My Journey into the World of Teaching ELA

            Gallagher’s chapter “Reading the World” was very useful because I realized how important it is to prepare students for the outside world once they leave my classroom.  Teachers cannot assume that students will acquire the skills they need to interpret the literary world outside the classroom because chances are they will not.  Students need to be taught how language is manipulative and that they cannot believe everything they read, or hear just because it is in on television, the internet or in an advertisement, newspaper, magazine, speech, article, or book. Students must learn to distinguish between fact and propaganda and be able to identify if the author of a given text may be biased. I was amazed to learn while observing that students will blindly copy down information word for word from an internet site without even checking out the origin of the source.  Students need practice reading real word texts in order to peak their interest and learn how to become properly informed by the news so they will in turn view the world on a deeper level.   I must do more than simply getting my students to read and comprehend texts deemed necessary by the curriculum. I need to prepare my students for the world as they move from adolescence into adulthood.

Now that I have knowledge of the different teaching strategies and theories, I believe that I have grown as a reader and as a future teacher.  I feel comfortable going into any graded ELA class and using the theories presented, and I plan to use some of the various activities that were presented throughout Gallagher’s and Appleman’s text.  I know from experience that I was not as prepared as I should have been coming out of high school and I do not want my students to suffer the way I did through my first few years of University.  As a future teacher I am very excited to teach the skills needed to comprehend texts at a deeper level and to prepare my students to be life long learners!

Fostering Self Worth and Student Learning

Now that we have learned the many literary theories that focus on race, gender, and class, I begin to wonder how easy the theories will be to bring into the classroom.  I have no doubt that they can be very effective, but they must be approached with caution.  Appleman discusses how literary theory is useful for all students regardless of their ability level; it is not just for A.P. students and University students.  However, it would not be realistic to assume that these theories can be used in all classes.  It requires the teacher’s own discretion as to whether or not the given theory would be beneficial to all students and would not marginalize any individuals, or groups. 

Looking at texts through a racial lens must be approached with particular care and attention, especially when the class is not racially diverse, because it will marginalize those who are not in the majority.  I can see the racial lens being difficult at times in the school I am placed in because there is not a great deal of visible diversity.   Using power or class lens allows for the students to look at race in a different manner that is less uncomfortable for the individuals who are not a part of the racial majority.

            Literary theories can still be used for those students that are not at a very high level of comprehension. However, Appleman suggests using them on shorter texts rather than novels, at least at first so the students can learn to use them in a smaller context.  Seeing many different sides of stories allows for students to grow and see things through a much larger lens.  The students will be able to see the world from the perspectives they do not share and can better connect to characters in texts.  Students will essentially become more accepting of those who are different than them and become a more rounded individual.  These literary theories encourage and allow the students to make connects from the literature to their own lives and from their own lives and to the world. 

"Why do we have to read this book anyway?"

How many times have we heard this in our high school careers as students?  And how many times did the teacher respond “Because it is a classic”? Well, for most students that response is not a good enough reason for them to want to read the book.  Some students go through school without actually reading a single book and many read the books, but do not feel any great connection with it.  It is a sad thought; however, it is a reality we face as future teachers.

            In a grade 10 ELA class I am observing, the students are at times disgusted by the characterization Of Mice and Men and the reactions to the ending of the novel were “why did we read this?” and “This is a terrible book; it is just depressing!” “How could anyone kill their best friend?”  Students need to fully understand WHY they are reading the novel beforehand and it must be reinforced throughout the novel so reactions like this will not happen.  Students need to be taught to analyze the techniques, purpose, and craft of each author in order to really be able to appreciate the work.  After the students have learned the skills needed to pick apart a text, they will become better writers themselves because they have learned different techniques and styles of writing.   Once students have gained a personal connection to the novel, they can then start having deeper reflections that connect to bigger pictures such as the country, humankind, community, peers, etc.  I really liked Gallagher’s example of having the students cast movie stars into the roles of the characters in the novel as if it was to be made into a movie.  This is one tool that can be used to help ensure that our students become comprehensive readers that can analyze text and appreciate ‘the classics.’

Metaphorical Thinking

Teaching students how to use metaphors seems like something that all students should be taught because we live in a world that really favours using metaphors in every day speech.  Being able to interpret metaphors can serve to be an important life skill for students as they will be able to understand the use of metaphors in speeches, commercials, advertisements, songs and much more.  In a class I was observing, the students were expected to go through the short story they read and pick out all the metaphors and similes that the author used.  The teacher explained that by using metaphors, the author’s writing is that much more exciting and interesting to read.  The students found that finding the similes was a much easier task then finding the metaphors, but once they found the first few they were able to wrap their minds around thinking outside the box. Our “University English brains” are trained to pick up on every metaphor or deeper meaning in the text, but for high school students this is a daunting task at first.

            Some of Gallagher’s examples seemed a bit far fetched to me as I find it difficult to believe that students would take some of the activities seriously, such as drawing the pictures.  Having students create their own metaphors on characters in novels is a great way for them to create new meaning and deeper comprehension.  Using metaphors is yet another effective way for students to practice second draft reading and develop their ability to be analytical thinkers.

A Teacher’s Worst Nightmare: Group Work

        

            I sit in on classes of five different teachers and I have discovered that three of them refuse to ever do any group work and the other two are very sceptical of its effectiveness.  The teachers’ responses were very similar:  the students are too immature, they can’t conduct valid conversations without direction, nothing gets done, and it is difficult to monitor, to name a few.

            One class I observed used a technique similar to some in Gallangher’s text which requires giving students specific roles within their group.  This helped them stay on task, but did not promote valid discussion as the students were too focussed on getting their own assigned tasks done.  With the other group work I witnessed, the students were put in groups of three and were required to go over the grammar questions from the day before and finalize their answers as a group.  This helped with clarification and allowed the students to work out the problem spots on their own.  It worked really well for the students who were just on the edge of getting the concepts, but of course there were students who did not contribute to the discussion and simply copied down the correct answers. 

            The thought of group work has been troubling me since I started observing in the schools.  I sought out my mentor teachers, but like I said, they could not share any helpful tips or recall instances when it worked really well for the whole class.  Gallangher’s chapter was extremely helpful in breaking down my apprehensions regarding group work once I start teaching. When I was thinking about group work, I first thought they should be able to carry out conversations in a group – I could not determine why or the nature of the problem.  I was thinking “man that’s what University is about” and then I realized that we are all highly educated and mature people and that we, at some point in our lives, developed the ability to carry out meaningful discussions. Gallangher gave various examples of how to get students to develop the skills needed to be a valuable group member.   At first the students will need a great deal of guidance, but eventually the teacher will be able to step back and watch the students develop their own meaning of the text and become articulate students.  What a thought!

From the Viewpoint of the 'Other'

Because I have history as a minor, I was exposed to the alternative story of Christopher Columbus.  Like most people, I was not aware of the other side of the explorer’s story during my time in high school.  My discovery of the notion that there was more to the story was a shocking experience.  Of course I knew it happened, but I didn’t really understand how different the other half of the story actually was.  I became so interested I even researched more about it when I got home.  I soon found out after taking more history classes that this was a common theme among Canadian history; women and First Nations are completely left out of Canadian History.  Fortunately some parts of their stories are being revived and shared.

 These stories, like the one of Columbus, are only told from the point of view of the people who were in power, so it is understandable that they would spin the story to have them shown in a favourable light.  Generally, historical accounts are only told from the point of view of the dominant male society during that time and everyone else were treated as outsiders. We, as teachers, can create an inclusive classroom with the postcolonial lens because it reclaims the history and identity of those voices that are left out of literature.   Providing students with a Non-Western perspective allows them to see events and ideas from the point of view of the ‘other’, which gives students the opportunity to view the world in a more holistic approach.

Looking through the Gender Theory Scope and Relieving the Anxiety of Re-reading Texts

            While sitting in on an ELA 10 class, one of the female students commented during class that she hated the book (Of Mice and Men) and the teacher asked why that was.  She said it was because there was only one girl in it and she has a very insignificant part.  The teacher said that while she is not even given her own name (she is only referred to as “Curley’s wife”), her role in the novel aids the reader by explaining the time period; thus, her character is important.  The teacher told the class that they would explore the gender roles next class, but unfortunately I was not present. Helping students to understand why she is characterized in the manner she is would break down some of the judgements of the novel.

This example is a good lead into Appleman’s chapter on the gender lens as a way for students to use it as a focus when attempting to gain insight to characters that they would not be able to make connection to otherwise.  It is important when using a gender lens to also examine the male construction of gender and how it fits into the novel.  The class should also look at Curley in the construction of hyper-masculinity and patriarchal power structures as this may help students better understand his character and the historical context.  The gender lens also allows students to discover how their gender affects how they view individual characters.  It will teach students about the social construction of gender and hopefully it will help to begin to break down some of the barriers that surround this issue. 

            Gallanger’s text discussed different ways to get students to re-read difficult parts of texts.  We need to teach students the skills to be able to infer what is beyond the written words of the text.  They need to be able to understand deeper meaning and to read between the lines.  Various strategies for us to use are brainstorm charts and frame questions that ask students to go beyond simple plot regurgitation. Also asking them to predict what they think is going to happen is a good strategy to get students really thinking about and interested in the text. We need to get students to really reflect on the text and draw meaning from it on their own…with some guidance of course!

Come On Let's Focus!

           I could particularly relate to Gallagher’s statement regarding the fact that all readers at some point in time will have trouble focussing.  Because I was home schooled until grade four, I never had to worry about other people, or things distracting me during my work. However, when I entered the school system, I struggled because I found it difficult to always have people around me, and even now I still have trouble reading or focussing on reading when anything is going on around me.   The First Draft Reading method is an excellent way to help students to find their focus when they approach a text. There are always various things going on in students’ minds and it is easy for them to go into auto pilot especially with difficult text.  Students need to be given the strategies to be able to approach a text and have a focus in mind that will allow them to be able to comprehend the text at a deeper level.

            I found the Social Class Theory (Marxist Literary Theory) to be a very interesting approach to texts, but also very difficult to rap my head around at times.  I, even as a University student, have trouble thinking about my social class and how it affects my take on the text just because it is something that is not usually encouraged often, or at all.  To apply the theory in a high school class may be met with some resistance, like we saw in the book, but when done with the correct amount of caution it is a good way to create a sense of community within the classroom. It is great way for students to better understand themselves, but also to connect and understand their classmates better.   In a class I was observing they were doing Hamlet (like the example) and looking at the different social classes in Shakespearean times in addition to the classes of the characters.  Perhaps I will have the opportunity, once they are finished the book, to apply the theory and have the students think about their own social status and how it affects their reading of the text, or even just have an in-depth conversation about it with the teacher.  The Social Slass Theory is yet another interesting way to get students to relate to, and to focus on the text itself.

Reading The Challenging Works Of Shakespeare and Beyond

            In an English B30 class at Marion Graham I was observing, the Teacher had the difficult task of motivating the students to read Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  The Teacher began by asking the students, "Why do we still read Shakespeare?"  Then he followed by playing video trailers of Romeo and Juliet featuring Leonardo Dicaprio and The Tempest.  He mentioned other movies that are based on Shakespeare’s work such as 10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew), and Lion King (Hamlet).  Movies are still being made based on Shakespeare's writings because his works are masterfully written and his presentation of human nature is timeless.  The Teacher then followed by  diving into the background of Shakespeare himself and he plans to spend over a week looking at the Elizabethan period and other relevant topics relating to the play.  

 

In a grade twelve English class, the students have already read Shakespeare in previous years, but the Teacher did not want to assume they had any prior knowledge and risk getting into the territory that Gallanger mentions in his book.  Students need adequate prior information to begin reading difficult texts, or they will be not only uninterested in the text but will be in the “I don’t understand any of it” state of mind and lose interest.  Students need to be open to being confused at times and learn that reading challenging parts of the text over several times can make all the difference.

 

I related to the way Gallanger mentioned that reading texts again that you may not have particularly enjoyed or understood in High School was completely different when you read it the second time.  Why? Because you have prior knowledge.  I read The Great Gatsby in University and groaned when I saw it was on the reading list because I found it to be a difficult, mind numbing book in High School.  I soon found out that it was an interesting and compelling book about the society in Roaring Twenties. 

It was really great to see some of these strategies in action and it is exciting to be thinking that soon we will be using them ourselves when we teach!

Going Below The Surface

            After reading Appleman’s text I realized the main focus was stressing the importance of deeper reading.  I really found it interesting that Gallangher used watching baseball as a metaphor as a parallel to students learning to read.  When first learning to understand baseball you have to know the basic rules, but once you begin to watch a lot of games you can become an expert on reading the plays. This analogy really put all of the concepts into perspective for me especially after reading Appleman’s text as it illustrates how students can read something for a class, but it does not mean they actually got any meaning out of it other than what the teacher says in class.  Students need to be able to go beyond the surface and really understand the reading using their own perspectives.

Chapter two of “Critical Encounters” gives examples of poems and the responses of the students.  It displays how there is not only one reading or meaning of a work and it is essential that students are able to develop their own process to arrive at their own interpretation of a work. I personally did not have a strong grasp on interpreting reading until I went to university because then we were expected to be able to analyze it on our own.  It is important that we, as future teachers, make sure that we prepare our students and give them the skill sets needed to pursue further education. Students, myself included, are usually not very comfortable with reading poetry, so it is important that I make it as easy as possible for them to gain the skills needed to comprehend the meaning(s) on their own. 

Some questions that arose during the readings are what are some of the ways we, as teacher candidates, can present the skills that are needed for students to be able to comprehend difficult readings? What are some of the ways we can use scaffolding for struggling student learners?  How are some ways that we can make reading poetry easier and perhaps fun for the students?