Classroom Community

 In chapter 3, Buehler (2016) argues that “conversations about who we are and what that might mean should sit at the center of what we do in English class” (p. 52). I wholeheartedly concur that our students learn more together than they do alone, and that they should have opportunities to both have the joy of sharing their reading with their peers as well as be challenged to stretch and strengthen their skills and understanding of themselves, the world, and how literature works. 

Buehler provides four qualities that she maintains distinguish classroom community when it comes to YA pedagogy (pp. 53-54): 

1. Belief that the work is important. 

2. Discussions that blend personal response and literary analysis. 

3. A sense of being known and valued. 

4. Collective investment in a shared experience. 

When I think about my own teaching, I feel that characteristics one and three are my strong points. I present my students with a wide range of literature, from picture books to poems, and from YA titles to more traditional texts. I firmly believe that each of these genres is able to help us think about who we are and what that might mean, and I treat each of them in a way that conveys its importance. I also feel that I do a good job of getting to know my students and working with them to find books that they will enjoy. 

In the past I have done a better job of making reading a shared experience in my classroom. I think it can vary depending on the year and the group of students. In the past year or two, since the arrival of a growing number of newcomer students with little to no previous experience with learning English, I have found myself largely working with students individually during our reading time because there were so many different proficiency levels among my students. I would help some students with literacy skills, check in with others on their independent reading, help others find new books. Students would share their reading with the class in book talks, but we have been missing out on having rich discussions about the text. This YA class has gotten me thinking about how I can get back to more shared experiences with YA reading in my high school English class. Buehler’s chapter and her classroom portraits have certainly reminded me of the importance and impact of these shared experiences, but it was something that Dr. K said in our last Zoom discussion that really resonated with me. She said something to the effect that “not every student has to finish every book to engage with it in class,” which of course I know, but I think I have so many students who never seem to finish a book that I have been more focused on the finishing than the working with what we’ve got. Sometimes you are reminded of something in a way that really inspires you, and that is how this comment landed with me. 

The class I teach is a support class that my students take in addition to their required ELA classes, and my focus is language rather than literary techniques. I do talk about literary elements, but I am inspired to make a conscious effort to incorporate more of that in the future. 

Noticings from the portraits: 

• I love Carrie’s comment: “I’m not here to tell them what it is, as if here I am, the guru of the book” (p. 60). I have a similar attitude in my classroom. 

• I loved Daria’s conversation with her class about The Fault in our Stars. Their complaints about the book felt very real, and obviously they have a trusting relationship where they can express positive and negative reactions. She did such a great job of listening to them, but also guiding them to think about where the book might be going. I love Buehler’s observation: “Even in their complaints, they reveal what they want and need as readers” (p. 63). 

• I love how Daria seamlessly blends personal response and literary analysis in her discussion with her class. She shows how to touch on literary elements without bogging down the discussion. She reinforces what they have learned previously. 

• Daria’s comment: “They want me to read it. They don’t want to listen to John Green read it. They want me to share the story with them. There’s something very intimate and personal about it” (p. 65). Such an important reminder! 

• Jennifer’s classroom makes me wonder if having reading day on Friday is a good plan or if it’s better to devote part of each class to reading. At my school I see students for two 90-minute classes a week and for 45 minutes on Friday. I think that reading helps break up the 90-minute classes. And I worry that if I only did it on Fridays they might lose momentum. These are questions I will have to figure out with my classes next year.  

Buehler, J. (2016). Teaching Reading with YA Literature:  Complex Texts, Complex Lives (Principles in Practice). National Council of Teachers of English.