Just start...

Since creating my first blog post several weeks ago, I've been reflecting on how to use Robin Sharma's message to just start in my classroom. Recently I've been contemplating whether or not to dump a traditional whole-class novel study in my English class and explore 'Book Clubs' as an alternative. I've done enough research to start, but we all know that experience is the best educator so jumping in seemed like the next logical step. The book club concept seems like an incredibly uncomfortable risk when we are bound by the time constraints of a semester and we grimace at the potential lack of control this process proposes.

I am blessed with a group of open-minded students who have joined me on a renewed teaching journey this year... I've scrapped all my old materials and changed up my teaching style dramatically with this class to allow room for greater risk-taking (and the results have been inspiring). The risks relate to the types of assignments given, the amount of choice and freedom I give and how they can meet the expectations in the classroom. It's a messy venture at times, though the results are promising.

The biggest change I've made ties to my students perceptions of themselves - many of them entered my classroom with self-deprecating thoughts and beliefs, especially about their academic abilities. We know that these thoughts prevent students from seeing success and thereby experiencing their own brilliance. So I've made it my mission to use literature and writing to help them make this discovery, open their mindset and realize their potential.

I have seen every single one of my students shine in some way or another this term - reluctant readers have found books to love, anxious nerves have been overcome to complete oral presentations, shy thinkers have openly shared their beliefs during class and struggling writers have found their voice through greater organization and development. 

Our curiosities about tragedy.

Because of these successes, we are entering the realm of book clubs. Our focus is 'tragic love' and as such we've chosen four high interest texts to examine this concept, including a graphic, plain-text novelization of 'Romeo and Juliet', which many of my students thought they'd never attempt. There's that self-defeat again - their misconceptions have led them to believe Shakespeare is not for them even though we know that Shakespeare wrote for the masses.

We started the unit by examining two key inquiry questions - What is love? (cue Haddaway)and What is tragedy? I'm inspired by the variety of beliefs and experiences that these students were able to share on these topics. Love and tragedy seem to be so central to teen experience (and really, aren't they central to experience regardless of age?) so naturally, my students expressed even more curiosities. So what do we do when we are curious? We ask more questions... and that's exactly what my students did.

Part of our focus for the unit will explore how literature allows us to come to terms with our own reality. We'll check to see how tragic love has evolved over time and determine whether or not there are universal truths that literature can reveal to us. We'll revisit the questions we have about love and tragedy to see if character experience can give us new insight into our own beliefs. All of this in theory of course, because we have only just begun and part of my fear is that some may get lost amidst the breadth of independence and focus this journey requires from them...

Our curiosities about love... hmmm... interesting...

At any rate - we have started - and I am nervous and excited and very uncomfortable. Will my students be able to maintain focus? Will they carry on academic discourse or get lost in distraction? Will they hold themselves accountable to ensure they're contributing to their novel study groups? Will this whole thing end in a gigantic mess full of tears, stress and a burned out teacher feeling like this was the worst idea EVER? 

I'm hopeful that all will end well - and at the very least, no matter how messy it gets - I know that the greatest risk is to not take any risks at all. Regardless of the outcome, this feels like a risk worth taking.