"English is a language; we use language to communicate ideas; history and culture are the exchange of ideas; language is history is culture is power" (Cook, 20). This is really well said and it makes me just imagine my discusison based classroom full of communicative ideas about the history and culture of authors and time periods as well as plots of books, ect. ect. This "communicating, questioning and listening" is all that I want in my classroom. Literature is not memorizing formulas or important dates but instead discussing topics, analyzing data in forms of novellas. These reflective responses are what draws me into loving literature and envisioning being in a classroom. The idea that my job revolves around talking about language, ideas, history, culture is just that- powerful. The emphasis of critical thinking is one that I appreciate greatly.
As Wink discusses, although my classroom will be full of literary conversations, those conversations will be ones that challenge students and allow each of them to connect to one another's thoughts and contributions to the conversation. Wink believes "A teacher is a model of courage" (88). I hope to encourage my students to want to read, to want to analyze articles and look for another way to see the same piece of literature. I hope to instill courage in all of my students, so that they acknowledge that they can take on harder peices of literature.
It's hard to discuss topics of hardship in the classroom, but I think it is very valuable to students. It should also be implemented through "lighter" activities. It's hard to express my thoughts, but basically talk about the Holocaust in ways that can be brought upon in a less emotional/ views etc. (idk)
-Due to the prior unit on graphic novels, while reading my chosen novel of "Maus" I really could appreciate it more. I really liked this novel and I think it liked it even more because it was so personal to the characters. I love that the readers learn of the family history just as Artie does. The use of animals really helps analyze the actual accountings without really putting labels and stereotypes on people yet making it known that there were some. This probably helps students connect to the novel more as well. Although I was upset that the novel just ended with Artie leaving saying "Murderer" I still liked the chosen ending because it shows how upset he was that he lost his mothers thoughts of what she went through. Although I would have liked to hear more about his mothers suicide.
You wrote that you want to discuss a heavy subject like the Holocaust with "lighter" activities. What kind of activities would you do with your students?
ReplyDeleteI think a lighter approach may be helpful, since some students may feel uncomfortable discussing such events in detail. But at the same time I feel like such a topic cannot be discussed without the accompaniment of strong emotions just naturally occurring. It just seemed like one of those topics you knew to brace yourself for because there was no happy ending coming from the subject matter; but at the same, we were grateful to have become knowledgable on the topic and always know that discrimination against any culturally diverse group is so, so wrong.
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