Final: Learning Letter

Hey Sean,

I positively loved this course! Because of this course, I have an entirely new outlook on the role literature plays in a secondary classroom. This course has helped me get excited about teaching literature to my students.

First, I really enjoyed the classroom set up we had. I appreciated that it was entirely student run and focused on us as future teachers of English. I valued the regular discussion we participated in because all of us are not strictly English majors, so there was a variety of thoughts and opinions because of everyone's endorsement backgrounds and different teaching experiences. Through the discussions and assigned readings, I learned to appreciate the idea of democratic discussion and the role it can play in a secondary classroom. Democratic discussions allow students to experience human growth and appreciate for the variety of opinions their classmates have to offer. I also have a new outlook on the empowerment literacy can offer a person. Through education and literacy, students have an outlet to better themselves and the society they live in. I cannot convince all of my students to become English teachers, but I can teach them the power literacy can offer. Since reading Cris Tovani's book, I feel that I have added many tools to my teacher toolkit. I have always been a lover of reading, but I cannot convince all of my students to love and appreciate literature like I do. Therefore, through the information, insight, and resources Tovani has in her book, I think that I will be able to help all of my students when they are assigned to read, regardless of whether or not they enjoy reading. I will not be able to foster a love of reading in all of my students, but through her tools I will be able to make reading easier to the resistant reader. If I can teach my students the tools and strategies to comprehend and get through a text, then I will be very satisfied.

My favorite portion of the class was the book talks. My reading wish list has expanded like crazy since the short presentations! My peers have offered many different book choices that I think can be introduced to a variety of students and give them something they may find interesting. In my future classroom, I plan on having a small library, and I want to fill it with a variety of books so that hopefully there will be something interesting for all of my students. Thanks to my peers, I now have a different view of adolescent literature than I did before. I now know that graphic novels and nonfiction texts can have a powerful impact on students, instead of just fiction. They have also provided me with new lessons and activities that I had never thought of before. It was great to hear the types of literature my peers were interested in and the different ways they want to impact their students with the literature.

Finally, because of the mini lessons, I was able to reflect on myself as a teacher and how I see teaching literature to be the most beneficial. My peers have demonstrated some great lessons with ideas that I think will translate very well into any English class. Thanks to the variety of lessons, I now have more tools to add to my tool kit so that I can always try something new with my students. I think that especially with literature, it is important to incorporate a variety of activities and projects so that students can get into the text and hopefully enjoy the experience of reading it. Also, from the perspective of being a student during the mini lessons, I was able to experience what teaching styles worked for me and which ones really engaged me and made me want to participate. I think that it is invaluable to reflect on myself as a student and how I learn with literature, so that I can understand my students better. I cannot assume that all students learn the way that I do, but through my experiences with the lessons and the feedback my peers gave, I can better understand how to make literature approachable and fun to a variety of students.

Overall, this course has been priceless to me! I cannot thank you or my peers enough for the abundance of information and new outlooks on literature I have acquired throughout these ten weeks. It is my hope that when I have my own classroom, I will be able to implement some of the things I have learned, as well as make literature not so terrifying to my students.

Thank you once again for this great experience, and I will see you Winter quarter!
Have a great break and holiday season.