Hello, all. Let's keep talking about YA! What books are you reading that represent "world events" or societal concerns/fears for teens? Here are some questions to consider, prompted by the articles in the packet:
1. Do literacy/literature teachers have a responsibility for "suicide prevention"? (Fisher, 361). When, if ever, does the line blur between teacher and psychologist/counselor?
2. Respond to the following statement, from the Hauschildt article: "By giving young adult readers the classroom permission to read about, vicariously experience, discuss, investigate, and then analyze terrorism as a topic, they can utilize that knowledge to rethink all of its ramifications, from acts of teasing and bullying to national and international realms of terrorism as the warfare of the twenty-first century." (24, packet 369).
3. If you were a teacher during 9-11 or the Columbine school shooting, did you address them in class at all? Why or why not? If you did, how did you handle these events?
4. Do you believe English/literacy teachers can "change the world" in the ways that Richard Miller suggests in the chapter from his book, _Writing At the End of the World_? Can reading and writing encourage teen optimism, hope, and empathy in an increasingly violent and cynical world? Thoughts? Ideas?
Janet
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3 comments:
1. I think we have a responsibility (as all teachers do) to be sensitive to any potential signs of imminent suicide among our students. Since teachers are considered in loco parentis, we have a duty to keep ourselves aware of anything or anyone who might harm our students (even if that anyone is our students themselves). I would not feel prepared to deal with or assist a student who’s exhibiting warning signs of suicide, but I would feel obligated to intervene in some way, whether by talking to the student, suggesting he/she meet with a counselor, or consulting an administrator for guidance.
2. Discussing terrorism in the classroom is an effective way to de-mystify it. If we avoid acknowledging terrorism and fear—which saturate media coverage these days—we’re exacerbating the terror by implying that’s it’s too frightening to even discuss terrorism. We can at least help students understand that terrorism (whether global or local) is a common fear and provide a forum for them to talk to each other about how it affects their lives.
4. I sure hope English/literacy teachers can "change the world" in the ways that Richard Miller suggests. If we can’t, I think I might have wasted the past 20 years of my life. I refuse to imagine a life without literature, a life without literacy, a life without art. My near-missionary zeal to share the enjoyment I get from literature is the foundation of my career choice, and I would have grave doubts about any literacy educator who does not believe that we can change the world.
Sorry it has taken me so long to post again, but I just have a couple things to add...
1. It's hard to say that we're "responsible" for suicide prevention when it kind of comes with the profession. I like how Jim stated that we need to be sensitive to and aware of signs of suicidal thoughts among our students. I don't have a solid answer to the bluring of the teacher/counselor line, but I think it depends on individual circumstances. At my school, we are encouraged to pass along info that could be endangering a student to the counselor or resource officer.
2. I think it is important that we not avoid these issues. Students need to see how some people are enabled by others' actions. Just this week, our class talked about school violence in relation to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry . It started with the Logan children's motive for rigging the bus accident, and we connected the motives to the same motives that sometimes make school shootings happen. This then led to students sharing their beliefs on how to prevent student violence. It was very fulfilling for everyone. Looking at the issue on a smaller scale helped students to see how things can escalate.
3. I was working at Jeff High School with ISTEP Remediation during 9/11, and we had a sort of open forum approach. Students could ask questions or just voice their opinion. I believe we also had a student version of TIME that had helpful incites into the tragedy. Students responded well to both, and they seemed more aware of how fast life can change so dramatically in a day.
4. I believe we can have a profound impact on our students through reading and writing. Good teachers will sometimes not see these changes until later on, but I believe everything we do, what we say, how we act, touches each student in various ways. I like to start off each day with stuff that's not directly related to what we're studying. For instance, I have a "Fact or Crap" calendar that has daily trivia. We do this EVERYDAY, regardless; and the students tell me they love it. I also have them journal on a regular basis about topics relevant to them (Spring Break, family, what ifs, freewriting, favorites, etc.). I feel that this helps students to open up and tell their stories, the result being that I accept each of them enthusiastically.
1. I am not sure how I feel about teachers being responsible for “suicide prevention” per say, but I do think teachers should be exposed through their teacher educational programs to the possibility that they will have to take on the role of “psychologist/counselor.” For example, today I had three students break down in tears while giving their “Person I Admire Most” speech. All three spoke about people who were very close to them and have passed on. The three students were able to pull it together and deliver powerful and sincere speeches, and were relaxed and calm after they had finished, but as a teacher I’m not sure what my role is in a situation like this or if I have a role at all. I’m still trying to figure out to handle these situations. I’m not a counselor and at times like these I feel helpless—not knowing what the next step is or if there is a step to take at all.
This is a small example of what students think about, cry about, worry about, etc. There are those larger issues to consider as well—drug addictions, abuse, neglect, suicide, etc. Some days I feel powerless because I don’t know half of what my students carry with them when they walk through my door.
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