A Differing Perspective

Overall, I seem to be having some trouble with this book. I mean, I understand the format of the book, as well as the value behind the lesson plans the authors describe. I understand the book, but I have trouble relating to it.

I don't teach K-12. I have zero experience with that realm and, quite frankly, feel underqualified discussing approaches to K-12 teaching. I teach college writing, and I am not bound by the same constraints that K-12 teachers face, nor do I see my students on a daily basis for a full academic year.

As such, I've decided to lean heavily on the authors' concepts of adaptability. In Chapter Two, Murphy and Smith suggest we "think of the upcoming lesson as representing one approach to integration. It's an adaptable model" (11). I underlined this sentence and wrote "USE THIS" in the margin next to it. I've been preaching the idea of adaptability for some time now, so that's going to be my approach to this book. Though some of the lesson plans offered seem better suited to teachers who have more face time with their students, I think I can take chunks of the ideas presented and try to incorporate them into my WRTG 120 class in the fall.

My biggest concern with this divide is presenting information to my students and having them respond with disdain. I don't want them to feel I think less of them as students because I'm bringing K-12 material and approaches into a college classroom, regardless of the value those materials may have. Consequently, by adapting the material, such as the narrative writing and peer responses, to suit my class, I may be able to utilize some of the information presented in this book without alienating my students in the process.

Only time will tell...