I am a nerd - an English nerd. Language and themes and plot lines excite me! I love to see what choices writers are making and try to make guesses as to why they made those decisions. I'm a nerd. 'Nuff said.
My students? Less nerdy. Way less nerdy. And that's okay.
However, sometimes the little English nerd inside of me just wants to crawl up out of my stomach, do a back flip out of my mouth and end in a gaspingly suspenseful split on the floor. Long story short, I'm having a hard time suppressing the little guy.
We've been reading Langston Hughes' Thank You, M'am to investigate plot line and writer's craft. The idea that writers are making choices to create specific effects or establish certain ideas is still a little abstract for these students. But I see it! I see how Hughes uses a completely unconventional plot line (starting with the climax) to create a foundation for his ideas - the plot structure itself is literally creating a theme for him: "Sometimes people can surprise you," or "Don't judge a book by its cover." His story structure is doing something unexpected, just like the Mrs. Jones character.
When I came to that discovery, my little nerd did a happy dance. I shared it with my 3rd period and what happened? They stared at me. Like I was speaking a different language. Which I was.
So, 4th period, I made some adjustments. I let the students make the discoveries. I asked questions - very guided questions, I suppose - that drew their attention to their understanding of plot and compared it with what they were reading.
Did they get to the same conclusion? No.
But they got somewhere cool. Somewhere they hadn't been before.
My discoveries mean little to them. Their discoveries could mean the world.
My job is not to show off how my brain works, but to help their brains continue to develop in new and exciting ways. Not surprisingly, this takes more time; however, it means more in the end. It's a trade off I'm willing to make.
So, little English nerd, I'll let you out every now and then, but you're going to need to take a back seat to all of the potential inner nerds in my class. They may never grow up to be like you, but there are some special discoveries for them to make this year.
Yup. Giving up the reins. A whole new adventure.
Great insight! I might be on my own tangent, but this is right in line with this teaching/learning thing. You can tell them, but when they do the work, they make the discoveries, and they have the lightbulb moments, those things stick. You should celebrate your own discoveries in the text, but helping these seemingly slumbering future English majors realize these moments--guiding them to them unaware, if you will--can make all the difference to them. You never know who will show up in your office years from now, proudly declaring their change of major.
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