While
reading chapter 6 in Beer’s textbook, I was reminded of a research paper I had
written in my college writing course. The paper focused on using young adult
literature in the classroom as a tool to help students explore the world and their
selves. Through writing this paper, I found that young adult novels mirror the
lives of the young adult reader. Lesense also touched on the “mirroring”
quality of literature. To preface, I realize literature’s main purpose in the
classroom is to increase the learner’s reading ability. However, as seen
through my own and Lesense’s findings, literature can function as more than a
tool for reading comprehension. Young adult literature has the ability to allow
students to explore themselves and the world around them. Literature should be
a tool that serves more than one purpose in the classroom.
However,
in order for students to explore their world, literature must be realistic.
This realism may entail sex, violence, and drugs. I am not sure how I would
deal with the censorship of these issues in the classroom. One possible
solution would be to send permission slips home for certain books, alerting the
parent what type of material the student will be studying. By knowing the adult
nature of the student’s reading material, the parent would also be able to
have conversation with the student about controversial topics. This would
enrich the student's education by being able to learn about topics in multiple settings.
However, it would be wrong of me to assume
that each child’s parents would have these conversations at home. Therefore, it
is important that students have an outlet to discuss edgy topics with an
adult in a safe environment. Young adult literature provides a great outlet for
students to complete that task. Also, students can explore topics they are
interested in through the life of a character. They gain experience through a
fictional character’s fault and learn about the nature of harsh topics.
Yes, a challenging topic/question, Shalya, about choosing texts that 1) meet students' interests/needs but 2) introducing/implementing them in a way that parents and students feel safe and respected. You're right that this can be a really sensitive issue for students and parents. We will talk about censorship a lot more in YA and methods for approaching it (including letters home, which is a GREAT idea, but something that should be implemented throughout the year, not only when introducing something that might upset parents). Generally, I believe if you have established a good relationship with the parents throughout the year, via email, newsletter, etc., then you can let them know that you are doing what you are in the best interests of their children, which is what parents really want to know (:
ReplyDelete