The question of whether or not to teach something that may impact or influence another person’s beliefs or understanding of the world is an interesting one. We are teachers, so that is what we do. I don’t think that you can simply walk into a classroom and have absolutely no agenda whatsoever. We have to teach something. Even simply teaching how to read and write English can be controversial if another language is more important to a certain student. Our lessons and the things we teach should always have some sort of purpose, and the intention of encouraging open-minded, deep thinking about the differences inherent in all people is a fine objective if you ask me.
This, of course, does not mean that teachers should attempt to change a student’s beliefs, but they should encourage reflection and tolerance toward all points of view. After all, if a student can take time to understand and reflect on the things that they disagree with, they should be able to strengthen their own convictions and have better knowledge of themselves. I will never feel bad about pushing an agenda of thoughtful open-mindedness, and I think using multi-cultural literature is one way to encourage deeper understanding of the world outside of the walls of a high school classroom.
The next question is one of what, out of the seemingly endless possibilities to cram into the small span of the school year. My answer to that question is that we should try to vary our reading selections as much as possible, while making it clear to students that what we are working with is just the tip of the iceberg. By emphasizing the fact that as we learn about one culture or author or character represented in one piece of literature, we are hopefully learning more about the great differences and similarities that can be found across all cultures. Teaching English should be more about teaching students how to think and not what to think. In the long run, I don’t really care if students can name all the characters and plot devices used by a certain author in a certain novel, but the act of having read and attempted to understand the views and cultures in that novel will maybe lead to a more enriched life and a better understanding of the world as well as the self.
2 comments:
I absolutely agree that our job is to teach how to think and not what to think. In the end, it relaly doesn't matter at all what we choose to use as our vehicles as long as those texts allow for students to think in different ways. Part of teaching students how to think is how to think outside of their comfort zone. they have to be pushed and prodded into trying on different identites through the characters they read and to find empathy for other cultures in order to deinfe their own.
Dilg (and others) agree—all teaching is political. And I like the practical way you have chosen to take on some of the endless possibilities and dilemmas of teaching. Have a good heart, have important, TRULY important objectives in mind, and connect with your students. What more can a good teacher do?
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