Winter 2018 493: Teaching Literature to Adolescents

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie has become my favorite book. Not only did this novel have a really good overall story but it was relatable to me on so many different levels: being part Indian, being from around Spokane, not getting help from teachers, and having alcoholism deep embedded in a family. Being Native American I am familiar with all the issues Junior faces while trying to become something for himself. My mother actually attended an Indian boarding school and was one of six siblings to actually leave the reservation and the only sibling to ever leave our reservation, from our family. Also, recently I picked up a huge passion for basketball so this novel even clicked a lot more with me. Experiencing the cultural change that Junior faces allowing me to see some of the cultural changes I had to fix when going to public school. Hearing how terrible the reservation was also helped me connect with my own background. Repeatedly my parents rem...

“Readicide” by Kelly Gallagher is definitely a valuable tool for any teacher. While reading this novel I had asked my mentor teacher if she had ever read it. Turns out she owned the book and had plans to read it in the near future. Interestingly enough she agreed to read it before the end of my spring break so we could talk about the different points Gallagher makes throughout the novel. I hope to use Gallagher’s tips on creating your own classroom library. I had no idea how easy it is for students to lose the value in reading. Even I was a victim of “Readicide.” To this day I have no idea what I read in my high school classroom. For now, I hope to help my mentor teacher implement some of Gallagher’s technique in her classroom. Having the ability to tackle it as a team benefits her and helps me gauge whether or not I can use the material in the classroom. Furthermore, the tsunami effect was something I had never thought of occurring in the high school classroom. It’s true that t...

“edTPA: Making Good Choices” and “EWU’s TPA Guidelines” are both valuable reads for a becoming educator. Reading through the “Making Good Choices” article informed me in the areas of the edTPA that I wasn’t sure of. For instance, the section describing the video recording process that is involved with the edTPA was helpful. It clarified many points for me such as the video permission slips. Learning about these components now helps me prepare for my future student teaching quarter. Also, getting an in-depth view of the edTPA, based on sections of the edTPA, was extremely valuable. Understanding the purpose behind that information, the information required on an edTPA, gave me a new perspective on the requirement. Now I understand the importance of having an edTPA and the philosophy behind the information needed. Furthermore, the assessment task sections of the “Making Good Choices” article was very beneficial. It answered many questions of mine such as whether or not we can use in...

“Empathy” by Sarah Schulman Anna O. is a lesbian who is trying to get over a past lover in New York City. Mostly a loner, she wanders the New York streets with empathy for the world. Doc, a post-Freudian therapist, which gains most of his clients by passing out business cards on the busy New York City streets. Doc also has a strict 3 session rule with all of his clients. Anna O. and Doc are eventually united when Anna finds one of Doc’s business cards and decides to seek to counsel from him. Anna is much different the Doc’s normal clients though. They cover many topics such as a Jewish funeral, the rise of AIDS, homelessness, drug-addicts, and so many more unique topics. Furthermore, Doc also obsesses over an ex-girlfriend and begins to have a connection with Anna. As their relationship builds you can’t help but wonder if Doc is willing to have a fourth session with Anna. Yet, at the end of the novel things take a dramatic turn. Doc suddenly has his ex-girlfriend appear who keeps...

“I Read it, But I Don’t Get it” by Chris Tovani definitely changed my views on reading within the classroom. This textbook reminded me of my old self back in high school. In high school, I only remember reading a handful of books and to this day I can’t remember the stories. I myself was a fake reader until going to college and like Tovani I realized I had to learn how to read. The overall structure of the textbook makes reading it a lot of fun. Reading about her personal encounters with students and reading was entertaining. I loved her approach with the book reports, explaining how she even got away with cheating on them. Also, she demonstrates what a successful teacher is; someone willing to go out of their way to facilitate that learning process. It was amazing to experience her struggles as she tried to get her students to learn the various reading strategies she presented. My favorite part of the text was the car reference when Tovani is trying to explain the reciting vo...

“The Education of Margot Sanchez” by Lilliam Rivera is a humbling read about a high school girl and her struggles at home. This text can be extremely relatable for some students. Much of what happens throughout this novel is similar to hardships my friends faced in school. Overall, the book as a whole was okay. The beginning of the novel is boring but eventually picks up at the end. Personally, I wouldn’t incorporate this novel into my classroom because I believe there are more efficient texts for that out there. Also, this book has some hard realities such as sex, drugs, fighting, and addresses several social issues we are having in society today. Yet, this novel has the potential to be extremely powerful for some select students. Again I can see how some students, especially those from low-socioeconomic areas, could benefit from a novel like this. Margot is constantly battling the expectations put on her by being a high school student. In today’s education, we still have studen...

“Music Teacher Educator Perspectives on Social Justice” by Salvador and colleagues is an interesting read when trying to discover the role of social justice in the classroom. Salvador and colleagues sought to find the commonality of teaching social justice topics in the classroom and how familiar music teachers were with the concept. They had sent out a few hundred surveys asking teachers on their experience with social justice in the classroom. What they discovered was that more than half of the respondents reported having some background on the topic but weren’t currently teaching that in their classrooms. The rest of the participants either didn’t know about the topic of social justice or didn’t have a well-rounded understanding of what social justice was. Some teachers even reported saying that is wasn’t their responsibility to teach social justice but to teach music strictly: “I do not believe that we as music educators need to teach lengthy units on social justice. For example, ...

“Critical Pedagogy in an Urban High School English Classroom” by Jeff Duncan-Andrade and Ernest Morrell was a very informative read. Never before had I heard of the harsh educational settings that currently exist in the United States. Reading this pieces was a truly humbling experience that made me aware of the harsh realities students face in low socioeconomic areas. Never before did I think the problems students face in low socioeconomic areas were as existential as this. Not having heat during the winters, or windows in the classroom, or even the fact that the floor is duct taped is unacceptable. Furthermore, what stuck with me the most after reading this article was the fact that these teachers came into a low performing school and empowered students who didn’t have hope. For instance, the fact that seniors, with six weeks to graduate, became so empowered they created a magazine to inform the outside world of their hardships in school is incredible. We as educators are pressured...