Miss Bryant

I read this book and its entirety twice in my lifetime. To have it assigned in my course, I was pretty excited. Well, its hard to get students to read. The students who actually read it, thoroughly enjoyed it. But the students who did not even make it fully through or past Part I or II of the reading, did not have much to say about it. That is typical and those perspectives, as a teacher, you just have to zone those opinions out. One, those students in particular did not read, two, if you did not read the book then you can’t really have an opinion of it based on summarized analysis read online, etc.

It brings me to this issue. The internet is everything to this generation, some of them, to say the least. Notes were being turned in and it was obvious it did not come from reading while taking notes. When the test came around, most students failed it. Even after having classroom discussion, which was basically the essays on both test, failed. Let me not forget the plagiarism issues from half the class on their assigned essays and notes. I never thought I would ever have to deal with plagiarized notes, but there is a first time for everything. 

Another issue, when you prompt students: questioning their perspective(s) or pushing them to think more analyticalally/critically of a text, they think you are berating them. I know I am not the only Teacher/Professor who has issues encouraging their students to think critically or go beyond the text. Do students fully have an understanding of what Literature truly is or do we have to start explaining this as well?

I know it has been a while since I have posted anything here. I have been busy with Higher Education and Secondary Education simultaneously after leaving J.A. Fair. Now, I am back in teaching Middle & Secondary Education at a High School (7th, 8th, and 12th grades). 1 Honors and 1 AP Literature and Composition Course. 

This year has been sort of challenging with health concerns. I have had severe aura migraines to the point it had hospitalize me (ICU) and caused strokes. It took me a while to get back into the mojo of things. I will post some things here soon. I still went to work and put forth 1,000% like nothing is happening.

The first day I was pretty much talking to myself. But I couldn’t write down everything that was said. However, the second and third day I had gotten more participation.