What are students learning?
18/09/08 08:31 Filed in: Equip
Kim, whose 51 English 10 students come from 12
countries, reflects on her introductory unit and what
students are learning.
The high school chemistry/geometry teacher from Sri Lanka lights up. She sees me as I walk into the teachers’ workroom in my sari and says, “You look just like a real teacher in my country should!” Then she readjusts a few folds I haven’t done quite right. (I’m wearing a sari in recognition of Rabindranath Tagore, the first Indian Nobel Prize winner, whose short story we’re discussing today in English 10.)
In the introductory unit, I try to cover some literature from every country represented in the class. Finding out which countries this includes can be a challenge. Many students claim 2 countries, and a couple claim 3—like 1 girl whose mother is Japanese, whose father is Colombian, but who is a US citizen because she was born in the US. Every year I research new writers—this year from Ghana, Peru, and Indonesia.
Preparing for my introductory unit takes a lot of work. But it’s worth it. Why? Because students learn that English class is about more than identifying adjective phrases and getting red pen all over their essays. Students learn that because people are made in the image of God, all people are creative, communicative truth seekers. They realize that this is something to celebrate.
And they write reflections that show they’re getting it!
The high school chemistry/geometry teacher from Sri Lanka lights up. She sees me as I walk into the teachers’ workroom in my sari and says, “You look just like a real teacher in my country should!” Then she readjusts a few folds I haven’t done quite right. (I’m wearing a sari in recognition of Rabindranath Tagore, the first Indian Nobel Prize winner, whose short story we’re discussing today in English 10.)
In the introductory unit, I try to cover some literature from every country represented in the class. Finding out which countries this includes can be a challenge. Many students claim 2 countries, and a couple claim 3—like 1 girl whose mother is Japanese, whose father is Colombian, but who is a US citizen because she was born in the US. Every year I research new writers—this year from Ghana, Peru, and Indonesia.
Preparing for my introductory unit takes a lot of work. But it’s worth it. Why? Because students learn that English class is about more than identifying adjective phrases and getting red pen all over their essays. Students learn that because people are made in the image of God, all people are creative, communicative truth seekers. They realize that this is something to celebrate.
And they write reflections that show they’re getting it!
- “I learned from Solzhenitsyn that ‘One word of truth outweighs the world.’ I took this as no matter how hard humans try to suppress truth, truth will always prevail. God made us in truth and made us truth seekers.”
- “Through learning world literature, we can see the world and God’s creation with new eyes and become more open and understanding of the people around us, letting us become better communicators for Christ.”