I'm an English Lit teacher with 30 years under his belt.
I've taught every grade from Kindergarten to Freshman year of college.
I'm a published author, fiction and non-fiction.
Know what?
I agree with you 110%. One-Hundred-and-TEN-PERCENT, and I don't CARE if that's a mathematical impossibility, 'cause I'm an ENGLISH MAJOR!
I loved teaching in a number of my school environments, 'cause we wer given the option of doing the translations from Shakespeare to modern-day english *just* as you've suggested.
...and I've worked under bosses who think the apex and ultimate purpose of all study of literature is the [cue evil librarian voice] ACADEMIC PAPER!
Hogwash.
Academic papers are important, yes. But not the be-all and end all.
One reason I love the school I'm at now is because I'm encouraged, praised and rewarded for taking innovative & individualized approaches to literature with my students. Best: the school down the road my kids go to is the exact same way. :)
Me? I have the kids do creative responses to their novel; painting, sculpture, skits, music, how does what YOU love illustrate themes in this book? We have mock trials between literary characters [you haven't lived 'til you've seen American teenagers acting out Lady Macbeth and Macbeth in divorce court....], and a host of other ways that boys and girls can BOTH learn to love literature.
My job is NOT to turn great lit into a procrustean bed and shove it down their throats as a form of punishment. My job is to teach them a) to love lit b) to learn the higher lessons good lit can teach us, if we read and listen.
There, now my rant's off, too. I've been looking for many years for the teacher who inspired me as a goofy, skinny kid in the mid 80s to rethink what lit was and how to approach it. I'm nowhere near as good as Mrs. Tearne was to me at St Robert's in '86, but I'm trying....
Thank you for this post. I'll be using Ackerman's letter at the beginning of every school year from now on! :D
.....ok, are YOU ready for this?
I'm an English Lit teacher with 30 years under his belt.
I've taught every grade from Kindergarten to Freshman year of college.
I'm a published author, fiction and non-fiction.
Know what?
I agree with you 110%. One-Hundred-and-TEN-PERCENT, and I don't CARE if that's a mathematical impossibility, 'cause I'm an ENGLISH MAJOR!
I loved teaching in a number of my school environments, 'cause we wer given the option of doing the translations from Shakespeare to modern-day english *just* as you've suggested.
...and I've worked under bosses who think the apex and ultimate purpose of all study of literature is the [cue evil librarian voice] ACADEMIC PAPER!
Hogwash.
Academic papers are important, yes. But not the be-all and end all.
One reason I love the school I'm at now is because I'm encouraged, praised and rewarded for taking innovative & individualized approaches to literature with my students. Best: the school down the road my kids go to is the exact same way. :)
Me? I have the kids do creative responses to their novel; painting, sculpture, skits, music, how does what YOU love illustrate themes in this book? We have mock trials between literary characters [you haven't lived 'til you've seen American teenagers acting out Lady Macbeth and Macbeth in divorce court....], and a host of other ways that boys and girls can BOTH learn to love literature.
My job is NOT to turn great lit into a procrustean bed and shove it down their throats as a form of punishment. My job is to teach them a) to love lit b) to learn the higher lessons good lit can teach us, if we read and listen.
There, now my rant's off, too. I've been looking for many years for the teacher who inspired me as a goofy, skinny kid in the mid 80s to rethink what lit was and how to approach it. I'm nowhere near as good as Mrs. Tearne was to me at St Robert's in '86, but I'm trying....
Thank you for this post. I'll be using Ackerman's letter at the beginning of every school year from now on! :D
I’m glad to hear it. You’re one of the few that gets it. If you wouldn’t mind sharing the post, I’d appreciate it. Let’s get the word out.
Absolutely! Will do. :)