Blog #7

There were definitely some interesting points in the article dealing with censorship and silencing the classroom. At first I was unsure of what censorship really was, but after reading this article I now understand it better. The quote “the teachers discussed a recent censorship incident and their subsequent hesitancy to use-or decisions not to use-certain pieces of literature for fear of negative repercussions” (Noll 59) really stood out to me. I think that this type of scenario happens often in the classrooms and I would probably react in a similar way out of fear which is not the best thing to do. I found it shocking that books were ordered to be cancelled because of offensive language and references to issues such as homosexuality. I feel that students need to be exposed to these types of controversial issues so that they can become well-rounded and understand many different perspectives of life and the world and learn that not everyone is the same, which makes the world so much more interesting and a better place. I also found it interesting when the article talked about how almost all of the teachers that were interviewed have been “questioned, challenged or censored for their use of certain literature” (Noll 60). When reading this shocking statement, I realized that this is something that I really need to be aware of when teaching. If I faced this situation however, I’m not sure that I would know how to respond/react to it.

A few other issues really jumped out to me from this article. The first one was when it talked about how “some teachers avoid challenges by simply offering their students alternative reading choices. Others however, feel compelled to limit…options” (Noll 60). This is a very big issue because challenge is needed in the classroom to help build critical thinking and deeper thinking. By avoiding these challenges, are we really helping our students to become the best learners they can be? The quote “newly hired teachers were instructed…against using certain literature in their classrooms” (Noll 60) also strongly stood out to me. I can really relate to this point because I feel like this will be the type of situation I will be facing when I enter the schools as a new teacher. I will want to be known as the “good” teacher who doesn’t question anything and goes along with everyone else, as Noll also quotes later in the article, but am I really doing my best if I don’t speak up and question the “everyday” material used. I need to learn to speak up and use my voice in this profession, so that I make sure that my students benefit and get the best education they possibly can.

I was shocked by how much I did not know about the issues raised with the novel Huckleberry Finn and I learned a lot about the importance and sensitivity of teaching novels dealing with race. First of all, I think that it is very important that when teaching novels dealing with strong issues such as race, alternative assignments should definitely be provided for students. In regards to Huckleberry Finn specifically, I never really thought about all of these issues while reading it. Perhaps that is because I am among the white race and never really thought of it from a different perspective since the issue was not really talked about in my classes? When I read novels dealing with racial issues, they seemed to not really be pointed out. I remember reading To Kill A Mockingbird in my 9^th grade English class and many students didn’t know if they should read the racial words or not and my teacher seemed to ignore our questions and then turned the class into more reading at our seats individually. Nothing really was done to help us think critically about the many issues that arise in the text. I think that is one reason that I found this article so interesting, to hear about all the controversy.

I liked how the author talked about how the film might be more effective for students than the novel. I think a great assignment would be to compare and contrast the two and have students explain what they got out of both and which they found to be more accurate. Even comparing another text to this novel would be a great activity to use for students and help them to develop critical and deeper level thinking. I think that reading this novel and then reading another novel dealing with similar issues but from an African American perspective would be great for students as well, and would help incorporate diversity into the classroom. This might allow students to pick up on issues that they had never really thought of before or realized. Lastly, I liked how the author summed up the article saying that “rather than “covering” all the great works, “cultural literacy” entails thinking critically about a wide range of texts-both inside and outside the canon” (Webb 140). I think it is important that as a teacher a variety of texts are used and the deep context behind them is explained and taught about. I think that this may help students gain a better understanding of the text and become more interested in what they are reading about.

Shocking and wow are the first words that come to my mind after reading the NCTE “Student’s Right to Read” article. I was so surprised and taken aback by what I read. The first thing that really stood out to me was all of the controversies seen among different novels. Even though there are all of these issues and concerns raised by people, students are going to experience these issues and differences in society. I personally feel that by teaching about them it would help better prepare students for the real world and help teach them about things they really experience. It should be a good thing to read novels that “focus on the real world of young people” (NCTE 1). The more I read, the more I started to think that anything can really be criticized by someone. Because of this, I believe that you should teach what you are passionate about and think would best benefit your students. You just should be able to back yourself up and have a strong standing. By doing this, you are putting your students before your own worries and concerns.

This whole idea of censorship really twists things and ultimately makes the students suffer in the end. I liked the ideas of having a program of action in place in case an issue arises. I also found it interesting that the English departments should have their own statements of why they chose novels and written rationales, as well as a committee of teachers to help prepare and inform the community. Overall, I was just very shocked that there could be this much controversy to these issues and that this much back up was needed to support the teachers and schools in their effort to educate the students.

The novel Feed can easily be tied into the issues discussed about in these articles. I could see this novel as being very controversial among parents and those in the community because of the language used and the concepts of drinking and partying, etc. that are seen at times. As a teacher, I personally would be very hesitant towards using this novel in the classroom because of the language and some concepts. I don’t know if I would be able to create a strong enough argument as to why I chose this novel over any other novel that could be used in the classroom to parents and the community, even though I really enjoyed the book. However, I definitely would like to work on speaking up and stating reasons as to why novels such as this one can be beneficial to use in the classroom and for students.

 All of the articles from this week really opened my eyes to the many issues that may come about while teaching, and made me realize that I must always be on my toes and think of what is in my students best interest, even if that means stepping out of the “normal” boundaries!!