My department head wants me to teach...

Dear New Teacher,

I am SO impressed with the wisdom inherent in your question. "What books should I use? My department head wants me to teach To Kill a Mockingbird, but I don't like that book."

It is wise to reject a classic text because it does not resonate with you. You do not have to teach TKM. You are wise to make decisions about your own engagement and interest instead of relying on tradition. If you are excited about a text, your students will know. As a matter of fact, one of my practicing literary heroes, Kelly Gallagher, has stated that he will probably never teach TKM again. He reasons that  are so many other texts that achieve the same goals and appeal more widely today's readers and thinkers.

You are also wise because our work is not really about a book. When our questions and discussion become centered around comprehension and making inferences regarding TKM, then we are no longer teaching our standards. We are no longer teaching English Language Arts. We are teaching the book as a piece of content to be understood and to regurgitate the plot as a summary.

Instead, our work in the Arts of English is about teaching students to read, think, discuss the any text. Our work is about using those texts as vehicles for understanding life and guiding what we are inspired to do because of that understanding.

When you are selecting books for your classroom, here are some guidelines.

1. First, pick a sophisticated, rich text to share with students as a read aloud. Use that text as a place to model your thinking and application of your English Language Arts standards.

2. Curate a set of texts for students to read in small, collaborative groups. Allow them to choose the texts that resonate with them.

3. Allow students the freedom to choose books to read independently because they want to and not because the books match some arbitrary "level."

All three texts provide rich opportunities for students to provide you with authentic evidence of their ongoing mastery of the standards for your course. These texts provide multiple avenues of evidence that your students are learning a transferable skill rather than answers to questions about a single text. The conversation and evidence become more about using the answers to make decisions about their own lives and thinking resources. These texts become mentors and models for communication and creation that can transform their lives and the lives of others.

Your question inspires me and encourages me about what you will accomplish next. I'd be honored to support you along the way. I'll await your invitation.

Sincerely,

Shona Rose