Blog #2

Reading Wilhelm's You Gotta BE the Book has caused me to take a step back and consider the difficulties of reaching all the students.  The story of Sasha, who was into Goth and fascinated with Marilyn Manson, got my attention.  What would I do with a student like her?  Would I be able to reach her in an effective manner?  Wilhelm did successfully engage her, but humbly noted there are possibly many others he did not reach.  This reading really has caused me to consider how important the human factor is in teaching and demonstrating a love for reading in students.  I have had a few really good teachers who demonstrate the qualities that instill a love for reading and I hope to emulate that in my own classroom.  At the same time, I need to consider how both Wilhelm and Dr. Shannon have pointed out that teacher's revert to what they have experienced in the classroom and were exposed to as students.  I need to consider how I will handle the realities of a large class, short class period, and the heavy testing pressures that are placed on teachers from outside the classroom.  In the meantime, Wilhelm's social contract, (YGBB, 13) he developed  from a study he undertook with his colleague Michael Smith,  jumped out at me and I thought it worthwhile to write the inverse of each statement as a type of personal mantra.

1. I will try to get to know each student as an individual.
2. I will care about each student.
3. I will address each student's interests in some way (either outside or inside the classroom).
4. I will assist each student in learning and work hard to help them learn.
5. I will be passionate about the subject and teaching.

As Wilhelm wrote in chapter one, it really stood out to me how his research demonstrates the importance of showing and demonstrating a love of reading as the foundation for teaching a love of literature.  As he points out, the New Critical approach has been the dominate theory used in classrooms.  I know I was not aware of it as a student, but since having literary theory and criticism, I am aware of it and I saw it in action in my highschool last spring when I was observing for Level I observation hours.  I also fully agree with Wilhelm that it bears a connection to students developing a dislike for analyzing texts and answering interpretative questions on a text.  I am not saying that the New Critical approach is wrong or bad, but I am excited to learn other methods and approaches that developes a love for reading in students, rather than instilling in them a fear of reading and literature classes.
I found reading the examples taken from Wilhelm's research really interesting and informative.  I must admit that when Ron notes that he becomes so involved in a book that he forgets to do his other school work, I could relate to that.  I have done similar things.  On the other hand, I find myself wishing I had experienced a teacher similar to Wilhelm in my adolescent years.  I have little memory of good discussion or group work in literature classes in my middle school years.  That, combined with the peer pressure to never admit to liking books, has caused me to be hesitant to share what I think.  It is almost like I internalized my feelings about characters in a book as something very private.  Nevertheless, Wilhelm's example's of how a reader aligns themselves with fictional character's and develops a shared perspective is really valuable reading, and will help me to not underestimate a young reader's ability to draw insight from a text. As a teacher, I must find a way to value what each student has to say and to find literature that the student can connect with.
Last, but not least, I found Wilhelm's knowledge of research and commentary on teaching as a profession to be very insightful.  He shares that for him learning from students and how they need to be taught is of primary importance.  I couldn't agree more.  As an older student, I have experienced how much technology and classroom culture has changed.  I further agree completely that a teacher must learn from their mistakes and carry on.  Wilhelm  notes that some of his best teaching is when he show students how he "rolls with the punches" (YGBB 57).  Students can see right through a teacher attempting to hide mistakes.  Wilhelm's use of personal stories were extremely valuable in sharing his belief that the authority in the classroom is and must be the teacher.  I understood it to mean authority developed by learning what the needs of the students are, and where they are in the learning spectrum, and then creating an environment where they can learn well. As a teacher, it will be my job to learn to know my student's personally, what their needs are, understand what will work in my classroom and teach to the best of my ability.