Picking Books
Throughout this inquiry, I have repeatedly returned to the question of how important the book itself is in determining a student's stance toward reading it. Are there some books that are generally more conducive to an aesthetic stance than others? Looking at the ways in which different students have responded to various texts, it has become increasingly clear to me that this is, in fact, the case. But, since "reading is a transaction, a two-way process involving a reader and a text at a particular time under particular circumstances" (Rosenblatt, 1982, p. 268), as important as the book itself is the background knowledge and personal experience that the student brings to the reading of it. Furthermore, in addition to what is being read and who is doing the reading, it is important to consider the circumstances surrounding a reading event that contribute to the construction of meaning. In my classroom, this intersection has sometimes resulted in what I would call engagement. On the last day of class, I solicited student feedback on a Teacher Report Card (below, left). The response pictured above shows a student who felt a strong connection with the specific literature she encountered in my class. Asked to name some things she enjoyed, the student wrote, "I enjoyed reading novel books because every book we read had a message and I learned a lot from them especially "Speak." Also, reading these books was different from any class I had before, we used to read only school books!" These comments suggest that the student was encountering the right books for her, at the right time in her life, and under the right circumstances (in this case, group discussions).
Teacher Report Card |
"Pick Better Books"More students, however, named book selection as an aspect of the class that should be changed. Asked what they would do differently, multiple students suggested that I "pick better books" (below), indicating that they were dissatisfied with the books we read in class and, ostensibly, unable to connect with them.
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Students Pick
Other dissatisfied students were more specific about how they would change the process of book selection in the classroom. Several students articulated a desire to be able to choose their own books (below), both because it would motivate them to do the reading and because it would allow them to read about something they were interested in. Since an aesthetic stance is personal, getting students to experience personal investment in a text is important if I am trying to prepare them to become lifelong readers. Looking ahead, this could be achieved through literature circles or mandatory pleasure reading, in which students read different books and either discuss in small groups or report back to the class. Another option, suggested by more than one student, would be to have the entire class vote on what they want to read together.