Chapter 5

I really liked this chapter, simply because poetry is one of my favorite things in an English education. It is the perfect time to blend academics of literary terms with student's own knowledge in a creative fashion. I liked the idea of thinking out loud, and secretly that how a lot of songwriters write their music. They simple ad-lib out loud until something sounds good. In a educational standpoint, thinking out loud forces students to think about how they feel/think about the poem. They can gain a greater understanding by thinking critically and interpreting with their past experiences in mind.

Chapter 3

It is quite clear from this chapter that the author expects a lot from her students. As they read an average of 20 books a year, that is a lot of reading for one student. Personally I would be quite irritated as a student, with the feeling "Does she not understand we have other classes?" I feel that assigning twice as many books for the year leaves no time for critical thought development. Students who are plowing through books seem like they are only learning plot and themes. It would be quite impressive that they could understand the in depth analysis that the classic books call for. I do like the fact that she has the students perform literature circles. Those are great times for students to talk about the books. "California's standardized testing program significantly cuts into instructional time" (pg 45). This seems the be the theme all throughout the country. The government is forcing education to become standardized leaving less time to teach critical thought.