Childrens lit

While taking the WEST-E I came across a question that asked me about what type of genre a certain author writes about.  This made me realize that I do not know as much about children's literature as I probably should.  I took a class at Western that was all about youth lit.  It was a class that made me read twilight (a book I had never heard of, but was very popular with many of the students at the middle school) and not but year later the book was turned into a movie that became a world wide phenomenon.  Then, working in an 8th grade classroom this year, I was able to talk to students who were more than willing to keep me up to date with the newest "it" books that they were all reading. 

I think this summer, whenever I am able to find a little free time, I need to start reading more of what my students are going to be.  Being able to talk to my students about books, and other things that they are interested in, is a great way to build relationships and community in a classroom.  It is so important to know what our students are interested in that I need to start taking more time to finding out just what they like.  Time to start reading!

Poems

While writing my reflective essay I kept coming back to the importance of creative writing in the classroom.  It is such a good way for all students to express some really important deep feeling and thoughts without feeling totally exposed and vulnerable.  Thinking back to the class when we read our Where I am From poems, I can remember lots of strong emotions in the room.  I think that was a day when our cohort really started to trust and open up to each other.  While I do not expect my students to have such a bonding experience with poetry, I hope I can keep creative writing in my class to at least promote play and exploration of self and the world at large. 

Here is my Where I am From poem one more time.

I am from a land of starry nights wearing a mask of silver clouds and dancing rain.

Alexandria R. Suchan

I am from ice cold sodas and otter pop stained clothes
I am from recycling before it was “green”
I am from hugs and kisses and glasses of water
I am from night time stories in bed

I am from flowers in braided hair and nail polished fingers
I am from bare foot stubbed toes on black lava streets
I am from piles of leaves and tree-houses
I am from jack frost mornings and frozen car windows

I am from “you’re not going anywhere young lady!”
I am from sneaking out front doors while parents sleep
I am from many perfect not close to perfection first kisses
I am from tears stains on my bunk-bed pillow cases

I am from respect, support, tough love, and sweet love
I am from a home that will always be a place I can call home
I am from a family that will cherish every memory we've shared together

What happened to teacher support over the years?

When I was growing up I used to listen to stories my grandpop would tell me of his youth.  "I used to walk to school up hill both ways, in the snow, barefoot..." "When I was in school the nuns used to keep us in line with anything they could get their hands on and throw at us!"  While some of the stories he used to tell me were highly over exaggerated, some of them were truer than I could even imagine.  The teachers in his day were the absolute.  What they say went, and the parents were behind them no matter what.  I remember a story of a teacher throwing an eraser at my grandpop and when he told his mother that he did not actually do anything she said "well think of it as punishment for something you did not get caught for!"
Even when I was in grade school, if I got into trouble my parents were convinced I deserved whatever was coming to me.  With the readings we have been doing as of late I am worried that I am not going to have any support that I am used to seeing and hearing about.  I am by no means saying that we should go back to the days of throwing things at our students.  I am not a person who thinks that physical punishment solves anything, but I would like to see the support that the teachers received from that time.  I am wondering why over the years the amount of power the teachers had is decreasing and the blame is increasing?  Were we, as students brought up to think that teachers are always in the right, now rebelling through our own kids?  Do we need more control now because we did not have any when we were in school? Where did all the support go?

Graphic Novels

When I was in grade school I did not read a crazy amount.  I would ready everything that was required and then stop.  I think the only books that I ever sought out were the Harry Potter novels.  I found just about everything else that I tried to pick up boring, especially any non-fiction literature.  In college I started reading graphic novels.  I started with fiction and then went from there.  I read Maus, and Persepolis.  I believe this was one of the first times that I read a book about history and war and did not want to put it down.  I was learning by the words I was reading, and also getting very powerful images to read.  This was very intriguing for me.  A subject area in which I was never a fan finally became interesting.
I am such a huge believer in graphic novels.  We will be able to hook the students in and make them want to read more.  For all of the students that have a hard time reading, or are behind the rest of the class will have an opportunity to read pictures and think outside of the box.  I also think that the students will appreciate the break from the normal chapter stories that they are required to read for school.  I think it will help keep the students engaged in many ways.
Graphic novels can also be used in many classes other than just literature.  The examples of Maus and Persepolis can be used in history classes and current events classes.  There are so many different kinds of graphic novels that can aid you in just about any subject matter you are teaching.

So, my questions is: why don't more teachers use graphic novels in the classroom? Are we even allowed to teach new materials in the classroom, or are would I just have to suggest to students to look up different graphic novels on their own time?

Field Trips

In class last week we were talking about the importance of interactive learning.  Kids seem to pay more attention and get more out of lessons when it is relevant to them or things they are interested in.  Keeping their brains and their bodies active seems to me like the best way to teach and learn.  This got me thinking, not necessarily of the younger students, but the students in 7th and 8th grade and certainly the high school students...why do they get passed on field trip opportunities? 

I can remember learning about pumpkins and Halloween and then going to a pumpkin patch and seeing first hand the whole growing process that went into our fun Halloween traditions.  Or learning about fishing and the spawning of salmon and then going to a fish hatchery and seeing all the live fish swimming up the ladders to get home and spawn.  Or reading a novel and then going to see a play after to get a different perspective on the same piece of literature.  All of these things contributed to my learning of all subjects in a fun and engaging way, then one day it all stopped.

So, my question is why do we stop going on field trips? Is it an issue of money, or do we think that field trips are only beneficial to the younger students? If we are thinking the latter, why?