Wednesday, March 11, 2009
HG
The way school has taught me to read has greatly affected my reading habits at home. Learning to analyze literature made reading less enjoyable for me because sometimes I would not be able to concentrate on a book’s plot, which is usually the part I enjoy most, because I would be too busy trying to find the “deeper meaning” behind the story. Also some of the books I have read in school, especially the ones that are considered “real literature,” such as The Old Man and the Sea and The Iliad, I have really disliked. This has discouraged me from reading “real literature” at home. When I began to have English classes where I was required to read nine or ten books a year, reading sometimes felt like more of a burden than a pleasure. So, when I had free time, the last thing I’d want to do is read. It was also sometimes hard for me to enjoy a book when I was forced to read it in a certain amount of time. I think that reading should be something done at the reader’s own pace in order to make the experience enjoyable. For example, every time a new Harry Potter book came out I would read all 700 or 800 some pages in a matter of days and I would thoroughly enjoy it. On the other hand, it was a painful experience when I had to read less than 200 pages in The Red Scarf Girl in a week or even to read the final 5 pages of The Old Man and the Sea in an hour.
RP
Overall the way I read in school doesn’t affect the way I read outside of school. There is a separation in my mind between books that I read for leisure and books that I read for work. While reading a book for school I am constantly analyzing the book and focusing on the little details, especially if I know I will be tested on the reading. When reading a book outside of school, I am able to take my time and appreciate the overall story. I find it is more relaxing and beneficial to read when I know there won’t be a test. I treat the books for school, even when I enjoy them, as work. I can’t completely immerse myself in the reading because in the back of my mind I know I will either have to take a test or write an essay on what I’ve read. This type of reading encourages me to search for symbols and themes that I may have otherwise skipped over. Sometimes I am able to understand the book more by reading it more carefully, but that type of reading is never truly enjoyable to me, nor relaxing. When I get to read for leisure I can relax and focus on the overall meaning of the book and I can truly absorb myself in the book. I rarely search for themes and symbols while reading books outside of school. It becomes more of an activity instead of work. Since there is a separation for me between reading for fun and reading for leisure the reading that I have done for school hasn’t hindered nor developed my love for reading.
IL
THE GRADING SYSTEM
I already wrote about the phenomenon of losing a love for reading outside school. So now I will write about the grading system at LM, and what could be changed, and what must be changed…
LM has one of the more unique (unique is a euphemism) weighting systems for any school that I have ever encountered. LM, as many of us know, weights its quarters as 20% of the final grade, and then the midterm and final count for the remaining 20% combined. In many other schools in the area (particularly private schools), midterms and finals factor in the weight of the final grade much more. Don’t quote me on this, but at Shipley, their midterms and finals are factored into their first and second semester grades respectively, and count for 25% of that grade. 25% of an entire semester’s work. I’m not saying that LM should weight our midterms and finals in such an extreme manner, as I and many other students love that we can fail a final and it will often not affect our final grade for a class.
I bring up the disparity between LM and other schools in the area as more of a question than a proposal: should LM weight its exams more? I am truly unsure of this answer. The highly unpopular opinion is that exams should weigh more that 9% or 11% of a final grade; after all, the exam is supposed to measure “retention” of knowledge from the course throughout the year.
Then again, when after high school and college will we be tested on our retention of a year’s worth of knowledge? Very rarely. For example, once acquiring a driver’s license, you do not have to go back to the DMV and re-test when your license expires; it is an assumption that you still know enough about driving to maintain your license.
So practically, midterm and final exams are unrealistic representations of testing outside the school. They do, however, promote good studying techniques (as long as you are aiming to achieve a high grade on the test). This is where I run into my issue, or my contradiction; I do see that midterms and finals are slightly unrealistic and unnecessary, and therefore shouldn’t be weighted any more than they already are, but they do promote good study habits, and these study habits would be put into more practice with more incentive to do well on the exams.
What about quarter grades? A 91% is not the same as an 83%. To acquire a 91, you must put in much more work and effort than to acquire an 83. At LM, we call both these grades “B”s and group them in the same category. They carry the same weight. This should not be.
PROBLEMS WITH THE GRADING SYSTEM
1. 91% counts the same as 83% → unfair, should we change it?
a. Do we move to system solely based on percentage?
2. No incentive do study or do well on a final exam.
3. Discrimination in the grading system→it’s hard to propose a surefire solution when some people will be adversely affected by any solution.
a. Do we change our points system? Do we radically depart from anything any of us know as grades?
4. Pressure to achieve an A. I understand this is a societal stigma that isn’t easy to suppress, but if an A was not held at the ridiculous esteem that it is, than we as students could strive to do “well” in a class, whether that meant getting a low A or a high C. This involves pressure from college and parents and administrators and teachers and probably goes outside the realm of grading systems…
I already wrote about the phenomenon of losing a love for reading outside school. So now I will write about the grading system at LM, and what could be changed, and what must be changed…
LM has one of the more unique (unique is a euphemism) weighting systems for any school that I have ever encountered. LM, as many of us know, weights its quarters as 20% of the final grade, and then the midterm and final count for the remaining 20% combined. In many other schools in the area (particularly private schools), midterms and finals factor in the weight of the final grade much more. Don’t quote me on this, but at Shipley, their midterms and finals are factored into their first and second semester grades respectively, and count for 25% of that grade. 25% of an entire semester’s work. I’m not saying that LM should weight our midterms and finals in such an extreme manner, as I and many other students love that we can fail a final and it will often not affect our final grade for a class.
I bring up the disparity between LM and other schools in the area as more of a question than a proposal: should LM weight its exams more? I am truly unsure of this answer. The highly unpopular opinion is that exams should weigh more that 9% or 11% of a final grade; after all, the exam is supposed to measure “retention” of knowledge from the course throughout the year.
Then again, when after high school and college will we be tested on our retention of a year’s worth of knowledge? Very rarely. For example, once acquiring a driver’s license, you do not have to go back to the DMV and re-test when your license expires; it is an assumption that you still know enough about driving to maintain your license.
So practically, midterm and final exams are unrealistic representations of testing outside the school. They do, however, promote good studying techniques (as long as you are aiming to achieve a high grade on the test). This is where I run into my issue, or my contradiction; I do see that midterms and finals are slightly unrealistic and unnecessary, and therefore shouldn’t be weighted any more than they already are, but they do promote good study habits, and these study habits would be put into more practice with more incentive to do well on the exams.
What about quarter grades? A 91% is not the same as an 83%. To acquire a 91, you must put in much more work and effort than to acquire an 83. At LM, we call both these grades “B”s and group them in the same category. They carry the same weight. This should not be.
PROBLEMS WITH THE GRADING SYSTEM
1. 91% counts the same as 83% → unfair, should we change it?
a. Do we move to system solely based on percentage?
2. No incentive do study or do well on a final exam.
3. Discrimination in the grading system→it’s hard to propose a surefire solution when some people will be adversely affected by any solution.
a. Do we change our points system? Do we radically depart from anything any of us know as grades?
4. Pressure to achieve an A. I understand this is a societal stigma that isn’t easy to suppress, but if an A was not held at the ridiculous esteem that it is, than we as students could strive to do “well” in a class, whether that meant getting a low A or a high C. This involves pressure from college and parents and administrators and teachers and probably goes outside the realm of grading systems…
LK
I love to read and I have always loved to read. I learned to read at an early age and, according to my parents, I haven’t put down a book since. My insatiable appetite for literature cannot be satisfied. For me, investing myself (and my time) in a book is one of the most rewarding experiences I can have. I consider every book I read an adventure. I am able to escape reality and dive into a different world whether it be to Hogwarts or Gatsby’s East Egg or Holden Caulfield’s New York City. Not only do I find pleasure in reading but also, I am able to see the benefits I have accrued, thanks to the hundreds of books that have come my way. My vocabulary has expanded immensely as has my knowledge on a wide (and random) range of topics.
Unfortunately, I believe that the English curriculum in Lower Merion has not accomplished what it set forth to do. It kills the desire to read in many students due to inane class discussion and over analyzing “themes, symbols, and motifs.” We have learned to robotically produce a 5-paragraph essay with a 3-part thesis. Books read in school become dull and unexciting, thus we lose the message the author intended. Despite all of this, I still love to read. I consider myself extremely lucky that my love for reading has not been destroyed.
Unfortunately, I believe that the English curriculum in Lower Merion has not accomplished what it set forth to do. It kills the desire to read in many students due to inane class discussion and over analyzing “themes, symbols, and motifs.” We have learned to robotically produce a 5-paragraph essay with a 3-part thesis. Books read in school become dull and unexciting, thus we lose the message the author intended. Despite all of this, I still love to read. I consider myself extremely lucky that my love for reading has not been destroyed.
EG
Reading for Class vs. Pleasure
Reading for class and for pleasure have entirely different impact on
the reader, and each has its own advantages.
Advantages of reading for a class:
Assigned reading encourages to explore an area outside of his favorite
genre. This gives him a broader and more meaningful perspective on
life. He may even discover a new hobby or a style of writing that he
would normally not stumble upon when choosing a book.
Class discussions are often part of the assignment. Verbal exchanges
help to develop students' abilities to accurately transform specific
thoughts/feelings into words. During these exchanges, students also
share their unique experiences and how they affects their
perspectives. By considering these perspectives, students obtain an
unbiased view on a subject. This skill helps students to analyze a
situation more deeply and multilaterally.
A teacher helps to guide the students by teaching them how the words
form accurate expressions to convey certain thoughts. Instead of
merely reading just to get a feel for the book, students will learn
(from the teacher) how and why they feel a certain way. This focuses
on the students' writing skills.
Advantages of reading for pleasure:
The reader can choose a book of his favorite genre, therefore
developing further/advanced skills in that hobby or possible career
(for me, chess). Through reading for pleasure, one may even develop a
love of reading in general. During these sessions, his
intellectual/analytical half of the brain is turned off, and the
reader is fully immersed into the words on the page, using all five
senses to explore. This is an alternative from the typical learning
in the classroom from the blackboard, and gives a chance for students
to apply the knowledge they have gained from the blackboard to real
life. Analogy: an APES field trip to a park to witness the reality of
what we're learning.
Reading for class and for pleasure have entirely different impact on
the reader, and each has its own advantages.
Advantages of reading for a class:
Assigned reading encourages to explore an area outside of his favorite
genre. This gives him a broader and more meaningful perspective on
life. He may even discover a new hobby or a style of writing that he
would normally not stumble upon when choosing a book.
Class discussions are often part of the assignment. Verbal exchanges
help to develop students' abilities to accurately transform specific
thoughts/feelings into words. During these exchanges, students also
share their unique experiences and how they affects their
perspectives. By considering these perspectives, students obtain an
unbiased view on a subject. This skill helps students to analyze a
situation more deeply and multilaterally.
A teacher helps to guide the students by teaching them how the words
form accurate expressions to convey certain thoughts. Instead of
merely reading just to get a feel for the book, students will learn
(from the teacher) how and why they feel a certain way. This focuses
on the students' writing skills.
Advantages of reading for pleasure:
The reader can choose a book of his favorite genre, therefore
developing further/advanced skills in that hobby or possible career
(for me, chess). Through reading for pleasure, one may even develop a
love of reading in general. During these sessions, his
intellectual/analytical half of the brain is turned off, and the
reader is fully immersed into the words on the page, using all five
senses to explore. This is an alternative from the typical learning
in the classroom from the blackboard, and gives a chance for students
to apply the knowledge they have gained from the blackboard to real
life. Analogy: an APES field trip to a park to witness the reality of
what we're learning.
RM
The effect of high school English courses on how I read literature:
- The manner in which I have been taught to read literature in school has served to ruin many books for me.
- Over analyzing characters and their motives, plots, themes, and an author’s intentions detracts from the joy inherent in reading a good book
- Reading slower do to constantly searching for certain devices, such as foreshadowing, as well as attempting to identify themes, metaphors, and symbolism, makes reading a book far less fluid and less enjoyable.
- Because of the focus given to the above pieces of a book (theme, metaphors, etc.) less time is devoted to the plot of the literature which, in my opinion, the best part.
- Despite what how I have been taught to read literature in school, I am able to ignore this type of highly analytical reading outside of a school setting and enjoy reading far more than I would be able to in school.
- The Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye stand out as two particular cases of books which I would have otherwise have enjoyed reading being made unbearable by the analytical style of in-school reading. The main issue with these particular books was the amount of time and effort devoted to “unraveling” the character’s and their motives. Often time a whole period could be spent stating the obvious facts of a character’s intentions, wasting time and adding no extra meaning to the book. On the rare occasion that I did have some type of revelation regarding the characters, what came of it was often unimportant, as far as I was concerned, to the meaning of the book.
- The manner in which I have been taught to read literature in school has served to ruin many books for me.
- Over analyzing characters and their motives, plots, themes, and an author’s intentions detracts from the joy inherent in reading a good book
- Reading slower do to constantly searching for certain devices, such as foreshadowing, as well as attempting to identify themes, metaphors, and symbolism, makes reading a book far less fluid and less enjoyable.
- Because of the focus given to the above pieces of a book (theme, metaphors, etc.) less time is devoted to the plot of the literature which, in my opinion, the best part.
- Despite what how I have been taught to read literature in school, I am able to ignore this type of highly analytical reading outside of a school setting and enjoy reading far more than I would be able to in school.
- The Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye stand out as two particular cases of books which I would have otherwise have enjoyed reading being made unbearable by the analytical style of in-school reading. The main issue with these particular books was the amount of time and effort devoted to “unraveling” the character’s and their motives. Often time a whole period could be spent stating the obvious facts of a character’s intentions, wasting time and adding no extra meaning to the book. On the rare occasion that I did have some type of revelation regarding the characters, what came of it was often unimportant, as far as I was concerned, to the meaning of the book.
HGM
As a young lass, I always found reading incredibly interesting. The first few books I read were the "Magic Treehouse" ones, where I could imagine myself participating in the grand adventures the characters undertook. When I started first grade, I thought that my love of reading and desire to read would diminish as I found my day filled up with "Bunny Books", simple equations, and recess. In fact, the exact opposite happened. Whenever I finished my in-class work, I would crack open the latest in a seemingly never-ending series of kiddie literature. As I moved up through that elementary school system, I couldn't count on two hands the number of times in a week my teachers would ask me to, please, just this once, take that book out from under my desk. Sometimes I listened. Looking back, it seemed that I was being a rather insolent youngster, but nevertheless I am somewhat glad that I refused to put those books down- had I done so, I imagine it would have been quite difficult to pick them back up. The French teacher in particular had a knack for noticing when I had a book under my desk. Sometimes she would ask me to put it away, other times just sigh and move on. I always felt bad, but never stopped. In retrospect, I should not have put my teachers in such situations. I never meant to implicate any others in my "wrongdoings". My parents and teachers (when I wasn't disrupting their classes) always fostered my love of reading, heaping praise upon me whenever I completed a relatively difficult book. Because I was so engrossed in reading, it never struck me look at a story beneath the surface. Upon entering middle and high school, I was suddenly expected to look for themes, static characters, allegories. I had never done anything like that before, almost always taking the stories I read at face value. And while this analysis certainly added to my understanding of a story, it also took something away from it. It's difficult to articulate, but something is lost when you read a book in school and examine every fiber of its being- suddenly, your interpretations are wrong, your understanding doesn't have quite enough depth to it, and you spend weeks or months on a single story. This method has ruined many the book for me. After deconstructing every last sentence of a book, it can be difficult to put it back together. That's probably why I read so much out of school. Because when I read a book that I've chosen, I'm responsible only to myself to understand and interpret it. And sometimes, that may leave me short of below-the-surface details, but I'm okay with that. And this is not to say that I despise reading and analyzing books in school, because that is simply not the case. I enjoy other people's input and ideas, and I don't mind analyzing certain aspects of a story. When a class tends towards the over-analytical, though, it can often ruin the usually wonderful experience of reading a book. When a chapter is split into hundreds of different sentence fragments, it can be tough to look beyond the diction and syntax. Most of the time, a book is better than the sum of its parts. And sometimes English classes tend to neglect the sum of the parts.
OL
First thing that comes to mind when I think of the negatives of school reading
• 2nd grade class (I think), in-class reading, I asked Ben Sataloff how he reads so fast (he was three pages ahead of me).
o He said speed reading, teacher taught him and its difficult at first but makes it so much better
o Since then when reading in school, or standardized tests, I often think about reading faster
• Sometimes I think about the rate my eyes are moving over the lines of text, which is disturbing
• Takes away from text, and it happens during outside reading, which ruins the experience
• When I have reading to do in school, I forget about my other books
o At the end of last year try to read 1984, but had other book to read and never finished it in time and had to return to library
o I will not read a book I want to if I know its on the curriculum for an English class that I will probably take (ex. Fight Club)
o I won’t read thought provoking books during the school because after the boring analysis we do in class I just want to sit on my couch and relax
• Tried to read Metamorphosis by Kafka but I couldn’t because I didn’t have the patience or attention span after sitting in class to read such a dense novel
Good
• I have found certain books that I would not have found through school
o 6th grade, cant remember the series, but I continued after school
• The contrast between school reading and relaxed reading makes relaxed reading feel refreshing
• Last year in Mrs. Mastriano, Shakespeare plays gave me understanding of Shakespeare
o After I get used to it I can understand and I would read a Shakespearean play as a normal book, something I would never have dreamed of before
• 2nd grade class (I think), in-class reading, I asked Ben Sataloff how he reads so fast (he was three pages ahead of me).
o He said speed reading, teacher taught him and its difficult at first but makes it so much better
o Since then when reading in school, or standardized tests, I often think about reading faster
• Sometimes I think about the rate my eyes are moving over the lines of text, which is disturbing
• Takes away from text, and it happens during outside reading, which ruins the experience
• When I have reading to do in school, I forget about my other books
o At the end of last year try to read 1984, but had other book to read and never finished it in time and had to return to library
o I will not read a book I want to if I know its on the curriculum for an English class that I will probably take (ex. Fight Club)
o I won’t read thought provoking books during the school because after the boring analysis we do in class I just want to sit on my couch and relax
• Tried to read Metamorphosis by Kafka but I couldn’t because I didn’t have the patience or attention span after sitting in class to read such a dense novel
Good
• I have found certain books that I would not have found through school
o 6th grade, cant remember the series, but I continued after school
• The contrast between school reading and relaxed reading makes relaxed reading feel refreshing
• Last year in Mrs. Mastriano, Shakespeare plays gave me understanding of Shakespeare
o After I get used to it I can understand and I would read a Shakespearean play as a normal book, something I would never have dreamed of before
MGM
chool reading assignments have had very little impact on my reading habits. I spend a very moderate amount of time reading, an amount that has not changed during my long arduous journey through elementary, middle, and high school.
Fortunately, I am a fairly fast reader - because of this, no school reading assignments are so tedious that they leave me disenfranchised with reading in general. If I have to read a book for school that I don't like, I finish it in a night and never pick it up again. If I like it, I'll probably read it a couple more times because I'm too lazy to go to the library very often. Example: In 9th grade we had to read Nectar In a Sieve. It was probably my least favorite book EVER, so I finished it the first night I started reading and never touched it again (except to fill out ridiculous worksheets in english class). Another example: In 9th grade we also had to read Interpreter of Maladies. I probably read that 4 or 5 times, and I read the author's new book of short stories a couple of times this summer as well because they're awesome and extremely entertaining. Also very sad. Do not read "Unaccustomed Earth" if you're already in a bad mood, because then you will be in an even worse mood. Just a suggestion.
Anyway, my experiences with school assigned reading often blend in with my experiences reading books I have chosen personally. Because I read so fast, I don't have to be very selective in what I read. So I usually go to the library about once a week or once every two weeks and grab anything that looks like it could be moderately entertaining. I don't usually pick out extremely difficult reads because I'm kind of lazy with reading and I don't like to try very hard to understand things. So I read a lot of different types of books, of all genres and a lot of different "quality" levels. I used quotation marks because to me a quality book is a book that entertains me or engages me while I am reading it. The only books I don't like are really boring ones. And that's not to say that the plot is the only thing i value in a book - If characters are engaging or well-developed, or the writing is very good that is often as entertaining to me as a good plot. But I am really not very picky and I especially love books that are humorous without intending to be.
I'd say that school assignments pretty much have no effect on me, regardless of the subject. I usually do my homework unless it's really hard or annoying, but I'm usually not that interested in what is going on in my classes and my academic life is pretty much entirely separate from my real life. If that makes sense. School is really not very engaging, even though I like my teachers (for the most part) and my classes. They're moderately interesting for 55 minutes / day, but after that 55 minutes I don't usually pursue any additional knowledge in any area of study relating to any of my classes. I guess that relates to my outside - of -school reading habits in that what I read for school, or the books that I discuss in school don't do anything to impact my reading habits at home, in any capacity except that perhaps school exposes me to books I would not have selected for myself otherwise (not necessarily a bad thing.)
In conclusion: I go to school, I read, and I also do homework. The aforementioned activities are extremely tiny parts of my life so it's weird to analyze my habits in these areas. (And yes, I know that school is, in terms of time spent here, a kind of not-tiny part of my life but I don't feel it really impacts who I am that much at all. Is what I mean. )
Fortunately, I am a fairly fast reader - because of this, no school reading assignments are so tedious that they leave me disenfranchised with reading in general. If I have to read a book for school that I don't like, I finish it in a night and never pick it up again. If I like it, I'll probably read it a couple more times because I'm too lazy to go to the library very often. Example: In 9th grade we had to read Nectar In a Sieve. It was probably my least favorite book EVER, so I finished it the first night I started reading and never touched it again (except to fill out ridiculous worksheets in english class). Another example: In 9th grade we also had to read Interpreter of Maladies. I probably read that 4 or 5 times, and I read the author's new book of short stories a couple of times this summer as well because they're awesome and extremely entertaining. Also very sad. Do not read "Unaccustomed Earth" if you're already in a bad mood, because then you will be in an even worse mood. Just a suggestion.
Anyway, my experiences with school assigned reading often blend in with my experiences reading books I have chosen personally. Because I read so fast, I don't have to be very selective in what I read. So I usually go to the library about once a week or once every two weeks and grab anything that looks like it could be moderately entertaining. I don't usually pick out extremely difficult reads because I'm kind of lazy with reading and I don't like to try very hard to understand things. So I read a lot of different types of books, of all genres and a lot of different "quality" levels. I used quotation marks because to me a quality book is a book that entertains me or engages me while I am reading it. The only books I don't like are really boring ones. And that's not to say that the plot is the only thing i value in a book - If characters are engaging or well-developed, or the writing is very good that is often as entertaining to me as a good plot. But I am really not very picky and I especially love books that are humorous without intending to be.
I'd say that school assignments pretty much have no effect on me, regardless of the subject. I usually do my homework unless it's really hard or annoying, but I'm usually not that interested in what is going on in my classes and my academic life is pretty much entirely separate from my real life. If that makes sense. School is really not very engaging, even though I like my teachers (for the most part) and my classes. They're moderately interesting for 55 minutes / day, but after that 55 minutes I don't usually pursue any additional knowledge in any area of study relating to any of my classes. I guess that relates to my outside - of -school reading habits in that what I read for school, or the books that I discuss in school don't do anything to impact my reading habits at home, in any capacity except that perhaps school exposes me to books I would not have selected for myself otherwise (not necessarily a bad thing.)
In conclusion: I go to school, I read, and I also do homework. The aforementioned activities are extremely tiny parts of my life so it's weird to analyze my habits in these areas. (And yes, I know that school is, in terms of time spent here, a kind of not-tiny part of my life but I don't feel it really impacts who I am that much at all. Is what I mean. )
SC
I no longer enjoy literature. I also no longer enjoy school. We aren't really taught useful information, but rather, how to score well on the important tests. Reading a best selling book is "useless" now without testing comprehension! Gotta do well on those SAT's. My 9th and 10th grade English teachers drilled useless themes and ideas into my head about a book. One such teacher could even make the classic, To Kill A Mockingbird un-enjoyable. I read it again, on my own, and truly enjoyed it. I don’t read much outside of school. Sometimes I wish I did, but only recently have I been able to read a book and enjoy it. I find it difficult to enjoy a book knowing that I SHOULD be looking for themes and important vocabulary I do not know. Rather than enjoying reading, I’ve been finding it tedious to read. This past summer I greatly enjoyed the books Nickel and Dimed, Fast Food Nation, both of which were for school. I read both of them in late July, with a clear disconnect away from school, a solid month and a half past the last day of school. I also read a Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini's second novel. I could not put it down. I read a few other books too, a very lax summer. Then when assigned Into The Wild, finishing the book became a task. Why? I’m not sure, perhaps I didn’t enjoy the book, which is the case, but actually finishing became a challenge. This year there is more freedom with reading. I greatly enjoyed the Great Gatsby, and Huck Finn is a good read as well. But I know, weather it is this year or next, or in college, when I’m assigned analytical reading for literature, I will not enjoy it. Literature is for enjoyment, not analysis. Non-fiction is for analysis. I much rather read a book, not worry about themes, not know every word, and greatly enjoy it, than memorize some words, answer comprehension questions, and take a test.
ES
I don’t think that school has had much of an influence on the way I read outside of school, but the way I read for school is different than how I read normally. Before this year I would read all the assigned books very quickly, either to get them finished and out of the way because I didn’t like them, or to bask in the pleasure of reading them. Outside of school I also pick up books and usually don’t put them down until I’m finished. But this year my time has been very limited, so I’m more conscious of where exactly I have to be in a school book and what I should be looking for in it (themes, writing style), and that takes out some of the enjoyment for me.
Book discussions in class don't change how I read on my own. Sometimes they're interesting, and other times they're pointless, but it doesn't affect my desire to read or my opinion of the book. If I liked the book we've read, I usually like discussing it in class and my teachers have mostly come up with interesting topics for discussion. If I didn't like the book, then I don't like discussing it and find it tiring.
This class has definitely made me more critical of how people write—whether they’re credible, articulate, or artful, etc. If I had read The Great Gatsby a couple years ago, I might not have taken the time to notice the writing, or how innovative the many metaphors were, but because of this class I was paying more attention and could appreciate the original writing. But that is a positive for me, because paying attention to how successful authors write can help me phrase my thoughts more effectively (sometimes, at least). Overall, that's really the only influence school has had on my reading habits.
Book discussions in class don't change how I read on my own. Sometimes they're interesting, and other times they're pointless, but it doesn't affect my desire to read or my opinion of the book. If I liked the book we've read, I usually like discussing it in class and my teachers have mostly come up with interesting topics for discussion. If I didn't like the book, then I don't like discussing it and find it tiring.
This class has definitely made me more critical of how people write—whether they’re credible, articulate, or artful, etc. If I had read The Great Gatsby a couple years ago, I might not have taken the time to notice the writing, or how innovative the many metaphors were, but because of this class I was paying more attention and could appreciate the original writing. But that is a positive for me, because paying attention to how successful authors write can help me phrase my thoughts more effectively (sometimes, at least). Overall, that's really the only influence school has had on my reading habits.
YZ
The analysis of works of literature hasn’t really affected me significantly. For some books, such as To Kill A Mockingbird, the analysis actually increased my joy and understanding of the book. In the case of outside reading books, I am still able to completely ignore analysis and carry on reading purely for pleasure; at points, I may notice a symbol or theme, but it doesn’t bother me because I know that I don't have to dig any further. Once in school, I take a different mindset, but that doesn’t mean that I can still find anything in the words. I think what makes me better at separating school from home is, in fact, my inability to notice such literary devices in normal reading. Once reading for pleasure (or even in school), rhetorical strategies whiz by my head like dodge balls in gym class. I need to really force myself to look closely, and to read line-by-line, as suggested by Francine Prose, to discover anything. Therefore, I can say that, in my case, I really have no trouble separating the in-class reading and the outside-school reading, because both are essentially the same thing – except for the blandness of the books. For others, I can see where it would become a nuisance; to constantly be analyzing every bit of text as we do in class – that would just be plain mind torture. For me, however, my current status is working well, and I’m enjoying my ignorance of literary subtleties for as long as I can.
JL
School has only slightly affected my outside reading. I find that I can easily separate the analysis techniques taught in a classroom from my own independent reading. When I read at home, I generally proceed at a much slower, and more contemplative pace while reading most books. That sounds really pretentious, but I often feel like I'm forced to read that way when digesting religious works and non-fiction. I would just miss so much if I sped through them.
On the other hand, when I read fantasy or science-fiction, I rarely if ever look for symbolism and rather just imagine the story itself. When reading authors like Ursula Le Guin, I tend to project the world visually in my own mind. I often find that I disregard elements of the setting and fill in my own, yet this method of reading seems chiefly entertaining. It may not help me see the hidden symbolism, but it is simply enjoyable.
When reading 'traditional fiction' such as the so-called 'classics', I consciously approach them with a sort of ingrained reverence. I always analyze these classics, regarldess of their content, but rather that it is simply 'regarded'. I find that this analysis generally furthers my enjoyment of the novels slightly as I am forced to closely examine all of the story elements. In most school settings, I dislike this analysis due to the external pressure of 'doing it right', but when I attempt this independtly without any pressure, I find that I find the process significantly less stressful.
I'm trying to adopt this slight analysis to all books I read outside, because it simply makes reading more enjoyable. I read significantly less outside of school than when I was in elementary school, as I find my time not only eaten up by 'school', but rather by the 'internet' and other distractions. Really, although some lack of time can be contributed to school, I think that I am truly to blame for not finding the time.
On the other hand, when I read fantasy or science-fiction, I rarely if ever look for symbolism and rather just imagine the story itself. When reading authors like Ursula Le Guin, I tend to project the world visually in my own mind. I often find that I disregard elements of the setting and fill in my own, yet this method of reading seems chiefly entertaining. It may not help me see the hidden symbolism, but it is simply enjoyable.
When reading 'traditional fiction' such as the so-called 'classics', I consciously approach them with a sort of ingrained reverence. I always analyze these classics, regarldess of their content, but rather that it is simply 'regarded'. I find that this analysis generally furthers my enjoyment of the novels slightly as I am forced to closely examine all of the story elements. In most school settings, I dislike this analysis due to the external pressure of 'doing it right', but when I attempt this independtly without any pressure, I find that I find the process significantly less stressful.
I'm trying to adopt this slight analysis to all books I read outside, because it simply makes reading more enjoyable. I read significantly less outside of school than when I was in elementary school, as I find my time not only eaten up by 'school', but rather by the 'internet' and other distractions. Really, although some lack of time can be contributed to school, I think that I am truly to blame for not finding the time.
AK
The attachment failed... so here's the list
How does the way you were taught in school change the way you read?
1. Reads slower and more deliberately even if not getting more out of it
2. Search for plotline clues to foreshadow conclusion/events.
3. Seek to connect characters who may or may not actually be connected
4. Check how many pages are in a look- how much work will be necessary to put forth to finish reading
5. Notice symbolism- sometimes too much symbolism
6. Vocabulary- looking words up in dictionary rather than use context clues to figure meanings out
7. Plotline held in memory better when reading for a class
8. Check for errors in grammar and flaws in plot
9. Search for and follow closely protagonists/antagonists
How does the way you were taught in school change the way you read?
1. Reads slower and more deliberately even if not getting more out of it
2. Search for plotline clues to foreshadow conclusion/events.
3. Seek to connect characters who may or may not actually be connected
4. Check how many pages are in a look- how much work will be necessary to put forth to finish reading
5. Notice symbolism- sometimes too much symbolism
6. Vocabulary- looking words up in dictionary rather than use context clues to figure meanings out
7. Plotline held in memory better when reading for a class
8. Check for errors in grammar and flaws in plot
9. Search for and follow closely protagonists/antagonists
BH
There has always been a definite backlash among students of in school
reading. “You’re ruining the bok for me,” “Stop talking about
themes!”. Most of the time, I join in the whining, but that’s just
because if we cry enough they’ll usually stop teaching and let us go
to sleep.
School didn’t ruin reading for me. Most of the time the books sucked
to begin with, but I didn’t allow that to cloud my belief that other
books were quality. In the case of good books, though, I’ve never felt
that the discussion ruined it. I’ve often felt that there was a moron
leading the discussion, or my classmates weren’t able to talk about
the actual important things.
In fact, the elementary-level thematic discussion in most of my
English classes has just whetted my appetite for an actual example of
themes and motifs and stuff in books. Usually, after I read a book
for myself or for school I open up Sparknotes and Wikipedia pages
about it to try and dig into ideas that neither me nor my teacher had
thought of.
Even though I often find that the way we read in school is completely
wrong, often focusing on boring or simplistic books that are chose for
all of the wrong reasons, the fact that we have discussions has
probably positively affected my consumption of other books.
It can be very frustrating when I’m not sure how to go about finding
these things, but it’s better to be irritated than ignorant. I’d be
happier if teachers actually taught how to locate and discuss such
things, but that seems to be asking for way to much in this school and
I’ll just look on the bright side on this one.
reading. “You’re ruining the bok for me,” “Stop talking about
themes!”. Most of the time, I join in the whining, but that’s just
because if we cry enough they’ll usually stop teaching and let us go
to sleep.
School didn’t ruin reading for me. Most of the time the books sucked
to begin with, but I didn’t allow that to cloud my belief that other
books were quality. In the case of good books, though, I’ve never felt
that the discussion ruined it. I’ve often felt that there was a moron
leading the discussion, or my classmates weren’t able to talk about
the actual important things.
In fact, the elementary-level thematic discussion in most of my
English classes has just whetted my appetite for an actual example of
themes and motifs and stuff in books. Usually, after I read a book
for myself or for school I open up Sparknotes and Wikipedia pages
about it to try and dig into ideas that neither me nor my teacher had
thought of.
Even though I often find that the way we read in school is completely
wrong, often focusing on boring or simplistic books that are chose for
all of the wrong reasons, the fact that we have discussions has
probably positively affected my consumption of other books.
It can be very frustrating when I’m not sure how to go about finding
these things, but it’s better to be irritated than ignorant. I’d be
happier if teachers actually taught how to locate and discuss such
things, but that seems to be asking for way to much in this school and
I’ll just look on the bright side on this one.
GJ
How school reading has changed "reading" for me:
-Over-analyzing and dragging out books for weeks or even months can spoil a good book
---for example, Ender's Game was a great book but last year we spent at least a month discussing the themes which Orson scott card intended
-I'm naturally a slow reader, but when I'm "consciously-reading," (i.e. either trying too hard to go fast and checking page numbers every few minutes or trying to remember every little detail as I go) that slows me down even more.
-I have less time to read books that I am interested in reading.
-Over-analyzing and dragging out books for weeks or even months can spoil a good book
---for example, Ender's Game was a great book but last year we spent at least a month discussing the themes which Orson scott card intended
-I'm naturally a slow reader, but when I'm "consciously-reading," (i.e. either trying too hard to go fast and checking page numbers every few minutes or trying to remember every little detail as I go) that slows me down even more.
-I have less time to read books that I am interested in reading.
LMG
I don't think I've seen a drastic change in my reading style since starting high school. In middle school, I read lots of fiction teen novels and as much as I always enjoyed the dramatic plots and colorful imagery, I rarely finished a book and felt like it had opened my eyes in some way. Since starting high school, I've made a conscious effort to pick up books that are enlightening and at times, difficult to get through. Books like "Demian" and "The Stranger" left me feeling reborn at the end. I may have struggled through some of the metaphors and missed some of the meaning but I felt like I was seeing the world anew upon finishing.
I don't think my outside school reading choices were influenced by what I'm asked to read in school. Sometimes I get something out of the books we read in school and other times, I don't. That's just the way it goes. Some students are bound to like a book I hate and vice versa.
I don't think my outside school reading choices were influenced by what I'm asked to read in school. Sometimes I get something out of the books we read in school and other times, I don't. That's just the way it goes. Some students are bound to like a book I hate and vice versa.
a poor beginning
Terrible questions lead to...
So I realize as I begin to write that my question was not as well formed as it ought to have been. If you found yourself wondering exactly what I was looking for... I am right there with you.
The first thought that comes to mind is that I learned to appreciate Faulkner while writing my thesis and so my love for writing considered "artful" increased due to work I did in school, but I also still love reading books like "Infected" that I don't think is very artful. So what does that mean that school taught me?
I look back on most of what I studied in many English classes with very little emotion. In fact, I rarely look or even glance back at it, much of the experience was not necessarily meaningful, particularly in a lasting way.
If anything, I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in English Literature with an overly developed sense of cynicism for English criticism and the very idea of "literature" that probably led me to disregard some of the actually valuable criticism I read in my career at Haverford College.
I try to think back on high school English and I don't remember too much. I do remember thinking I was smarter than my teachers and wasting a lot of time and emotion objecting to all the enormously demanding assignments that took up so much of my clearly very valuable time.
I remember Ryan MacPherson and the project we did together on existentialism and using Monty Python, a noose, and a stale-mated chess game to demonstrate what we were talking about. I remember thinking how much smarter than me he was back then and how he probably thought the project was terrible because I brought him down and missed the point. Luckily he humored me.
But I don't remember much about the books we read, which books we read, or any feelings abotu the books and what we did in class regarding them.
I remember being enthralled by Tom Clancy but shying away from some of his books that didn't have enough action in them. I remember reading all of Louis L'Amour's novels in the shiny brown leather covers from the Brentwood Library and I remember spending hours imagining the Middle Earth I read in Tolkein, an imagined Middle Earth now lost forever thanks to the movies.
High School may not have had much of an effect on me as a reader. My habits and feelings about reading were so well established, perhaps even entrenched that Ms. M---- and Ms. B---- and Ms. Whatshername and the older Ms. Whatshername that gave me bad grades because my writing was too small couldn't actually change how I felt about books.
If anything, I've emerged from my schooling about literature even more over-confident in my own personal value system regarding literature in any definition.
I think books are great. I like big books and small books and funny books and sad books and low-brow books and high-brow books. I appreciate good writing though I still have difficulty defining it. "Light in August" overflows with really cool writing, "Infected" is completely devoid of it. Dan Simmons' "Ilium" mixes increibly fascinating ideas into a great story, as does Neal Stephonson's "Snow Crash." I enjoy Shakespeare but I rarely pick up "Julius Caesar" on a whim. (In fact, I think I've never picked it up despite being told to read it as an assignment in a college class)
Everything has to have its opposite, we learned this in nature or maybe in Coach Pauley's Physical Science Class in 9th grade. But for every tottering old cranky woman saying that Shakespeare is the epitome of genius, there are at least 23,571 8-yr olds that will argue that "like, no way, JK Rowling is totally WAAAYYY better. For serious."
They can't both be right. Can they?
Could it perhaps be true that beauty and art are really in the eyes of the beholder, irrespective of the beholder's qualifications?
I will be the first to argue that some books are inherently "better" than others but at least 80% of my students would disagree with my choices for
So I realize as I begin to write that my question was not as well formed as it ought to have been. If you found yourself wondering exactly what I was looking for... I am right there with you.
The first thought that comes to mind is that I learned to appreciate Faulkner while writing my thesis and so my love for writing considered "artful" increased due to work I did in school, but I also still love reading books like "Infected" that I don't think is very artful. So what does that mean that school taught me?
I look back on most of what I studied in many English classes with very little emotion. In fact, I rarely look or even glance back at it, much of the experience was not necessarily meaningful, particularly in a lasting way.
If anything, I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in English Literature with an overly developed sense of cynicism for English criticism and the very idea of "literature" that probably led me to disregard some of the actually valuable criticism I read in my career at Haverford College.
I try to think back on high school English and I don't remember too much. I do remember thinking I was smarter than my teachers and wasting a lot of time and emotion objecting to all the enormously demanding assignments that took up so much of my clearly very valuable time.
I remember Ryan MacPherson and the project we did together on existentialism and using Monty Python, a noose, and a stale-mated chess game to demonstrate what we were talking about. I remember thinking how much smarter than me he was back then and how he probably thought the project was terrible because I brought him down and missed the point. Luckily he humored me.
But I don't remember much about the books we read, which books we read, or any feelings abotu the books and what we did in class regarding them.
I remember being enthralled by Tom Clancy but shying away from some of his books that didn't have enough action in them. I remember reading all of Louis L'Amour's novels in the shiny brown leather covers from the Brentwood Library and I remember spending hours imagining the Middle Earth I read in Tolkein, an imagined Middle Earth now lost forever thanks to the movies.
High School may not have had much of an effect on me as a reader. My habits and feelings about reading were so well established, perhaps even entrenched that Ms. M---- and Ms. B---- and Ms. Whatshername and the older Ms. Whatshername that gave me bad grades because my writing was too small couldn't actually change how I felt about books.
If anything, I've emerged from my schooling about literature even more over-confident in my own personal value system regarding literature in any definition.
I think books are great. I like big books and small books and funny books and sad books and low-brow books and high-brow books. I appreciate good writing though I still have difficulty defining it. "Light in August" overflows with really cool writing, "Infected" is completely devoid of it. Dan Simmons' "Ilium" mixes increibly fascinating ideas into a great story, as does Neal Stephonson's "Snow Crash." I enjoy Shakespeare but I rarely pick up "Julius Caesar" on a whim. (In fact, I think I've never picked it up despite being told to read it as an assignment in a college class)
Everything has to have its opposite, we learned this in nature or maybe in Coach Pauley's Physical Science Class in 9th grade. But for every tottering old cranky woman saying that Shakespeare is the epitome of genius, there are at least 23,571 8-yr olds that will argue that "like, no way, JK Rowling is totally WAAAYYY better. For serious."
They can't both be right. Can they?
Could it perhaps be true that beauty and art are really in the eyes of the beholder, irrespective of the beholder's qualifications?
I will be the first to argue that some books are inherently "better" than others but at least 80% of my students would disagree with my choices for
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