Frequent_Jellyfish69 t1_itz1y5k wrote on October 27, 2022 at 10:54 AM

I won’t launch into a long defense of many of books, and will just jump to this:

Teachers have to teach with the curriculum and state standards request, what the school board has approved, and what they have resources to buy/already have. Some schools provide more choice and money for books than others, sure, but in most places we can’t just go into a book store with a giant shopping cart and start loading em up with lots of contemporary books.

I have taught plenty of times (this year, even) when multiple classes have had to share one set of books bc we don’t have enough for each kid to take one home.

Sometimes we need everyone to read the same book so we can have discussions, projects, learn literary elements. Many kids don’t have the same taste in books.

There are ways to incorporate choice reading. On Wednesdays we have choice reading for 20 minutes and we all ready whatever we want for 20 minutes: a library book, a book from my classroom library, one from home. If you liked Book Whisperer, you would probably also like Book Love by Penny Kittle.

And finally, kids don’t hate all of the literary canon. My AP kids would go to the mat right now over Gatsby. Last year, my tenth graders loved Lord of the Flies. I don’t believe I have ever had a class that didn’t like Raisin in the Sun.

This comment may have sounded a little negative, but I just wanted to explain some of the reasons for literature choices. I would love for the world to be my oyster in choosing books, but there are a lot of factors at play.

Welcome to education! There is a teacher shortage, and we need you! Thank you for joining us. :)

knerled OP t1_iu0cdvb wrote on October 27, 2022 at 4:48 PM

Lord of the Flies was a whole-class read in my 6th grade class. Would I have liked it better if I had read it a few years later (and if I didn't have to listen as the slow, stumbling readers take their turns to read aloud)? Maybe. Would I find Gatsby more relatable now than I did in high school? Maybe. On the other hand, I did re-read The Mysterious Stranger a long time after high school and found it just as unrewarding as ever.

I'm aware that some teachers like to hit up garage sales and used-book stores, building up their own personal libraries (not school-funded) to share with their students. That's something that can be built up over time.

And I agree that sometimes it's worthwhile to have everyone read the same thing for some of the reasons you stated. I just feel that some teachers take it much too far, having multiple assigned readings followed by dry discussions on theme. FWIW, John Lennon wrote "I Am the Walrus" to poke fun at those who try to over-analyze his songs.

How about this instead: have students read "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes and then have them produce a short play.