Last Post!

For my last point I thought I would talk a bit about the class as a whole. This was my first in University where I 1) Got a text book that will be very valuable and useful to me! and 2)learned useful teaching tips and strategies for teaching English! I really loved the class discussions we did at the start of the class. They eased up into the readings and it was really nice to hear some stories and opinions of my classmates. I think we can learn so much from one another that it is nice to be able to share opinions in a safe and inviting environment. I have to admit I have not been a huge fan of blogging! We do not get along very well! But I do see the positives of it for sure. Its a neat way to seeing everyones creative voices on line. I have learned so much of everyone and I am sure we will all use what we have learned in the years to come! Geraldine has been an amazing facilitator she is very open and her classes are always os inviting! I have learned so much from her and I am sure I will be contacting her in the fiture for advice! Also I guarantee at more than one time in our teaching careers that Gallagher will be our best friends! Cheers to Geraldine and Gallagher!

Kids today are often bombared with information and ideologies on political  perspectives such as the social-class lens and the gender lens. In chapter 4 of Critical Encounters Applemen talks about the recent introduction of these lenses into the secondary schools. Normally they are focused on greatly in universities and other post secondary institutions. I feel like even in university I felt a bit bombarded by these perspectives. I no it is important to look at literature through these different lenses but it is difficult sometimes to understand the literature at all let alone being able to formulate an opinion and understanding through a different more complicated political lens. I think bringing these lenses into the high school classroom in an intensive way is perhaps a bit to much for most students. In my opinion many students have a difficult enough time to sorting through all of the social aspects of life that distract from their understanding of literature let alone looking at the text from a gender or social lens. I also think gender and social lenses are difficult for kids to wrap their heads around because they are so steadfast in their biases that they learn from the world around them that they can't look, in my opinion, through any lens but their own! It takes a maturity and complex thinking structure to focuses on literature through different lenses and I simply don' t think many students are ready for that. But, I do think that is important to introduce those lenses to students in high school but maybe not trying to looks through such lenses at literature!

Rest of the Books I Read!

Aside from the Hunger Games and The Help (which I already posted on!) I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and also Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (the 2nd book in the Hunger Games series). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian was a fascinating book! I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened it and their was illustrations but the first page of the book just draws you in! It is, "I was born with water on the brain." From that moment on I was hooked! The main character, Junior is so raw, honest and that you can't help but feel a connection to him. I would absolutely teach this book. It has so many point for conversation and reflection. As Junior journals his life he experiences, race issues, love, hate, and death. This book is a rare gem when it comes to books by Aboriginal authors that show a honest perspective of the affects of the reservation and the complex between white and Aboriginal people. I think that all students would enjoy the book because it is very funny and clever but also quite deep at times. The illustrations add so much depth to the book and will totally keep students interested. This was a fascinating book that I would recommend to anyone whether young or old!

The fourth book I read was Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I originally was reading I am Hutterite but I could not get into it. It was a good book but it was not very attention grabbing and I found myself having to make myself read it. So I moved onto Catching Fire. It was awesome! Just as good as the first book in my opinion! The book begins in succession as the first one ends. I don't want to give any of the plot away because it will ruin the first book if you haven't read it! But, it is not necessarily one that I would teach. My reasoning is because the first book has so many point for critical thinking and reflection. I feel that the the second book repeats many of those point and I personally feel like it would be very hard to teach unless you taught the first one. I love the book because of the "IT" factor. Catching Fire grabs your attention and keeps it throughout the entire book. The end has a major twist that I was not expecting and it really makes you question what has happened throughout the entire story! Once again I would highly recommend this one!

Critical Encounters Chapter 6

In chapter 6 of Critical Encounters I found the section on 'The Origins of Post colonial Reading' quite interesting. Before reading this I knew what Post colonial literature was by definition. However, I wasn't really clear on what the true point of the ideology was. I found this passage very interesting and insightful because it gives a deeper definition of the concept. I found one sentence in particular very effective in expressing the overall goal of post colonial literature, "The movement that we now call post colonialism was both an invitation and a recognition" (87). I think it is important to include the recognition component of that sentence. I think that in society we get quite caught up and concerned with the inclusion of First Nations peoples but do not properly recognize them. I personally think their is a sense that including Aboriginal people is enough to warrant recognition, but that is simply not accurate. I found the entire passage very  insightful because it gives a very detailed account of post colonialism. For the most part this text is very dense and complicated but this chapter was a lot more accessible to the reader in my opinion!

Deeper Reading Chapter 10

I found the first page of the chapter very insightful and thought provoking. Gallagher talks about the two strategies that students have when reading challenging literature.  The two strategies are as follows:
Strategy 1: They begin reading, struggle briefly, and give up.
Strategy 2: They begin reading, become lost and, out of duty, continue reading--even when they don't understand most of what they are reading.
I think it is interesting and extremely accurate that Gallagher brings up these strategies. In my opinion these strategies are dominating the classroom. I find that the students in my classroom I am observing have no idea what is going on the literature they are reading. If they don't understand they give up or carry on with no idea whats happening.  These students need help! They are not getting anything from the literature and that makes the act of reading them pretty pointless! I think as a future teacher it is my job to try to break down these strategies to work towards a more successful reading style. I think planning is such an important part of breaking down these reading strategies. There needs to be a definitive outline of how the literature is going to be approached. That way the students aren't thrown into literature and bombarded by content and context that they are not prepared for!
I think its also very important as a teacher to know before you teach a piece of literature what you want them to get from it. As the teacher if you don't no what you want the students to learn how on earth can we expect our students to learn effectively!

Critical Encounter Chapter 5

I really appreciate the way that Appleton does says that feminist/gender theory provides a lens where students can interpret life and literature. I think that often students and society in general often steer clear of the issue pertaining to feminism because of the stereotype that I think Appleton cleverly articulates. She says that people often equate feminism with unfemininity. In my opinion this is a very accurate description of the way many young women nowadays see femininity. When I think about the girls in my co-op classrooms if I told them we would be talking about feminism and gender theory they would immediately go on the defense. I don't say that I blame them and it is in no way their fault that they feel this way. They are simple uneducated about the important reasons for feminism and how important a feminist lens can be in literature. They are stuck in the mindset that if feminism is brought up in the classroom and they show a bit of interest or agreement that they will be immediately labelled a man hater. The boys immediately slip into a "zombified" state and shut out the rest of the class because they think it will be the same man hater mentality. I really think that figure 5.1 in the textbook and the explanation of the activity is exceptionally accurate in demonstrating my above point. Gender biases and labels are still a massive issue in society and our youth are being given the difficult task of trying to succeed and prosper through these labels. The worst part for them is that society expects them to be knowledgeable and unbiased when it comes to these issues which is such a difficult task. That is why I really appreciate Appleton's theory of feminist theory as being a lens, not a label. This allows the students to become more diverse and critical thinkers and enables them to interpret many different modes of literature.

Teaching Literacy Chpt 7-Sarah Being a Good-Enough Teacher

I find the Teaching Literacy textbook an interesting but frustrating read. Perhaps it is because I have not read many textbooks that incorporate such person opinions in such academic ways. To be honest it throws me off a little bit and I struggle to get into it. In Chapter 7 they talk about the goo-enough teacher. One of the examples is about Sarah. The authors say she is a good-enough teacher, but when I read the case about her I do not know if I would call her a good-enough teacher. In my opinion she sounds like a fantastic teacher who truly cares about the success and well being of her students. I don't no how I feel about this term the good-enough teacher. I understand that they are not referring to her this way in a negative connotation but to refer to her as just good in my opinion is not appropriate.  They call her the "all-time favorite" teacher and that she is always experimenting and doing innovative and exciting things in her classroom. Everything the chapter says about Sarah proves that she goes above and beyond everyday to create and inclusive classroom for her students. One that facilities their learning and encourages them to become active thinkers and life long learners. Sarah reflects on her experiences in the classroom and is self-critical of her teaching. To me, all of these characteristics are demonstrating the kind of educator that most beginning teachers strive to be. She reflects on her teaching, encourages her students, genuinely cares about their well being and success in the future. I understand the chapter is trying to emphasize and promote the good-enough teacher. Yet, I find the term they use, although intending to be positive, comes off as ironic and almost mockingly. Maybe I am focusing to much on the simple term they use to describe the teacher but I just feel like its far from the most appropriate term.

I found the whole passage about Sarah quite refreshing though you hear so much negative feedback and stories about lazy teachers only interested in their summers off. Its lovely to hear about the good ones who still have a true passion for teaching!