Appleman Chapter 7

"We may claim to scorn theory, but the moment we begin teaching, we enact our understanding - our theories - of what language and communication are all about and what kinds of reading, writing, and talking deserve student effort. Theory is there, although it may be either explicit or submerged, sensible or chaotic." This quote by Bruce Pirie on page 117 is precisely how I would describe my personal feelings on literary theory in the classroom. Whether or not you, as a teacher, are even aware of what you are doing, you are using some sort of literary theory when you teach. If this is truly the case, as I think it is, then the author's idea about letting the students "see behind the curtain" should be embraced and applied in our secondary English classrooms. Students who engage with literature texts at any level are going to be, either consciously or not, using literary theory when they try to determine a text's meaning. Why should we keep them uninformed like we're hiding some amazing secret? By letting them know what theories are out there, and how to apply those theories to every piece of literature that they read, we will create better informed and better prepared learners. The extended vignette about Martha's teaching career in this chapter demonstrates how a teacher grows throughout their career just like the students do. Just like we've been learning in all of our ED classes here at Western, the ones that push for progressive education at least, we must consider ourselves "more experienced learners" rather than simply "the ones with all the knowledge." It is interesting to see how Martha grew in her own learning with the help of her students, even as she was helping the students to grow in theirs. I, of course, never even considered this idea during my secondary education. I was too worried about regurgitating the information that they had thrown at me on the weekly quiz. It is interesting for me to see this teacher student relationship from the other side of the looking glass (as Appleman likes to describe it), and consider how I can better approach my own teaching strategies in order to more effectively impact my students. I was never really aware of my personal teaching "goals" until very recently. I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher and affect young minds, but I suppose I never really considered exactly why?... The quote I want to share from the end of the chapter, on page 136, I think best describes why teacher insight, as a more experienced learner, and the application of literary theory, by both students and teachers, are important tools in any secondary English classroom: "By introducing her students to several literary theories and approaches to literary interpretation, she encourages them to think about multiple meanings for the varied literary texts they read together. This multiplicity leads Martha and her students to unpredictable possibilities and challenges in their study of literature. The excitement is evident in the enthusiastic and wide-ranging nature of the classroom talk. Martha's classroom is filled with the energy that comes only when students genuinely invest in their own learning." Isn't that what every teacher should strive for in their classroom?... Unpredictable possibilities and challenges that are discovered when students genuinely invest in their own learning.