tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post320165163573405056..comments2023-10-31T10:26:34.348-06:00Comments on Evolving English Teacher: Dear Authors: I Won't Buy Your Books If...Glenda Funkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07020745976555044975noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-2783986512683073582013-01-07T08:40:15.740-07:002013-01-07T08:40:15.740-07:00I wish we had not been given so many choices when ...I wish we had not been given so many choices when I was in high school. That's why I advocate for both choice and assigned texts. <br />I read the NBC post several times before writing my response and even lost one version into cyberspace. I wish your "I had amazing teachers, particularly in language arts," POV were a bit more privileged in the NBC post. I also think younger teachers aren't nearly as road-weary as those like me who are still in the profession after so many years. <br />I do appreciate your clarification and very kind words. Thank you. Glenda Funkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07020745976555044975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-27586279842204178692013-01-07T08:33:38.127-07:002013-01-07T08:33:38.127-07:00Mike,
I think folks have the right to respond to b...Mike,<br />I think folks have the right to respond to blogs pretty much as they choose, so my blog isn't a response to those who commented on the NBC. <br />I think cause/effect reasoning is pretty complicated, and rarely is there only one cause. <br />So thank you, for you comment and concern. Glenda Funkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07020745976555044975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-43796985436969580292013-01-07T07:54:35.540-07:002013-01-07T07:54:35.540-07:00I responded at the Nerdy blog, but thought I shoul...I responded at the Nerdy blog, but thought I should post here too.<br /><br />I apologize for sounding like I was blaming my teachers--that was not my intent at all... It makes me sad I gave that impression, because I feel the opposite way.<br /><br />It was MY failing, cheating by watching the movie, which was why I apologized to my teachers. I had amazing teachers, particularly in the language arts.<br /><br />But I wasn't given the choice you mention; I wish I had been. <br /><br />Given the challenges teachers face today, with pressure from administration, on curriculum, from parents, all while expected to work for meager pay and investing your own time and money without much appreciation if any... You're my heroes.<br /><br />Again, my apologies.YA Sleuthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12371132883359264412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-86206238292226499362013-01-06T20:21:54.581-07:002013-01-06T20:21:54.581-07:00Glenda,
Thanks for your post and thank you for yo...Glenda,<br /><br />Thanks for your post and thank you for your work in the classroom to promote literacy and a love of reading. I am sorry if some of the comments in the NBC post may have come across as blaming teachers and the educational system. I know I can't speak for all reluctant readers, but my personal experience was rooted in my difficulty reading and a stereotypical jock laziness. <br />In fact, teachers pulled me from the ledge of my unwillingness-to-read abyss and,through their patience and persistence,taught me to appreciate ALL literature. <br />Of course, I didn't like it all at the time and some of it I still dislike today. But adult me and writer me are forever grateful they introduced it to me and did not give up.<br /><br />I hope you continue to do your good works in the classroom without feeling like a "relic of a bygone era". Keep building the "bridges" you mention no matter the curriculum or external forces, because without people building a bridge for me thirty years ago, my life would not be nearly as fulfilling. Mike Hayshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06485884518411706201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-29194713231861240722013-01-06T20:06:28.427-07:002013-01-06T20:06:28.427-07:00Seems so, Kathy. Thank you for reading and respond...Seems so, Kathy. Thank you for reading and responding. Glenda Funkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07020745976555044975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-37685930641243391752013-01-06T19:38:58.494-07:002013-01-06T19:38:58.494-07:00Matt,
Thank you for this thoughtful, honest respo...Matt, <br />Thank you for this thoughtful, honest response. You remain one of my favorite people, and even since your days in my class, I've continued to work on the ways I teach both fiction and nonfiction to reach more students. Glenda Funkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07020745976555044975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-17045569675760542122013-01-06T19:35:45.494-07:002013-01-06T19:35:45.494-07:00Glenda --
I said my piece, plus a little, over on...Glenda --<br /><br />I said my piece, plus a little, over on Nerdy Book Club. Onward.<br /><br />GaryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-11682004542111599692013-01-06T19:30:12.127-07:002013-01-06T19:30:12.127-07:00I came from a family that embraced intellectual st...I came from a family that embraced intellectual stimulation more than most in my schools and community. Video games were non-existent in my house, Saturday visits to the library were my favorite time of each week, and watching documentaries with my dad was what I called a great time. Since early elementary school, I secretly loved being the geek of castles, anglophilia, and biographies. <br /><br />Never did I quite take to reading fiction. I remember being in the fourth grade, and my school's librarian physically picking me up (or trying...I was a hefty young duffer) and moving me to the fiction half of the library when I asked for additions to the biography section as I'd already read all that my school had. In high school, I found an intrigue in the writings of William Shakespeare...and I have you to thank for that introduction as I first read 'Romeo and Juliet' in your freshman English class. <br /><br />As I finished high school and college, I had encountered a great deal of fiction. I'll be honest: I didn't care for a lot of it. But it was through Flannery O'Connor, Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Mary Shelley, and many others that I learned to exercise my mind and appreciate the various elements that form the multiple facets of our eclectic society. But, an interesting thing, the more I hated a piece of fiction, the more I couldn't wait to have a few minutes to read a history book. <br /><br />All these years down the road, I haven't changed much...I still hardly read fiction. But those experiences shaped me socially, immersed me in cultural literacy, and reinforced my love of reading. I wouldn't trade any of those experiences. And now, when a particular mood hits, I always delight in 'Hamlet' or 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' <br /><br />If it wasn't for my freshman English teacher's hard work and dedication in opening a door that I was determined to keep closed (fiction), I would have missed out on so much that has enriched my life. Matthew Ploosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15310027974512497631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5489583182385276767.post-56133378510532980922013-01-06T18:33:21.722-07:002013-01-06T18:33:21.722-07:00Good post! It seems that we (teachers) are gettin...Good post! It seems that we (teachers) are getting blamed for anything and everything.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05894900067167309692noreply@blogger.com