An Interview with Myself

This is an entry to a log which I am required to keep until Dec 5. Enjoy.

What life experiences have influenced who you want to be as an English teacher?

It's funny, really. When I first started college, I was of the mindset that teachers should pour knowledge into students' brains. I was of the mindset that passive learning was learning, and that was good enough. I suppose I didn't really think it in those exact words, because I hadn't been introduced to terms like 'passive learning' - but I didn't have a problem with the traditional classroom experience. It had worked for me...why wouldn't it work for everyone else?

This, of course, has all changed. My experiences with students, and even with my own siblings, opened my eyes to the fact that lecture style 'learning' doesn't work for everyone. Watching teachers struggle to find ways to reach each of their students inspired me. Watching students succeed because they were given the opportunity to express themselves in different ways softened me at the core. It made me want to be the kind of teacher who would be able to provide a classroom where all students, with their various learning styles and forms of expression and opinions and backgrounds and whatever else they bring to the class, would have a place where they could learn in a thoughtful and productive way.

I suppose my exposure to various educational theory and content, as well as my experiences with students, would really be the major influences as to why I want to be who I want to be.

What do you believe is the purpose of English as a discipline?

How does one even begin to answer that question? I feel like English teachers not only teach the fundamentals (grammar, writing, reading skills), but also everything else under the moon. This includes: social skills, respect, how to interact with the various medias students are exposed to, critical thinking skills, creative writing skills, analytic skills and more. Beyond that, English class isn't just for novels anymore. It's a place where students learn to connect with the world they live in.

Why teach literature in middle and secondary schools?

Literature is powerful. Through literature, students are able to experience things they wouldn't have ever experienced. Through literature, students experience the world from different perspectives. They connect with and learn from situations they read. Literature can help students through their personal issues when nothing else can reach them. Providing literature to students of this age can be a powerful tool in changing/challenging the way they think about and experience the world. In some way, I feel like providing students with literature keeps them from having to learn things the hard way...while still getting the experience. I'm sure that sounds naive, but that's how I like to think about it.