Invitation to Reflection

UBD Reflection 1-3: Which of the following do you think is appropriate content for a high school course in English?

• language study (grammar)
• language skills
• writing
• speaking
• listening
• reading
• viewing
• print literature
• nonprint literature
• communication skills
• students' own lives
• context of students' lives
• other (explain)

Right away, when I was evaluating these topics, I identified four which are necessary to include. In order to teach students about the language, they must utilize the skills of writing, speaking, listening, and reading. These four skills align to a few categories. For example, speaking aligns to communication skills, and writing and reading align to grammar. All four of the components together make up the category of language skills. Without much examination, all of these topics are necessary components of an English course.

The next two easy content areas to address are students' own lives and the context of students' lives. Learning needs to be authentic; in order for students to build connections to the content, they need to understand the relevancy of it. If we didn't include our students in our content, who would our target audience be?

The last three are also necessary to include. Viewing nonprint and print literature helps to create well-rounded individuals. Students who are not well versed in literature are not able to have the same insights as someone who is well read. An important 21st Century skill is critical thinking. If our students do not address these different texts with their critical thinking hats, they will lack the perspective needed to objectively view material.

Currently, I am teaching an Honors Humanities class. My students are required to read a novel, The Bhagavad Gita, which addresses the Eastern philosophy of Hinduism. Almost all of them have at some point in time asked the question: Why do we have to learn about other philosophies?

Here's the part where I begin the explanation of our globalizing nation and the importance of broadening our perspectives. It's usually met with some unblinking stares, and now and again, an eye roll.

Except for today..

Today, one of my students said, "I really don't care about what pathway he chooses. It isn't helping me learn to understand this book. Either way he's going to die in be reincarnated."

I paused for a second, and responded, "Now, what type of philosophical view is that?"

She answered, "Well, it's Eastern."

To which I said, "So, what have you learned?"

This is when I saw it click. She understood a difference between Eastern and Western philosophy. This student is really struggling with the content of this book, but in reality, she is learning information about the different philosophies, maybe just not as consciously as she would like.

My point is that all of these aspects are important to incorporate into an English course. It is our job to cover different material by viewing nonprint and print literature. It is our job to make sure our students are writing, reading, speaking, and listening. Most importantly, though, it is our job to make sure that our students are learning about their own lives, so they can have a better self-understanding. It allows them to self-reflect, to empathize, and to broaden their perspectives.