I thought about the subtitle of the book for some time especially as I have time to read
books for leisure during the summer. I want my students to feel the same eagerness
and excitement that I do when I get to read a novel I have been saving. I want them to enjoy my class and the material we discuss. Lit. circles are vital. One novel for everyone just doesn't do it. I do like an anthology text that offers short stories, plays and poems for grade levels because there is nothing as frustrating as students announcing that they have encountered the same material last year. It gets tiring trying to find appropriate material for various classes.
An anthology does allow students to select a range of reading material for group work without
controversy. A good anthology provides a mix of themes and contemporary pieces. I have often
researched an author and read more, after encounters in anthologies. They are good introductions to finding writers that provoke interest.
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2 comments:
Hi Dorothy!
Thanks for the comment regarding the use of anthologies in classrooms. When I taught Grade 12 General English, I had no class text. I was lucky enough to have a colleague with an extensive collection of short stories that she had collected which she graciously let me access.
So from my perspective, many times an anthology wasn't available so I guess that is one of the reasons that I questioned the need for a core text for English.
There was another issue that arose from your post and that is the one regarding students who have read a story/novel/article in a previous class. There seems to be an issue with this with some teachers - that certain novels, etc are the 'property' of particular grades/teachers. For other teachers this is not an issue - their thoughts are that students interpret differently in a subsequent reread. Others' thoughts about this?
PS We welcome Paul Cornies to our book discussion and look forward to his insights on the readings.
I always try to turn a re-read into something positive for the student, including that it will be interesting to "see new things in the novel" and that I am very keen in discussing with the student their new/deeper perspective. Despite this, I have yet to encounter a student who joyfully announces that they have already read the book. With so many texts to select from, I can't help but think that, ideally, allowing students to experience a large number and variety of texts may be more desirable.
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