I left high school with no real memory of why I was there, as in “what was the purpose?”. I never hated it but at the same time it didn't affect me in the way I think it should have. I would have liked more guidance, more hands on material, and things that would pertain to the real world. With those thoughts in mind, my intentions in teaching are not to re-write the book, but to expand on subjects, which in this case is English. Instead of just reading a book because it is in the curriculum, I want to be able to tie things to what a student will encounter outside the school walls. I also would like to take larger ideas like survival, sustainability, equality, the economy (to name a few), and be able to go more in depth with them. I just feel that the more one can see they way things connect to their own life, the more interest and engagement they have with the subject. This can be especially difficult in English as students will ask "what does reading this have to do with anything?". That is where I hope to change traditional ways of thinking and be able to give students the "Why" they are reading and help them understand the importance of literacy, reading, writing, and how it will help them to become excellent in these proficiencies, as well as the skills they can gain to take with them after high school. English doesn't have to be boring or irrelevant if you can make the connections!
"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand." - Unknown Chinese Proverb
"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand." - Unknown Chinese Proverb