Reflection Statement

Reading and Responding to Children's Literature has reacquainted me with some of my favorite children's books as well as introduced me to stories I never encountered during my childhood or that were not around during my childhood. This class has made me consider what stories I want to bring into my classroom. Some books like The Giver continue to be popular, while other stories have arrived on the scene. I feel like it is necessary to stay current with what students are reading. For example, Diary of a Wimpy Kid has captured the attention of many children so I feel like this is a book teachers should read in order to better relate to students. It also gives teachers perspective on students' interest. One of your responsibilities as teachers is to bridge the gap between home life and school life.

This class has also given my ideas on activities to discuss novels. Open discussions are important especially when reading a heavily thematic book. I really enjoyed the activity where newspaper clippings were given out that included different perspectives, both conservative and liberal. Although we did not get to it in class, having a town hall meeting by having students role play gets students to critically think. Even though I can see why books like The Misfits are considered controversial, I feel like these are the primary books to get students talking and thinking. If students never encounter difficult pieces, how will they develop their own viewpoints? Therefore, developing trust in the classroom so students feel comfortable discussing is important.

The genre presentations I feel were also beneficial because students gather a collection of the top books in a particular genre. Having these lists as future references will come in handy. With such a wealth of children's literature out there, it's hard to sort through to find the top books. However, what is considered good children's literature is often based on adults' opinions. Children have their own reasons for liking a certain book. As this class continues, I hope to develop a broader knowledge base of activities that I can do with children to make books they are reading relevant and relatable to them. Students need variety whether in math, science, or language arts.