Let's start this week by answering any or all of these questions:
What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
What do you hope to gain from this course?
_____
Calvino, I. (1986) Why read the classics? The New York Review of Books, 33(15).
Eagleton, T. (1983) What is literature? In Literary theory: An introduction (2nd ed., pp. 1-14). London: Blackwell.
Booth, W. (1998) The ethics of teaching literature. College English, 61(1), 41-55.
Ministry of Education. Literature in English Syllabi’s Aims and Outcomes.
1) What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteThe reason why, I’ve decided to teach Literature is because this subject has afforded me with a wealth of knowledge and life experiences that is unlike any other modules taught in schools. Literature, to me, is a humanistic subject that transcribes the inner recesses of one’s cognitive thoughts, feelings, personality traits and bodily response through the art of writing. The author’s unspoken ability to take readers on a whirlwind of emotions and, alter their preconception of a particular topic greatly intrigues and fascinates me (to the said subject).
Also, I was greatly inspired by this Aussie teacher who taught me for 2 years during my secondary school days. Mr Hunt has made the study of literature so interesting and relatable, that many of us would often stay back after school to stage impromptu drama skits or engage in friendly debates with him. I remembered how he once announced to the class that, ‘the study of literature is meant only for a privileged few, who is cultured enough to appreciate the intricacies of highbrow language.’ Being young and impressionable then, I yearned to be one of those people who could decode the ‘flowery language’ (of poetry) and make my teacher proud. Hence, this ignited my life-long pursuit of Literature.
2) What do you hope to gain from this course?
I hope to gain a deeper understanding towards the different methods and pedagogies of teaching literature in Singapore. Moreover, I would also like to take this opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals and explore different techniques that one could adopt to make their lessons more engaging for the students. Des =)
Dear Desmond,
DeleteI am so inspired by your reasons to become a Literature teacher. You display such passion for the subject.
Also, your Aussie teacher is quite the character. Like him, do you agree that "the study of literature is meant only for a privileged few"? There are times during my contract-teaching attitude when I felt that you do need both the attitude and aptitude to teach Literature. When students struggle with the language (I had students who barely passed their English Language exams and yet, they had to study English Literature), it hard not to agree with Mr. Hunt.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Firhana
1) What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI feel LIterature is a subject which exposes us to all the facets in life, it helps us to gain a deeper insight into issues which cannot be explained by mathematics or science. Very often, it also offers a new perspective with regards to problems and issues in our society. It is through this lens, I have learned to be less fixated on issues and view things in retrospect. Thus, I feel students should not think that studying Literature is a waste of time, I hope I will be able play a small role in planting the " seed of Literature" in the students.
2) Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
During my JC days, we did Gothic Literature for our A levels and the two Gothic texts: Jane Eyre and Dracula that we did got me really interested in Gothic novels. My Literature teacher Mr. Yeo was really passionate about Gothic Literature and he got us so fascinated with Gothic Literature because he was able to link Gothic theories to novels/poems/things which are seemingly " innocent". Also, he created a mini library in school where he puts up a collection of all the Gothic and Literature notes he has photocopied from the NUS library. Up till now, I still have a preference for Gothic genre when it comes to reading.
3) What do you hope to gain from this course?
I hope to learn how to teach Literature in an interesting manner and how to help students to score well during Literature examinations. It's a common complain among our students that no doubt they feel and agree that Literature is interesting, but they can't score well during exams.
Penny
Gothic Literature is something that has interested me as well. Frankenstein is one text that i hold really dear. Jane eyre is also great in its own ways and has in
Deletespired and interested me all through my college days..i am glad we are in the same group Penny :)
What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading. I love analyzing texts and I find it fun deciphering meanings behind literary works.
Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
Yes, the first exposure I had to a text that I loved reading was Memoirs of a Geisha, which was a book we had to read as a class. Since then, I began appreciating narratives about things that happen in the world that I may not ever imagine or experience.
What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
Literature in Singapore schools is very academic. It is hard to appreciate literature when you are going to be tested and graded on it. There is also suppression on the freedom of expression, especially in schools. Literature that contains any content that goes against the moral values of Asian culture is considered vulgar and will not be considered as valuable. There are many limitations in the type of literature that is exposed to students in schools.
What do you hope to gain from this course?
Pedagogy of literature for secondary school students.
1. What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I did not choose to teach Literature. It was decided that I should teach the subject alongside English. I do not mind it, of course. It is just that it is difficult to answer this question because I had not purposefully decided to become a Literature teacher.
That said, I must admit that the few months of teaching Literature during my contract teaching stint was a good experience. The opportunity to teach the students from Dunman Secondary presented me with a way to influence/ persuade/ force young adults to be affected, to enjoy and to appreciate drama, poetry, visual art forms, texts and other forms of art. I want to be part of this organic learning process.
2. Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
To a large extent, yes! I realise that the type of books I read change over the years. I also notice that I have begun re-reading some of the books I have already read and form new perspectives.
The above factors have made me reflect on what type of reading lists I would like to suggest to my students.
3. What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
Why - I share the belief that students should be encouraged to "enjoy the reading of literature and appreciate its contribution to aesthetic and imaginative growth" (MOE 2010, pg, 2). I also think Literature offers a great platform to explore "areas of human concerns" and an opportunity to park the teaching of 21st century core values or even National Education. (MOE 2010, pg. 2-3)
What - Students should be exposed to a range of various literary genres and those with varied themes. Next, a less Euro-centric approach to Literature should also be explored. Sufism to teach poetry, perhaps?
How - I am still discovering this. I have had the opportunity to work with an amazing teacher at Dunman Secondary who uses pop culture to teach the literary devices found in Arthur Miller's Crucible. I find her teaching strategy most interesting and effective.
What do you hope to gain from this course?
I hope to equip myself with effective teaching strategies both in my classroom teaching and when raising my son. Since I embraced motherhood, I find myself very interested in 'manipulating' my son's learning environment for specific learning outcomes. Hence, I hope to apply teaching tools I learn in this course both in the classroom and in my life.
Next, I am in the kidsREAD program where I volunteer my time to read to young underprivileged students. I hope to apply teaching strategies on these young children (specifically, on how to inculcate the love of reading).
Lastly, I hope to learn as much as possible (content-wise) and be inspired to keep on finding more about Teaching Literature upon completion of the course.
Firhana Alsagoff
I agree with you Firhana on the fact that every time you visit a text , you get to see it in a new light ..over the years as we grow up ..the stuff that we read grows with us too. Thus, everytime you re-read it, new perspectives are formed.
Delete1. What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI guess I've always felt more inclined to literature in school. It was the one subject that I actually enjoyed. Back then I suppose it was the on subject I could actually see myself pursuing whilst in university. The choice, then, seemed rather natural.
2. Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
Rhetorical much? =p
3. What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
To be honest, at this stage of my life, I find it difficult really difficult to articulate an answer to these questions. I understand that the only reason I see the "value" in literature, is because I grew up believing in an ideal aesthetic (think Hegel). This inclination to Literature ultimately lead to my own pursuit of it, thereby creating more value to literature itself. Yet within our local context, I cannot find a social reason for the study of literature. To say that it "nurtures the soul" likens literature to religion, which I personally think is a tad presumptuous on the part of the lit inclined. To say that it has social value well the question really is what set of values and subscribed to by whom? So, to sum it up, to the "why we teach lit?" I can only answer that I do not know why, but that I think we must.
To the "what" question, I personally enjoy the Literature of England. It's stories, mythologies and cultural evolution is what created my love for Literature. Yet I hear the calls of Postcolonialism. Political and economic factors have also created a situation where the one subaltern nations can now speak (or can they... i suppose this is somewhat debatable....) But I do love my Shakespeare and my Milton... So again, to the "what" I can only say, I don't know. Personally I'd like to see us teach more Theory and Criticism, but then again, no 14yr old is gonna be able to appreciate theory I suppose.
4. What do you hope to gain from this course?
I must be honest and say, once more, I don't know. Perhaps, like Andrea, a pedagogy for teaching literature? Or perhaps just more ideas about lit to mull over.
What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteDid your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
I believe it was my brother.He thought it was his divine duty to pour his love for Literature onto his little sister in subtle ways whereby he could accomodate me in his "literary" team .Though I must admit I always loved reading books, I still wasn't sure, even during my High-school days, if I'd be taking this up as my graduating subject or later in my masters.He projected Literature to possess this omnipresent texture which pervaded every other field of knowledge.Soon I fell for it because I could see his point-he was so right.With time my reading spectrum grew and matured progressively from Blyton's "Secret Seven" series to Hardy's "Far from the madding crowd".
I started to strongly believe in the fact that what more could be important than expressing and communicating our thoughts, for us,the social animals?But the battle was on how could each be different from the other in their expression?How uniquely can our thoughts(when they are similar to others) be 'signified' exploiting language to the fullest?I also started taking pride in the fact that my mind began to interpret normal aspects of life in multiple colours and perspectives : something the "blessed" few possessed ( That was ofcourse my naive self way back in my secondary school days). A pen to me could look a lot like a fighter-plane or something remotely separated from the weapon of most writers,and that my friend,took the shape of Literature in my mind to me.I knew it immediately I could not take a word for what it stood for but itched to look at it from various levels of meanings or give new connotations to it.I knew if I had stayed on in the "normal" community, taken up a science or some other subject I would be in no time stamped as "stark mad".Hence such a choice, my friend; Should be quite clear to you all now, my fellow "eccentrics"..and ofcourse that's a complement (c.f. Coleridge,Blake,Bronte sisters and endlessly the names flow)
Besides my brother,what ignited that flame of Literature within me to set ablaze was the biography of Anne Frank. That was the time when I started to write. I put my own literature into words and began maintaining a diary which also became my favourite book to read at times when I did not wish to play the writer.It pleasantly startled the non-writer within me.I was not and still believe I am not a writer ; excuse the occasional moments of my writing outburst which happens only when there is a pretty new untouched diary lying around my desk and overflowing emotions overpowering me.
Fortunately or unfortunately,I took over my brother's "divine" duty this time to practise on a large scale audience (what better than a class-room)and try to instill that love in them to make them quest for the unknown or question the known in the light of the unknown.
I'am sure everyone has this love for literature in them which just needs to be explored and discovered. I'm here to make more minds identify that for themselves.The thirst to know can/should never die.
What do you hope to gain from this course?
To affirm the fact I made the right choice by being here :)( spread love and literature)
(1) What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI read Literature in university and so became a Literature teacher. I could teach Economics but the government wouldn't have liked that much, I guess. They haven't realised that I could be just as potent a corrupting influence on the masses of students as a Literature teacher.
(2) Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
I have a broad and eclectic (or unpredictable?) range of reading interests. Certainly this has shaped my professional biography, or whatever that means, why not? Did my school experiences influence it, though? Sure. It gave me more things to read and that can't be a bad thing, no? By the way, does anybody have a copy of Montaigne's Essays? Mine is arriving in 10 days and I can't wait...
(3) What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
Why? It's entertaining, noisy, involves dancing, some spitting, forgiving, disrupts the soul, challenging, gives you the occasional silence of absolute profoundness in class during which you can catch the snooze that you actually really need, and on top of that, genuinely gives students something to think about for years and years and years and years and...
What? Books, poems, short stories, or whatever the kids may be interested in and I'll share something I'm interested in too. I'm not sure why kids are not allowed to choose (or given a range, really, not just between two or three books!) what they read or study for exams. Or are they? Time constraints?
How? Apparently, I don't know, hence, I'm here. I suppose we could always wordle literary texts and tangler once in a while as we twit and mindomo our exploratree...
What do you hope to gain from this course?
The Aims and Approaches of Teaching Literature. Everything else gets a cookie. :p
What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI was in a Contemporary Literature lecture one day when my professor commented: “the world is never just the world”. That pretty much started it all. I soon came to understand that all I’ve ever wanted is to continue my affair with Literature. The fact that literature seems to be a dying subject kinda scares me. And so I thought, why not teach and keep Literature alive?
Did your reading biography or schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
Definitely. Almost all books that I’ve read in Uni are amazing and I would so recommend them to my studens as well.
What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
Why?
I believe it is the only subject in school that not only privileges the imagination, but also teaches humans to be aware of their own feelings and emotions, as they make the journey into themselves. In that sense I believe literature allows students to discover new ways of looking at the world, dealing with complexities and trusting their opinions and thoughts before making their judgments.
What?
Methinks it’s a whole chunk, ranging from classics to contemporary literary works/films/even songs/other works of art. The variety and diversity is probably what makes Lit so much more fulfilling (and fun!)
How?
I do feel its essential for educators to understand their students’ ability and potential in dealing with the resources given to them. I guess as educators, we have to be aware that students (depending on their level of maturity/learning ability) are compelled to negotiate their own evaluative stance according to various factors, including their sense of what appeals to them (pop culture?) and their understanding of forms/conventions, which in turn will determine their depth of expression.
So I guess it is equally essential to emphasize the need for our students to understand the conventions of reading/analyzing film/poetry and other works of literature as we expose them to various resources.
What do you hope to gain frm this course?
To find out more about the creative ways of teaching Literature :-)
1. If students can enjoy reading, and reading literature, then they'll pretty much be open towards learning. Hopefully literature will inspire them to think about their actions and remind them of society at large... I would like to play a part.
ReplyDelete2. Growing up with the characters of the Bookworm Club, Enid Blyton, Carmen Sandiego, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes made me aspire to become a detective. It didn't really work out... But I still like reading a good book when I can. ("Good" is subjective)
In university I was exposed to more books, and I particularly enjoy East Asian / Post-colonial texts as much as some were translations. While I am not an avid reader, I do enjoy the prose of Jeanette Winterson and Jonathan Safran Foer... A. W. Tozer is my favorite Christian philosophical/ theological author too.
3. I don't really get this question, but I suppose we teach lit in Secondary schools because it refines us (teachers and students alike) into better humans. I must say that students these days have more options, and get to see literature in more multi-modal and interactive ways... Credit goes to hardworking and passionate teachers who put in effort to help students fall in love with a supposedly boring subject (and NIE/ MOE for training us). :D
4. More ideas that hopefully work, more reflection and deep thinking, and more knowledge on literature/ literary theory.
I have shared with some of the people in class that I was made to take Literature in my JC days because I was doing so badly in the Science stream. Without any Literature background, I was thrown into a world of Shakespeare, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Thomas More and Margaret Atwood. I struggled with all the terminologies-- sonnets, stanzas, rhyme scheme, hyperbole, and a million others. I felt like I was going mad-- madly in love with how beautiful this whole new literary world is. What made it worked was my Literature tutor. She was the most patient and charming lady I have ever met and up till today, I find myself remember some of the things she had said. She was the one who spent so much time compiling the most comprehensive Literature file that saved me when I was drowning in all the literary terminologies, she was the one who said it's silly to sleep on the bus because so many beautiful things are happening around us and we miss it, she was also the one who told us to read everywhere we go-- especially on the toilet where we spend so much of our time! Basically, she's made me fall in love with Literature and I wish I can do the same for my students.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the things I learn from this course can help me be a Literature teacher who not only feels passionate about the subject, but am able to articulate and convey this passion to my students.
Elaine
Literature is my life, but I never saw myself as a Literature teacher, never did see myself as a teacher at all. I still want to move back to England, finish my Phd and become an academic, don't think I will change my mind about that anytime soon. The best way for me to answer this question is to say that I am still finding my way. If I can inspire my students to develop a love for the subject as I have, or at least respect it, and if they can discover the sheer bliss I feel each time I read a good book (it is spiritual Ian!!), then maybe I will have become a teacher.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about Literature, something I can't put my finger on. Something that gives me tingles, something that frees me from ennui, it is living, pulsing, organic. I can't put it down in ACOLADE or CLLIPS; don't think the curriculum planning division will approve of this statement! Really hope I have the chance to teach H3 literature. Nothing made me happier than to sit down with my manuscript and try and make sense of it. If I had my way, I'd ban sparknotes and cliffnotes. Students need to learn how to own their interpretations, to search, to question, to not dread reading even more books to find evidence. I fancied myself as some sort of detective, and the thrill of it was marvelous.
I guess I now need to ground myself and learn some pedagogy. It's all well and good to tell the kids that they can get all this out of literature, but at the end of the day, I'm going to have to TEACH them how to get all of this. Challenge accepted.
What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteIt's a natural thing for me. I think Kafka summarized it very well for me, for when he spoke of himself, he spoke of me too: "Since I am nothing but Literature".
Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
Yes. For sure. Certainly. The big three writers in my life, Kafka, Beckett, and Proust, have influenced the way I teach, not just literature, but any other subject in school. Perhaps the what stems from their influence is a particular outlook on life that pervades my teaching. I cannot put my finger on it.
With regard to my schooling experiences, only two key experiences have etched marks so deeply in me that they have become part and parcel of who I am as a teacher. First, my JC literature tutor Miss K. I cannot fully explain the experience, her aura, her influence. Secondly, my time spend in Paris, studying at the Sorbonne: I learnt how to read there. It changed the way I read literature ever since. Again, that I cannot fully explain, because such things can only be experienced and lived.
What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
Why English Literature? It opens up the mind to worlds.
What English Literature? Anything, everything. Devour everything.
How English Literature? I believe that one should start as young as possible, and it should not be merely something that schools impose on their students, but from their parents as well. Literature needs to be an existence, even though we may live other lives and develop other careers apart from literature.
What do you hope to gain from this course?
How to read even better.
What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI did not 'decide' to be a literature teacher.
It is not to say that I'm reluctantly in this profession/ course, but I have never seen myself as a 'beacon of knowledge', much less a role model. I always feel like I haven't read/ know enough to 'teach'.
I suppose subconsciously I always felt that I had something important to share with the world- whatever it is and however little of it I possessed; I was never able to assert any form of influence in anything else until I found teaching. People were actually listening to me for once and were reacting to my opinions, emotions to texts, or my observations of life in general, which inspired me to keep generating and sharing them.
Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
My mum used to take my sisters and I to the (old) National Library on weekends. I loved reading books to other kids who were (or not) interested to listen; sometimes we'd pop by MPH. I was always reading under the table and traded Baby-sitter's or Animal Arc books with the 'lit circle' in my class. Throughout childhood/ adolescence the library was my sanctuary.
After the 'A' levels I worked at Borders. I loved every minute of it, though we were overworked and poorly paid. I met my best friend there; when business was slow we read anything from Warren Buffet to Rumi. I simply like being in the presence of books.
Paul Theroux said, 'Fiction gives us a second chance that life denies us.' I was pretty messed up growing up. I live vicariously through fictional characters, seeking solace in identifying with their crises. Someone told me that I reminded them of 'Alice', which was (to me at least) the biggest compliment. Reading was my way of coping with being in a constant state of flux and 'wandering'/ 'wondering'.
What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
I believe that my beliefs are irrelevant. However, I do strongly believe that there is as much value in Lit as 'health sciences' or whatever; as readers we have a social, if not personal responsibility to keep generating readers and 'thinking' and 'feeling' people.
What do you hope to gain from this course?
To 'wander'/ 'wonder' less about how to dispense ophiate to the masses.
What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading and I suppose teaching literature is an natural extension of that. As for teaching the subject, I believe that literature has the power to transform consciousness, and to critically examine (and subvert) existing power structures and I hope to be able to transmit those ideas to my students.
Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
Can I ever know anything that is outside my experience? Also, I don't have much of a professional biography (as of yet) and I think it's too soon to tell.
As for my 'reading biography' - reading is/ was my form of escapism and I read anything and everything. Why I read what I read is probably too complicated (and boring!) to explain in a single post, suffice to say that I think that writing is a vehicle for ideas, and that ideas and their underlying assumptions should always be questioned.
What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
This this a question about what I believe to be the existing reason for English Literature education, or my own views? I suppose one must balance the heavy emphasis on functionality on the technical sciences in Singapore, and English literature improves the standard of English, no? Some acknowledgement that we have feelings, and a controlled channel for those emotions is necessary...
I have no issue with the current selection of books in the classroom, though as a modern literature person I'd rather there be Classics offered separately, and that I'm tired of everybody assuming that I study Shakespeare.
How is literature taught varies from school to school and is quite teacher-dependent. As an avid reader, I'm not sure if I'd be able to connect with students who simply hate reading. In general though, the creative process isn't quite emphasised enough in schools. Creative writing seems to be dying a slow death - the emphasis seems to be on the more functional, newspaper/ school journal kind.
What do you hope to gain from this course?
How to teach literature (better).
What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI never actually did Literature until Junior College but was an avid reader since young. Although i enjoyed Literature lessons and reading, i only decided to be a Literature teacher when i was in Junior College. There was a very inspiring Literature Teacher who passionately encouraged us to see Literature differently. I feel that Literature is a subject where Teachers are allowed to talk about life, Literature is about life. I feel that Literature allows students to think more critically and form their own opinions, this made me believe i can better help students and therefore teaching Literature was the choice.
Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
My time in university allowed me to engage a lot of Literary theories. These theories shape what i read and how i read, they definitely will shape how i teach.
What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
I believe that the Arts, Language and Humanities have been marginalised long enough in this country. Literature is even more marginalised by the curriculum and lack of professional Literature Teachers. Students are given the impression this subject is useless and unimportant, it is just about memorizing quotes and passing at the exam at secondary 2 (It is like a disease people run from). I am not afraid to say this because all my life, my passion for something is developed when someone bothers to make it interesting for me. If Teachers make it simply an exam to pass, it will never be interesting.
I am absolutely disappointed that Literature is only offered to brighter students, weaker students (NT stream) are not offered the same experience and process of learning literature because they will pull down the mean-subject-grade (MSG) at national exams. I believe that all streams should be offered literature and literature can be taught at different levels if curriculum planners will put in effort to make it suitable for weaker students.
Literature is about life, Studying literature forms minds for the better, Literature is for everyone.
What do you hope to gain from this course?
I hope i will be able to gain insights on how to make Literature fun, interesting and applicable for learners in school.
Yes I agree that NT stream students have not been given a chance to understand what Literature is all about. Curriculum planners need to come up with innovative ways to make the subject more accessible to non-Express students. This involves choosing easier, more relatable and digestible texts as well as modifying the assessment process and criteria, such as implementing project work, learning through speech and drama and setting MCQ instead of open-ended tests/exams for NA/NT students.
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ReplyDelete1) What made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteFor the longest time - after I wanted to be a lawyer and a professional violinist - I wanted to be a teacher and that ambition has stuck with me since junior college days. I didn't know why I wanted to be a teacher but I was just very inclined to it and I could see myself doing it - working with youth and in some ways, guiding them by sharing thoughts/ideas/life stories.
I reckon that first stemmed from the older sibling syndrome - to be in control of everything lest we get into trouble with our parents, boss our siblings around quite a bit, tell them what they should and shouldn't do. But as I grew older, I fell in love with reading. My parents always brought me to the library or bookstores to pick out a book. As shocking as this may sound, my earliest childhood memory that I can remember is that of sitting at a Times Bookstore somewhere and gazing up at the towering shelves of books. I was always reading when I was a kid. I hated computer games and felt that running around a playground was still second to discovering a whole new world behind words. So really, studying Literature at uni was naturally the next thing for me to do.
However, there is a backstory to wanting to work with youth - I grew up in a youth ministry in church and as I grew older, I realized that I wouldn't be where I am today if not for the people who saw potential in me and got me to believe in myself. So, I guess this desire has been taking root in me for a long, long time and it was only when I started university that I realized that I truly want to be a teacher and I can do that by combining my desire to work with youth, to help them believe in themselves and my knowledge of Literature, a subject that is so organic and pulsing with life. The only other subject that helps you to understand relationships and people, feelings and abstract ideas, that opens your eyes to the beauty of language and the power of words to evoke and to put to sleep.. (: It's an incredible subject to teach yet I profess that I know so, so, so little. I would totally love to study even more but that's got to wait after the bond's up.
Through this course, I hope to be able to help make my future lit lessons more engaging and palatable for young minds. I don't envisage a whole troop of students scoring As for lit but I do hope and wish that my students will become more confident of their writing and in expressing themselves, to be able to find their voice in my class and hopefully, that will bring them places. Places far beyond their wildest dreams. Voracious readers... yes, that too (: that my class would make them fall in love in reading and once that happens, I think it's half the battle won in terms of acquiring knowledge.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat made you decide to become a Literature teacher?
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed reading but I was not given the opportunity to study it in secondary school so when I went to JC, I embraced the opportunity to study Literature at A levels. Ever since then, it has been my amazingly eccentric teacher who has inspired me to continue to explore Literature.
Did your "reading biography" and schooling experiences influence your professional biography?
Literature in University has really opened my mind to literary theories so ever since then I learnt to appreciate texts on a deeper level. The thing that excited me at University was the choice we had to engage with all sorts of Literature and this has broadened my reading biography.
What are your beliefs about the "why" and "what" and "how" of English Literature education in Singapore?
I believe that all students regardless of their academic stream should be given the chance to offer it. When I did contract teaching, the school did not place any emphasis on English Literature. They did not even want to offer it for O levels and it is because of this that the students in school do not take this subject seriously. Another thing that is quite upsetting is the fact that the schools love to chuck the Literature teachers with English language classes. The same thing happens in JCS where the Literature teachers end up teaching GP! I think that if they want students to really appreciate Literature, then stop pushing us around and allow us to come up with a proposal so that we can teach the students at N and O levels.
What do you hope to gain from this course?
Definitely some pedagogy and ways to make Literature engaging for the students.
When I was in VJC, I thought I would either be a lawyer, a HR person or a teacher. They were all what I thought were people-related jobs. Studied law in the end because dad thought it was good to have a profession and I got into law school. But didn't enjoy it much and after getting called to the bar, decided that I wanted to do something I loved, so teaching it was. I was assigned History and English but begged my interview committee to let me do Literature, which they did, and for that, I am thankful. Love reading, love to get kids reading, and while I love literature, I think I love teaching literature more than I love literature, if that makes sense. I love being in the classroom, and there are times I miss being in school. Am glad to be back teaching after maternity leave though I wouldn't have minded being a stay-at-home mother. The contradictions and tensions of life...
ReplyDeleteHonestly i never quite knew what i wanted to be, but i always had the love for literature in me. (WOW that rhymes). It was the only subject all through school that i wanted to study and enjoyed. There is something about literature that appeals to me..its breathing, pulsating nature, the freedom of expressing your thought and the exposure to multiple perspectives was always something i found delight in. Literature classes were something to look forward too specially in JC when my Literature teacher Mr Richard Southerland (all those who know me well, know him already :)) instilled in us a strong sense of reading out of the text.Literature to me then became, not just a text and the story that was being told but what i make of the text and how it can help me look at another persons perspective to life. To me Literature informs you and prepares you like no other subject can. It makes you perceive life in not just the mundane practical way but as something more heightened than that. Every emotion that can ever be, has been immortalised by Literature. To sum it up ..i never liked studying anything more than i did Literature. So , much against the wishes of my parents, i decide to pursue literature for my masters. I hope i can kindle this love in at least a few , if not all my students. I hope i can sensitize them to look at things beyond what appears to the eye and understand the world better , something i believe only literature can equip them with.
ReplyDeleteEver since, i have read much but found the modern and post modern writers most appealing..may be because of the fluidity of writing, the lack of any set pattern which leaves all to your imagination and interpretation. T.S.Eliot would be my favourite. I also enjoy reading Diaspora related writings which give you a clearer picture into the mind of the rootless man who belongs to no country.The Gothic genre is interesting too with works such as Jane Eyre and Frankenstein being my favourite.
From this course i hope to learn how to be better able to give my students what my teachers gave me. I wish to instil in them a love for Literature.
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ReplyDeleteQ1)Honestly, it wasn't my personal choice to be a Literature teacher as I didn't take it for both 'O' and 'A' levels. The subject was allocated by MOE. I realise that I have alot to learn compared to the rest. I can't quote poets, great writers and lines from canonical texts,however I do enjoy a good read (be it Dan Brown or D.H. Lawrence... I frankly don't care!)AND I love that Literature is interpretive as I am an opinionated individual.
ReplyDeleteQ3)During my one year stint as a contract teacher in Jurongville Secondary, I was shocked to realise that Literature was not offered as an 'O' level subject as many students displayed zero interest in it. This is definitely an indicator of the probable demise of Literature education in neighbourhood schools. As a beginning teacher, I feel that it would be my responsibility to highlight the fact that Literature isn't a subject meant for just elite school students. Yes, their comprehension and inference skills may be higher than that of neighbourhood school students resulting in the achievement of better grades for the subject. BUT, with the right choice of texts, exposure and teching methods who is to say that even Normal Techincal students can't enjoy the subject and even perform well? The onus is thus on us to change this sad situation.
Q4) As I mentioned earlier I don't have much literary knowledge as the other students in this course, therefore I hope to LEARN TONNES. Particulary, I hope the course will increase my exposure to important literary works and improve my poetry analysis skills (which I su*k at!) At the end of the course, I hope to be adequately equipped to be a good Literature teacher.