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. :)
Frequent_Jellyfish69 t1_itz1y5k wrote
Reply to The Great Gatsby: I don't know why this book is so popular with English teachers by knerled
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. :)