Delta Autumn was initially a book that I had no interest in reading. I'm not saying that I don't want advice, or guidance, or background on the area in which I will be teaching. Honestly, it had a lot to do with the fact that I have so much to do right now. This is all so new and stressful. I have only taught one lesson so far, but for the past week, I have gotten less sleep, food, and Andrea-time than is probably healthy.
But I did read the book. And I'm glad I did. Actually, I'm even glad to be writing this blog right now (even if it is a day late). Reading and writing have always been such a release for me. I have the ability to lose myself in whichever of the two I'm doing. So when I get to use both and write about what I've read.......... Ok I'm back.
Herein lies my distress with teaching English in poor, rural Mississippi though. My kids do not have the privilege, and yes it is a privilege down here, to get lost in a work of literature or their own writing. At the seventh and eighth grade levels, I have students who cannot read or write. My how foreign, how very sad that is. Perhaps the toughest part though, is not the prospect of teaching these 15-year-old middle schoolers how to read. I can teach a kid how to read. What's difficult is knowing whether their lack of classroom participation is because they want to be difficult or because of their illiteracy. I caught myself getting frustrated with a child who was not doing his work, only to find out he couldn't do his work. I felt terrible.
But as the book reiterated, the challenges presented by this subject are exactly what drove me to it. Reading and writing are so imperative to success. People can get by without being good at math or science - I'm living proof! But for these kids to be able to get out of or improve their situation, they have to be articulate. They have to be able to write a resume. They have to be able to pass the same tests as the private school kids.
At this point, I think one of the best things I can do is to demonstrate proper English in the way that I write and speak. All day, every day they are exposed to adults who use improper grammar. I've heard stories from second year teachers who say that, in the middle of their lesson on verb conjugation, the principal will come over the loud speaker and say, "Today you be taking tests." So I will demonstrate. I will make them demonstrate. The book says, To learn something, you must use it." They will use it. I want to make my classroom a haven for the kids who get made fun of for not being able to read, and I want to start everyone on the ground level, because even the ones who excel in these schools would be considered less than average writers at a good school. It's time to stop the cycle of completion grades and begin holding these kids accountable.
We'll see.
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