools! It sounds like you are already doing that!