Since entering the classroom as a teacher of English language arts 14 years ago, I have learned a great deal about exploring language and literature with adolescents, and my beliefs and approach to curriculum and teaching have evolved considerably. I began my career, as many teachers do, believing that a fairly traditional approach to teaching a very traditional canon-based literature curriculum was the best thing I could do to prepare my college-bound students for what lay ahead. I still believe that the literary canon has merit and should be at the center of the high school English curriculum, but I have come to believe that middle and high school students should also have significant opportunities to explore the ever-growing body of young adult literature. In my dual roles as an English education professor and a public middle school language arts staff developer in the heart of New York City, I have had the opportunity to learn a great deal from pre-service and in-service teachers about teaching and learning with urban adolescents.
Teaching Young Adult Literature Increases Student Engagement
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When I started teaching, my school had no curriculum for me. I was completely on my own! Now , that freedom sounds like heaven.
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This product is not yet available. We are currently accepting preorders for this forthcoming title. Thanks to the success of franchises such as The Hunger Games and Twilight, young adult literature has reached a new level of prominence and popularity. The essays in this volume suggest ways high school and college instructors can incorporate YA texts into courses in literature, education, library science, and general education. The first group of essays explores key issues in YA literature, situates works in cultural contexts, and addresses questions of text selection and censorship. The second section discusses a range of genres within YA literature, including both realistic and speculative fiction as well as verse narratives, comics, and film. The final section offers ideas for assignments, including interdisciplinary and digital projects, in a variety of courses. Margaret Noodin, Donna L. It works well not only as a teaching guide but also as a book about the field and its broader pedagogical and cultural dimensions.
Key Message: Research shows that when students are given the chance to read books that respect the questions, challenges, and emotions of childhood and adolescence, they read with greater interest and investment Buehler, ; Mueller, Without librarians, the burden for reading advisory and material selection falls to classroom teachers, who often lack the training needed to perform these tasks. As an organization, NCTE compels teachers at all stages of their careers to invest in books for young people—as readers of those books and as advocates for their worth in the classroom. Preservice teachers should cultivate book knowledge throughout various methods courses and across their entire teacher preparation program, regardless of state certification requirements. At the same time, they should build knowledge of resources—including review journals, websites and blogs, social media discussions, book awards, and author appearances at local libraries and bookstores—that can provide them with information about quality new books and their potential for classroom use and reading advisory. Teachers who are engaged readers do a better job of engaging students as readers.