A topic recently discussed in one of my M.ed classes was how best to teach literature in the classroom. Since high school, I always enjoyed the traditional lecture approach and I advocated this in my discussion. I know this method of teaching may not be useful for all students, but I find it to be very helpful in Honors classes and for above-average achiever because it prepares them for the basic structure of college-level classes. However, I found that I was greatly outnumbered by my classmates. They spoke about the importance of student led discussions, collaborative learning, and the benefit of having students learn from each other.
That evening, our assigned reading focused on the significance of implementing reading groups in to Language Arts Curriculum. I learned from the text that reading groups should be carefully selected by the teacher and should include readers at all levels. High achievers will be able to assist their group with making sense of the text and having a relevant discussion around the readings. In an informal setting such as this, lower level readers will not feel as intimidated to ask questions because they are a part of a small learning community and collaboration is expected. Students work together to deconstruct the text while also actively teaching and learning from one anothers literary interpretations.
This classroom discussion and assigned reading was very influential on my future teaching practices. I now understand that creating many small reading communities in the classroom academically and socially benefit the students in ways that a lecture-based classroom would not.
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