As I anticipated, good reading strategies were abundant in this chapter. I can particularly relate to his idea of hooking the reader. Beginning teachers often make the mistake of launching into cold readings, perhaps because the teacher feels pressured with mounting curricular demands and a need to get through material as quickly as possible. My lovely wife, in her teaching at university, had learned the important practice of "boiling the water." A good teacher must prepare the students for learning, much in the same way a cook would boil the water before cooking the pasta. While it's true that not boiling the water is quicker, motivating students and capturing their interest is well worth the extra time. As teacher, we must find ways to make meaningful connections between the students and the text. If that means covering one or two stories per week (as opposed to 4-5), then so be it.
I also found Gallagher's ideas about rereading fascinating. As a reader, I know that multiple readings are needed to fully understand a text. However, I anticipate severe motivational problems. I know that students are very resistant to the idea. Students generally won't reread a story, poem, or even film, because they feel that, if they already know the plot and characters, they have nothing more to glean from it.
I think the mistaken idea that one reading is sufficient can be partially attributed to bad teaching (of course, student laziness factors into the mix). For too long, I've seen teachers focus on Level One type questions (surface level questions, such plot recall). In a way, we are placing value on these superficial elements when we only address Level One questions. If teachers were to focus on higher level thinking skills when discussing a text, students would learn that there is more to be gained through multiple viewings. In a way, teachers need to be re-trained to think in this way, just as much as students need to be re-trained.
There's a lot to think about in this chapter.
I'm also guilty of getting caught up with covering the curriculum and meeting standards at the expense of motivating students. This chapter is further encouragement that I should take a more relaxed approach. I'm going to try his "Model for Teaching Challenging Texts" as soon as I can! I can directly swipe his specific examples, as "Love" is in the World Literature textbook.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I quite enjoyed this chapter. It validated some things I already do and reminded me of things I know well but often let slide. I, too, am guilty of giving in to quantity over quality. In my zeal to give students the maximum amount of chances to practice skills, I sometimes neglect depth. GPS training has helped re-frame the prevailing thoughts in education, allowing us the freedom to focus on depth.
ReplyDeleteYou also mention cold readings. I have found that very short cold readings are great. For example, giving students a one page or less snippet that exemplifies hyperbole is a great way to teach hyperbole. If they go into such a short piece looking for a device you just taught them, they wouldn't look any deeper. But when they have read seeking their own meaning, they come to the question themselves. "This guy stretches the truth a whole lot. Is there something to that?" "Why yes. That's called hyperbole." I like to call these What Do You See pieces. Let the kids read it and ask what they see. Then we put the new tool in our box and try it out on a larger work.
I think Billy's spot on about using short texts for a very specific purpose.
ReplyDeleteTo use your example of "hyperbole":
If one used a longer text to teach hyperbole, there's no really good time to do it.
If the teacher does it mid-story, at the critical moment-- "Hey! He exaggerated! What do we call that?"--the story loses its flow. Too many times of doing that will completely destroy even the best story.
If the teacher waits until the end, the teaching opportunity is often lost.
To use short clips for a specific goal is perfect. Actually, that's how I most often utilize film, because students tend to zone out if the clip is anything longer than...8 or 9 minutes, maybe?
I think you make quite good use of film in this way. For longer works, it is helpful if you have control over the syllabus. In AP, I have structured the syllabus so that we study simpler stories first and build. Right now, we are about ready to delve into gender criticism, having visited and revisited the formal parts of short stories, archetypes, and psychoanalysis. Students are pulling together their new skills nicely, and it will be quite interesting to see them add yet another layer of analysis. Students would never get the same things out of "Young Good Man Brown," for instance, had we done it as one of their first stories. This is where the prep time comes in. It takes a good while to order 20 or so short stories in an order that builds both skills and understanding.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, in American and British Lit, we have less control over the order of pieces. We are forced to stick with the timeline. Short bits are helpful to combat this, but aside from scaffolding and layering the parts of assignments, I haven't found the magical balance I have managed in AP.