"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian"

          Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a great book that should be used in classrooms. I believe that the book does an excellent job at showing students how life on a reservation can differ so much from life in suburbia. In addition, it also shows students how important it is to accept others that may be different. I believe that the book would do well in most classrooms grades eight through ten. I think the older students would find the book too simple of a read. However, the younger students would benefit from reading the book. 
          The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian could be taught in several different ways. The first idea that I had would to break up the book into different sections. The first would have students do research on reservations that are close to them. The students should go into the book with some background knowledge on what a reservation is and the commonality of them. The next section would be a class discussion on the book. The students can discuss thoughts, feelings, predictions, and any questions they have with the class. One of the final activities that students could do, is completing their own list of things that make them happy. Students could complete this list in their journals so they do not have to share with everyone if they do not want to. 
          Due to the fact that there is a local Spokane Indian reservation, I believe that this specific book would do well in this area. Schools that are located in areas close to Indian reservations should include this in their curriculum. The students would be able to understand the people who live on these reservations and become more aware of those around them. Therefore I strongly back this book up for its use in high school (or middle school) curriculum.

Kelly Gallagher’s “Readicide”

         Kelly Gallagher brought up several excellent points in her “Readicide.” In the beginning of her book she talks about how the school system is killing reading. Although several schools offer time for students to read a book for their own enjoyment, it would appear as if this is not enough. The students are still being pressured into picking up a random book before the class starts just so they have something to read. When I was in elementary school there was a push for all the students to read something that they were interested in. The librarians would move from each student to make sure that we each had a book that we were excited to read. However this practice abruptly ended in middle and high school. If we were reading a book for a class it was because we had to know it forwards and backwards in order to understand each and every literary device. I personally elected to dump the book and hop on spark notes for a quick and easy reference to what the text was about.

          In the classroom that I am observing, the students are currently reading short stories. The teacher has them go home and read a story so they can discuss it in class the next day. Before letting the students take off to “read” it at home, the teacher takes class time to explain what the story is about. I believe this is important because this is an opportunity to get the students excited – or rather interested in what they are going to read. This is one way to get students to read, however I believe that it would be better if the students had more of an input on the literature that they were reading.

Tovani’s “I Read it, but I don’t get it”

          After reading Tovani’s “I Read it, but I don’t get it,” I feel as if I have more understanding on the mind of a student who struggles to read. One of the techniques that Tovani mentioned was having the students who are struggling to read a text go through it with a pen in their hand. This is commonly seen in classrooms when students are annotating their text in order to produce a final conclusive summary of what they had just read. However, for a student who is not understanding their articles, this can be a great strategy for them to use. I believe that it would help them because they are taking the time to go one section at a time to really understand what the author(s) are trying to say.

          In addition, the “two highlighter method would also tie in wonderfully with the annotations. This would (almost) force the young readers to take the time to understand the material before they push on to towards the finish line. I believe that one of the most important goals for a teacher is to inspire a high quality level of reading – students should feel inspired to slow down for comprehension.

          I believe that this technique would also tie in well with the “fake reading” that Tovani mentions. Many readers in college classes are guilty of fake reading. However it is not enough to just skim the text and stumble across the words that you do not know. It is important that students are taught the importance of slowing down and looking up the words that they do not understand. By taking the time to do this, the students will be able to improve their reading. This does not have to be used just for the students that struggle either, each and every student would benefit from this practice.

Social Justice in the Classroom

          To me, social justice in the classroom means being able to recognize the needs of your students in order to create a positive classroom environment. A teacher should be able to create this environment by acknowledging that each of their students are different. Tabitha Dell’Angelo says in her article, “Creating Classrooms for Social Justice” that social justice is “both/and proposition.” I believe that this is important because it shows the importance of promoting an equal classroom. This can be obtained by giving students different opportunities to see how positive change can happen and how they can be a part of creating change (Dell’Angelo). Students should leave the classroom feeling inspired to take this higher level of being and apply it outside of the classroom in their day-to-day lives. I believe that if a student is able to do that, then the teacher has truly succeeded in making social justice apparent in the class.  

          In order to promote social justice in the class a teacher could create a lesson plan early in the school year that is focused on equality and justice. One of the bigger parts of the unit would focus on how the students can utilize what they learned in and out of the classroom. Students and teachers should work towards creating positive change in their community. Throughout this process the class as a whole should be on a track that will lead them toward a way of being that inspires higher levels of thinking (and learning) throughout their lives. That is what I believe social justice looks like in a classroom. Equality among the students that keeps the differences of others in mind so everyone can feel like they are important and thought of.