(10/25/12) What is a genre? What is genre? What are genres?

Throughout the course of this semester we have established an extremely broad reaching definition of literacy. Literacy demands a flexible definition because the characteristics and influences of literacy impact the lives of our students on a perpetual basis. Unfortunately, the approach to literacy development in English classes across the country is, more often than not, far too rigid. From district mandates to teacher practices, educators attempt to constrain literacy by approaching it mechanically, in order to somehow quantify the literary achievement of students into a measurable unit.

            All five of the multi-genre articles we read for this week’s class revealed the negative implications of what I will refer to as a fixed-literacy approach. Whitney, Ridgeman, and Masquelier explain the limiting issues of this approach, writing “Yet, in practice, teaching genre often becomes ‘teaching genres,’ that is, offering genres to students as preformed, discrete, and rigid vessels into which students’ ideas might be poured. Instead, to teach genre well is to teach students to understand genres in their social functions” (Whitney, 2011). Students need the ability to view genres as a literary tool that has a direct purpose for what and how they are presenting information. In order to do so, students must abandon the traditional constraints of “genre” writing in order to become “real” writers and active members of a “discourse community” (Whitney, 2011). In the Whitney article, students were able to embody these personas as they physically entered nature in order to write as a true “nature writer.” More importantly, the teachers did not stymie their students writing by placing “rigid” limitations on the genre. The article explains, “The students did not list other features sometimes found in nature writing that we teachers had discussed beforehand and had expected to see listed, such as offering social or political critique or including biological or other scientific information. If we had set out to teach genres as discrete forms in a more traditional manner, we might have stepped in here to correct some of these ideas, such as the idea that nature writers are “isolated” in the romanticized sense of a lone writer sitting beneath a tree in silence” (Whitney, 2011). There is no reason to stop a student from including political or social commentary within a nature piece simply because of some imaginary genre boundary, especially when these boundaries act as a limiting influence on students’ ability to express themselves and to engage in open discourse communities. Moreover, in the real world, these imaginary genre boundaries do not exist; a nature author is allowed to bring political critique into his or her writing just as easily as a sports writer is able to talk about social implications without facing punishment. Since literacy is not rigid in the real world, why should it be rigid in schools?

            The articles, especially (Romano, 2000), (Gillepsie, 2005), and (Whitney, 2011) also highlight the potential breakthroughs that can come from productive and creative multi-genre projects. Through the successful multi-genre projects cited, students were able to view genre as a living tool, establish themselves as “real” writers, build audience and genre awareness, engage in multiple forms of literacy (e.g. the map use in Gillipse, 2005), engage with the social functions of genre (e.g. Dean’s use of a “toast” as a genre in Whitney, 2011), and ultimately engage in student generated work that they were proud enough to present to their peers. These types of activities should be embraced in learning communities as a way help students view the structures of literacy not as limiting constraints, but rather as powerful tools available to all writers.

(10/20/12) Literature as a Tool for Social Change

             In Multi-cultural curriculum this semester, we have spent a lot of time discussing how to create “space” for multicultural representation and progress within the constraints of the “traditional” cannon and school curriculum. Although it is a worthy, necessary, and achievable cause to breach such subjects as immigration, inequality, racism, and social injustice within a social studies classroom, I have always felt that there is an amazingly unique space to discuss these topics in an English-Language Arts setting. Because Language Arts teachers do not have to expose these issues explicitly through an historical lens, unlike social studies teachers, English teachers have the ability to use literary texts to open up a safe space for discussion and an avenue for critical literacy.

Boatright emphasizes this point, as he argues specifically in terms of the issue of immigration and its place in class discussion. He writes, “English language arts teachers in the United States have a unique opportunity to seize upon this highly political and fiercely challenged issue by opening up their curricula to the theme of immigration in their classrooms. The world of literature provides one such avenue for exploring immigration issues and their intricately complex social, economic, political, cultural, and historical realities” (Boatright, 2010). “The world of literature” is a wonderful vehicle for progress, because it allows students the freedom and space to view the world through a different lens. When given historical perspectives, students are too often presented with the idea that histories events and current socio-political climates are black and white. Literature, however, does not voice the facts or positions of an issue; it tends to present the human element of an experience in an attempt to add an emotional angle to the overall dialogue. Boatright reveals, “Literature has the potential to ignite dialogue, force questions, and foster community building in an atmosphere of inquiry and reflection” (Boatright, 2010). This dialogue can be extremely powerful when structured around a piece of literature, because the importance of facts and institutions take a back seat to the emotional experience of human beings.

Let’s look at the first graphic novel Boatright cites in his article: The Arrival (Tan 2007). In this story, the reader is presented with the “traditional” immigrant story. By “traditional,” I mean that the story revolves around a white male who is able to emigrate successfully from Western Europe, avoid breaking the law in the process, assimilate himself to American culture, and effectively claim his piece of the “American dream.” This, taken on surface value, does not seem like a vehicle for presenting students with a multi-cultural representation of American immigration. The great quality of literature, however, is that the facts and history of the events do not necessarily constrain the impact or reach of the story. This graphic novel “has the potential to ignite dialogue” because it presents students with a controversial look into what America has always seen as the “good immigrant.” Boatright sees the potential in this piece, writing “English language arts teachers have an excellent opportunity for questioning immigrant experiences that are portrayed as ideal or good and for exploring such immigrant labels as good and bad have come to existence” (Boatright, 2010). These are very significant questions and can lead to powerful student inquiry. As English teachers, we have a unique ability to invite critical inquiry around important and often controversial issues. As we move forward as educators, it is important for literature to be increasingly viewed as a powerful tool for social change.

(10/14/12) "Creating the Confidence to Respond" (Kylene Beers)

If you walk into any elementary school first-grade classroom in the country, as Beers points out in the reading for this weeks class, you are likely to encounter a level of student enthusiasm that is unparalleled by any other grade level of students. Students raise their hands constantly-even if they do not know the answer to the given question, and constantly shout out answers with little self-restraint. The teacher actually has to contain students’ emotions in order to successfully channel their energy into productive learning experiences. So the key question becomes, “Where does that first-grade energy go” (Beers, 259).

In my field-experience so far this semester, I have had the opportunity to interact with high school juniors and to witness their behavior on a consistent basis. Among the forty plus students I encounter spread throughout two classes, I would estimate that about one quarter of the students respond to teacher questions and discussion prompts on a regular basis, with little encouragement necessary. The majority (about half in each class) of the students however, do not speak regularly and only seem to participate in discussions when they are either highly interested in some specific question, when the teacher directly calls on them, or when they feel the need to fill an awkward portion of silence in order to turn the spotlight off of them. That leaves the remaining handful of students (I would say around 8 total) in the category of completely silent. As I was reading the chapters for this week’s class, I began to wonder how many of these remaining 8 students avoid speaking all together simply because of personality traits, or if their silence is related to a larger problem: a lack of confidence. Although I can only hypothesize at this point, I am sure that there are at least a few students that would be more willing to participate if they had the confidence and security to make the risk of speaking “worth it.” Unfortunately, by the time students reach the 11^th grade, if they lack the confidence to respond in class it is likely that they were conditioned for this role over the course of multiple years. These same students may have been the most energetic young first graders in their class, but after a decade of in-class ridicule, embarrassment, shame, and overall fear of failure, the risk of speaking in class is no longer worth any potential reward.

So what can be done? I think the first and most important element to promote student confidence is to build a safe space within the classroom walls. Beers introduces the idea of establishing a “no-tolerance” policy when it comes to disparaging and hurtful between students. Beers writes, “When children are belittled by their peers, something happens that is hurtful almost beyond repair. When it happens in front of an adult, an adult who is supposed to care, and the adult does nothing, then the damage is even greater” (Beers, 266). So I think it is critical to create a relationship of respect between all students in the classroom setting. I also think the teacher is responsible for creating a culture of communication within the classroom. Many of these students have passed from grade to grade over the course of years without ever having to speak. They have become conditioned for silence but a good teacher can create a situation where this habitual silence can finally be broken. It is also important to remember that this process will not take place over night. Luckily teachers are given an entire YEAR to spend with their students, and a lot of progress can be made throughout the course of a school year.

(10/08/2012) Struggling Readers

What does a struggling reader look like? This is the primary question that teachers need to answer in order to then identify struggling readers within classrooms, and ultimately to intervene on their behalf. Although there is no one particular “look” for a struggling teacher, as Kylene Beers establishes in her book, “When Kids Can’t Read What Teachers Can Do,” it is a teacher’s job to recognize the many different signs of a struggling reader in order to then take steps to improve a students reading ability. Beyond that, its is also important for teachers to recognize and appreciate the courage and commitment it takes for a struggling reader to even show up to class on a consistent basis. Beers writes, “I can think of nothing that I do 186 days out of the year, in front of my peers, that I know I will consistently do poorly. Be honest. Can you think of anything you do that qualifies?” (Beers, 6). I think this is a powerful question because the emotions that come with failure impact people of all ages, especially adolescents.

The shame that inevitably comes with consistent failure can be a debilitating emotion, and learning is among the most emotional tasks human beings are faced with. How can a teacher then blame a struggling reader for being disruptive, un-attentive, or ill postured? There is a level of courage it takes for the struggling reader to simply show up 186 days a year conditioned to not only accept regular failure but to have to do so in front of all of his or her peers. If there was an activity where I, even as an adult, had to show up and consistently fail in a room of my peers, I would certainly adapt some disruptive defense mechanisms to best help me “save face.” I would slump in my chair, make jokes, avoid tasks all together, and make it seem like I was exerting no effort, so that these behaviors could then be blamed for my lack of success, not the reality that I simply do not have the strategies in place to perform the task. Beers, however, offers a simple solution: intervene and help the student improve their reading strategies. Unfortunately, not all teachers have the awareness, patience, or ability to recognize and support struggling readers. Beers herself frames this entire book around her failure to impact the literacy life of one of her first students, George, but she uses this failure to drive her commitment to helping improve the reading abilities of struggling students. As we continue to unravel the specific strategies and methods for improving reading throughout this semester, it is continually important to remember that identifying the struggling readers within a classroom is the first and most important step.

(10/01/2012) Promoting Productive Classroom Dialogue

I think one of the biggest insecurities for teachers (especially new teachers) revolves around classroom discussion. In a “good” classroom, all students willingly volunteer their opinions freely, feel comfortable enough to create dissenting opinions, respect each other enough to let everyone speak, avoid the pitfalls of having one or a few students dominate the discussion, and ultimately students are able to generate new and communal ideas as a result. Then why are so many teachers (although maybe I’m just speaking for myself!) so nervous about classroom talk? Well…there is always the fear that no one will speak, students will disrespect each other or the space, and that overall nothing productive will come out of the discussion. It is true that not every classroom dialogue will successfully draw together the student population and involve the entire classroom in creating “shared ideas,” but if an inviting environment is created, an open dialogue can be a truly powerful life-experience for students.

I think the key to creating this open environment is to condition and prepare the students and the classroom for the dialogue using mini-lessons and positive re-enforcement strategies. In order to surrender a portion of classroom control over to your students, a teacher must first prepare the students for this responsibility. There are many techniques for creating an accepting environment for discussion, and mini-lessons seem to be the perfect space to introduce these topics to students. Dr. Bomer recommends a few mini-lesson topics in Chapter 8, including: “Keeping the topic on the table for a long time, making frequent reference to page numbers, making shared notes to record emerging ideas so you can return to them, referring to common experiences, going back to previous topics that connect to this one, referring to past conversations about other books” (Bomer, 148). Another additional idea that he speaks about in the same chapter encourages students to use their informal writing skills in preparation for a discussion. This allows to students to visualize or organize their thoughts before actually promoting them in a classroom setting. Allowing students the skills necessary to engage in productive dialogue, and encouraging/nurturing a productive classroom environment for this dialogue, empowers the students both in the classroom and beyond.”

Ultimately, classroom dialogue is a safe space for students to practice the art of speaking in a non-threatening place. Hopefully the students can then take these skills learned in the classroom and use them in the “real world.” As Dr. Bomer describes it, “Learning to be in dialogue is learning for life, learning to have partners, relationships, and communities” (Bomer, 151). Over the course of my teaching career, I hope to create a safe classroom space for students, aiming to instill students with the confidence to discuss tough topics, to generate shared ideas, to disagree with each other respectfully, and to use the tool of dialogue to further their commitment to their communities and lives outside of the classroom.