I want to teach English because I love literature and all that we can learn from it, but especially because I had a very influential high school English teacher who inspired me to want to help others. (I think my first blog post--I set up this blog for another class--actually tells a little about her, so if you feel inclined to read that, you're welcome to.) English, to me, is very multifaceted, and it includes reading, writing, comprehension, language, and basically just being able to interact with the world around us. Most importantly, I believe that English teachers should be able to help their students find their own personal application from things they read and convey their thoughts and feelings through writing of their own, and I hope to be able to do that.
I would define literacy as being literate, or being able to read something--a newspaper, novel, short story, cereal box, instruction manual, etc.--and understand all or most of it, and also being able to communicate clearly. Literacy plays a big part in English because so much of the discipline deals with reading and writing, and, if students can't understand what they're reading and writing, they'll get bored with what they're reading (and will find no application or personal value in it) and make no sense in what they're writing. Literacy is the connection between students, literature, and the world. I've learned so much about the world from what I've read, and I would love to help my future students find the same connections someday.
Hi Anthony...Mrs. Pedersen sounds very inspirational; thanks for sharing about her.
ReplyDeleteI agree that "literacy" is at the heart of English. I sometimes think that people expect English teachers to teach students how to read and write in all facets of their lives, including how to read and write in other disciplines (e.g., scientific writing, historical writing). The Common Core Standards say that content teachers should teach reading and writing in their own disciplines. So then, if other teachers teach reading and writing, what is an English teachers' job? To me, to some extent, it relates to bringing out the ideas in literature. It provides such a powerful lens for discussing issues that affect the quality of our personal lives--like relationships, making choices in difficult situations, etc. Your job will be very important in many young people's lives! Thanks for your posting.