This is my 40th year as a high school English teacher, and I have weathered many changes, trends, and developments in eduction, technology, and society in general. I still love what do, and I am grateful to God that He continues to call me, equip me, and sustain me in this career. However, the intensity with which the challenges have escalated over the past decade has been nothing short of daunting. (And don’t get me started on the use of AI to complete assignments.)
With all that said, I am also grateful that God has been faithful to provide affirmation and encouragement when I most needed it. And listening to this podcast was one of those moments! So thank you! It’s encouraging to hear someone whom I respect and appreciate as a sister in Christ, an astute student of literature, and a master teacher affirm the value and effectiveness of close, carful reading and engagement with language.
My passion for literature is rooted in close reading and a love of language, but that seems in many places to have fallen out of favor because it requires commitment of time, attention to detail, and an appreciation for the aesthetic. None of these are easy to come by in a culture that is looking for an immediate and tangible payoff, particularly for any endeavor the requires a commitment of time and effort—effective reading demands both.
Thank you again! Your perspective and words are greatly appreciated!
I resonate with everything you say here, Pamela. On the one hand, I think about how using calculators was so controversial and yet we couldn’t live without them (and it’s true: students today can’t add or multiply on their own)! Technology isn’t bad but we make it bad by using it in unhelpful ways. We will lose so much in losing the ability to read well. Sometimes I think the Lord took me out of the classroom because I wouldn’t know what to do in the face of AI. Well, I would know, but I don’t know that the systems today would support it.
This conversation pricked at a pain I carry… that my 20 and 21 y/o sons do not read books, and that reading aloud to them fell off through their grade school years. But it also encouraged me that this is a public conversation. I keep encouraging my sons to read a good book, hoping they’ll spike an interest. My sister and I and our 19 y/o niece do a book club together. It’s been really good. I love the idea of family book clubs!
Sheila, I say this every chance I get (which probably isn’t often enough) but reading for pleasure is no greater virtue than singing for pleasure or painting of planting or crafting. Outside my academic and reading friend circles, few of my loved ones are “readers.” But I do few or none of the things they do! We all must read well to learn and be decent citizens but that doesn’t mean “readers” are better people or lead better lives. I think readers like us have a hard time understanding how people cannot read! But most people who have existed in the world have not been readers.
I didn't read much while studying for my degree. My energy levels were quite low due to my ongoing health issues. Since it took most of my available mental energy to study, I couldn't concentrate enough to read new literary works. I watched a lot of new films instead, and reread some lighter literature. Sometimes, the reason for not reading is just being inhumanly busy - I could neither work nor participate in extracurricular activities while attending university, but many students do both.
That makes sense. We are entering a whole new world where students in high school are not even being expected or asked to read a book. They are getting to college perplexed about it through no fault of their own!
This is my 40th year as a high school English teacher, and I have weathered many changes, trends, and developments in eduction, technology, and society in general. I still love what do, and I am grateful to God that He continues to call me, equip me, and sustain me in this career. However, the intensity with which the challenges have escalated over the past decade has been nothing short of daunting. (And don’t get me started on the use of AI to complete assignments.)
With all that said, I am also grateful that God has been faithful to provide affirmation and encouragement when I most needed it. And listening to this podcast was one of those moments! So thank you! It’s encouraging to hear someone whom I respect and appreciate as a sister in Christ, an astute student of literature, and a master teacher affirm the value and effectiveness of close, carful reading and engagement with language.
My passion for literature is rooted in close reading and a love of language, but that seems in many places to have fallen out of favor because it requires commitment of time, attention to detail, and an appreciation for the aesthetic. None of these are easy to come by in a culture that is looking for an immediate and tangible payoff, particularly for any endeavor the requires a commitment of time and effort—effective reading demands both.
Thank you again! Your perspective and words are greatly appreciated!
I resonate with everything you say here, Pamela. On the one hand, I think about how using calculators was so controversial and yet we couldn’t live without them (and it’s true: students today can’t add or multiply on their own)! Technology isn’t bad but we make it bad by using it in unhelpful ways. We will lose so much in losing the ability to read well. Sometimes I think the Lord took me out of the classroom because I wouldn’t know what to do in the face of AI. Well, I would know, but I don’t know that the systems today would support it.
This conversation pricked at a pain I carry… that my 20 and 21 y/o sons do not read books, and that reading aloud to them fell off through their grade school years. But it also encouraged me that this is a public conversation. I keep encouraging my sons to read a good book, hoping they’ll spike an interest. My sister and I and our 19 y/o niece do a book club together. It’s been really good. I love the idea of family book clubs!
Sheila, I say this every chance I get (which probably isn’t often enough) but reading for pleasure is no greater virtue than singing for pleasure or painting of planting or crafting. Outside my academic and reading friend circles, few of my loved ones are “readers.” But I do few or none of the things they do! We all must read well to learn and be decent citizens but that doesn’t mean “readers” are better people or lead better lives. I think readers like us have a hard time understanding how people cannot read! But most people who have existed in the world have not been readers.
But also, Sheila, thank you for your vulnerability in sharing this pain.
Thanks, Karen. Good points! Thanks so much for the encouragement.
I didn't read much while studying for my degree. My energy levels were quite low due to my ongoing health issues. Since it took most of my available mental energy to study, I couldn't concentrate enough to read new literary works. I watched a lot of new films instead, and reread some lighter literature. Sometimes, the reason for not reading is just being inhumanly busy - I could neither work nor participate in extracurricular activities while attending university, but many students do both.
That makes sense. We are entering a whole new world where students in high school are not even being expected or asked to read a book. They are getting to college perplexed about it through no fault of their own!
Marvelous! And in the interview you leave us in a state of hopefulness rather than despair, Karen. Huzzah!
I do try to be hopeful! 🤗