"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my whole life!"

The title of this blog entry is a quote delivered by one of my students today when asked to create AP style multiple-choice questions for a text. It was music to my ears because I knew both how seriously she was taking the assignment and how much she understood her goal. It IS one of the most difficult activities they complete, but it provides insight into the test creation process and teaches them how to anticipate what questions may be asked as they read texts.

With the AP test right around the corner, I know how lucky I am to have kids who take their academic success seriously. And whether their motivation to learn critical reading is an A in the class or a 5 on the AP exam is not as important to me than the fact that they ARE learning to read critically. Days like today make me LOVE my job!

Only the Starting Point

Yesterday I received the following email from one of my students:

Just wanted to let you know I finished And Then There Were None, and it was probably one of my favorite books ever! For two nights in a row I was up until 1:30 a.m. pushing myself to read until at least the next murder because I was so curious. I just couldn't put the book down. I'm so glad you offered us to read that book and it was optional. I love the class!

Well, needless to say, that student COMPLETELY made my day! I have always had some reservation about offering an easy read such as And Then, but I keep coming back to the issue of engagement and motivation to read. Now what that student must do is analyze the book, which provides the depth in thought that simply discerning vocabulary in more difficult reads requires. He will have to select an analytical angle, a lens from which to view the writing, the writer, the themes, the topics--the possibilities are endless. In my mind, the text is only the starting point; where the student goes from there is where my interests lie.

Student Choice of Format: Preparing Them for the College Experience

Recently I read some research that described an issue that college writing teachers have been dealing with in teaching first-year students how to write, and it has made me more cognizant of how much I instruct the students versus how much I let them learn. In an effort to prepare them for what they will likely experience in mere months, I have been trying to provide general direction and letting them decide specifics for themselves. The latest project, a banned book project, was left wide open for students to write in any format they chose, and I fear the students were somewhat confused by the lack of direction. My goal is to get them to the point that they can find their own ways without much direction. My fear is that when they encounter college professors from several different courses, disciplines, ages, schools of thought, they will be unprepared to think for themselves. This is my goal--to teach them where to go to find what they need and feel confident in their decisions. We'll see how it goes!!!

General Consensus Among the Students: We Should Ban Banning Books

Today I learned how articulate my students can be. Their Banned Book Projects were due today and they presented a brief synopsis to the class. I was SO PROUD of how they expressed their thoughts, how much research they did in regard to the topic, and the overall interest they demonstrated with their individual books and the process of banning in general.

Their maturity was evident, and because of students like these, such classics as were present on the list certainly are of merit and should not be banned. The students agreed that most of the listed books should be presented as choices and only to upper classmen who are capable of understanding the contexts that surround them.