Teacher+as+Reader+(3)

Joseph Schimmel ENG 409 12/12/11   __The Teacher as Reader__ Question 4 asks, “What have you discovered that has made you a better reader”? There are two self-discoveries I have made this semester that indicate I have become a better reader. One: I am able to view a text through multiple lenses, which means I have been able to read a text as a passive observer looking primarily for enjoyment and that I am able to look at a text from the standpoint of an educator. I have been able to dissect passages and themes that I would incorporate into my classroom. I have also been able to read a text with the idea in mind that I would hope adolescents are able to connect to it. __Alt Ed__, __Lord of the Flies__, and __The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian__ are all books I read throughout this semester and would hope to teach in my secondary English classes. I read them for enjoyment purposes but also through the lens of a future teacher. I also made an attempt to read these books and comprehend themes that a high school student might grasp onto or that I would like them to discover. Tackling these books through multiple lenses was challenging and I’m certainly still learning how to do that, but I now have a better understanding of it. We were also given an opportunity in English 408 to delve into and discover different genres. The focus of our genre study assignment dealt primarily with writing, but as I mentioned in my reflective review, I feel that reading and writing go hand-in-hand. I was able to improve upon my reading ability by introducing or re-introducing myself to different genres. My second self-discovery is directly linked to “reflection”. Never before, except for the standard 5-paragraph summative essay formats we’re used to in high school, have I been able to really reflect on a novel. I have been taught ways to examine themes and concepts that relate to the modern world, contemporary issues, and the author’s interpretations and goals. In developing a curriculum for our unit plan that we worked on individually I was able to strip down __Lord of the Flies__ and analyze the text so that I may be able to focus on the most important aspects of the book in my classroom. Reflection into what we’ve read, in my opinion, really adds to the enjoyment of reading. In turn, I have become a better reader. Question 1 asks, “What is your favorite book or genre? Why is it your favorite? What does it offer”? I was lucky this semester because I was able to re-read a book I haven’t read in years. In high school I was forced to read, //__Lord of the Flies__//, by William Golding. I loved it! I read it over the summer and although some of the vocab is advanced and some themes are hard to grasp, I was able to whisk myself away and witness the text as if I were a member of the deserted crew of young men. The book grabbed me immediately. I enjoyed it then and I enjoyed it even more when I read it again for Eng 409. I feel that students will be able to relate to the book more now than ever before. We live in a world that is dominated by technology and a sense of connectedness. What on earth would high school students do without Facebook, or iPhones, or all the other social media sites and television shows. How would they survive? Certain books that are considered classics, in my opinion, really struggle when tested against time. For example, __Catcher in the Rye__ is not a book that I would teach to students today. It’s a great book and I would recommend the novel, but I would hesitate to teach it in my classroom. Why? Because I don’t feel that the themes within the book relate to adolescents as well today. Golding’s novel offers a little bit of everything. It is graphic, visionary, insightful, open to interpretation and debate. I feel that students will relate to certain characters and have the opportunity to put themselves right there on the island. Question 2 asks, “When was a time you felt illiterate? Why?” I often feel illiterate when delving into a textbook required for class. Earlier in the semester for Eng 408 we were asked to read certain textbooks and in groups, analyze what we read. I had very little to contribute at first even though I was all caught up in the reading. I felt that much of the material had gone right over my head and that relating to the text was a struggle. It wasn’t until we began working on a reflective review and I was able to better understand what I had read. This sort of brings me full circle to the question I answered first, which is out of order. The reflective review truly helped in my comprehension and overall appreciation of what I read.