Clay Burell’s challenged me (or tagged me, or whatever) to engage a meme that he’s passing along. I might. I’m bad about memes. I don’t mean to be. (And I am thinking about a good passion quilt image and will post one. Eventually. Thanks to all who tagged me.) But I did want to encourage you to read his post. Mostly because of this idea about teaching Lolita:
I think I can say they all love it. I also think I can say they can handle it – and if they can’t, they should learn to, now more than ever.
As a high school language arts teacher, I encouraged my students to pick many of their own books in consultation with me and other trusted adults. I would encourage you to do the same. But that’s another post.
But when you do decide to read a book together, I’d ask that you never insult the intelligence of your students, emotionally or intellectually, by hiding the world from them through picking “safe” books. Safe choices are pretty much always about you (or your administrator, or your school board) and not about your students. They live in the worlds being represented in literature. Many educators live in these worlds, too. Let’s not pretend otherwise. Instead, let’s challenge students to engage ideas and concepts that are weighty, essential and enthralling.
Let’s ask them to dream and to dare and to risk by talking about difficult ideas in safe places. Let’s ask them not to agree with the stance of a particular author or book or teacher or administrator or board policy, but instead to struggle through finding their own way. With help, of course.
Most good teaching is all about finding balance. Safe and scary. Old and new. Today and tomorrow. Child and adult. Easy and hard. Choice and “have to.” Too often in schools, we lean way hard on one side of the teeter totter and completely avoid the other side.
What fun is that? And what good is it for anyone?
