Monday, August 11, 2014

The Giver

As many of you know, I decided to have the kids in S2A read The Giver this past term. I'd like to shout out to Mrs. Bartlett of the St. Catherine's School library, Sherry from Seattle U, and my mom for helping make it possible. On a whim of mine, they hunted down 23 copies of the book and had them sent via Sue Jackles (also of SU -thanks for being the courier) to me. 

Not having ever taught a book before I didn't really know what I was doing, or what I was getting into. I love reading and remember being enthralled by The Giver when I first read it in middle school. My tackling of this project was solely based on my desire to pass a love for reading on to them. The textbooks the school has are awful, filled with moralizing tales of why it's important to study hard and be a good citizen. It leaves no room for creativity or imagination. They offer very little to enhance their minds or even capture their attention. I wanted to try a book, a real novel, one written especially for teens.

I am not sure how successful I was in the end. We took a term to read it. I had them read a few chapters each week and we had weekly discussions on the book, intermixed between grammar and vocabulary lectures so they wouldn't fall behind the national curriculum. 

A few of the kids finished the book in the first 3 days I gave it to them. One student in particular read it super fast. He proudly told me after a week that he was done, my response being "that's great, but we still have a lot of work to do with it." He is a student who was considered too "weak" last year to move on and is thus repeating this year. As the term progressed, he really stepped up his work and I realized that reading comprehension, summarizing, short answer thinking questions about the text were his thing. I was proud to see him go from the middle of his English class to the top, and while I don't necessarily think it had to do with English, I know the rest of his grades improved too. 

I enjoyed watching the kids struggle to think about the questions The Giver raises. Questions about utopia and dystopia. Questions about is having no pain worth the price of having no joy either? Questions related to the world in the book, that allowed us to reflect together upon our own world, it's similarities and differences. Questions about euthanasia and right and wrong. Questions about pain, suffering, and sacrifice. 

Some parts of the book I knew would be a struggle. For some the vocabulary of the book and the reading level itself were just too much. However, there were aspects of the book that challenged them In places I did not expect. One day about half way through the book I asked them how they pictured Jonas' world looking (Jonas being the protagonist). When I got a bunch of blank stares back, I asked if they could picture it at all. The response was "it is somehow difficult" (somehow being absolutely the favorite word of English speaking Rwandans). The first quarter of the book was mostly description and set up, though done subtly. I understood some that between the language of the text and subtulty of the description why there might be some confusion, but we had at that point talked for several weeks about the rules of the society, the lack of color, the "sameness" that existed in the world. I had, do have, such a vivid image in my mind of the world Lois Lowry describes that I didn't stop to think that perhaps the kids didn't or couldn't see it too. For many it was the first time they'd read anything remotely science fiction like, it wouldn't surprise me either if, for many, it was the longest book they'd ever read. They've had no practice and no reason to practice making the words come to life in their mind. They've not had to picture another world before, even when that world is based on our own. At Tim's suggestion I had them draw a scene to try to put them in the world. As the story progressed I could tell that they were still struggling based on the questions they asked: how can it be our world without color? How can you take the color out? How can you take away weather and hills? How come Father doesn't understand what he is doing? There remained a disconnect for many if them. For some however, it clicked. 

One student, the reader of the class who finished the book first in under 3 days, asked me when it was over if I could get him the other 3 books in the series. This is a common question I get from the few readers of the school whom I teach. When I told one boy who was reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for fun that it was 1 of 6 books he asked me if I could get them the other 5. What I mean though is that being asked for the sequel makes me think at least someone on the class got something out of it, even if it was the one student I knew going in who would appreciate it most anyway. 

Because St. Ignatius is a relatively progressive school we, once a year, have parent teacher conferences. It was a daunting experience for me because many of the parents don't speak English and so I am relying on gestures, pointing at grades, and the student themselves to translate for me. The best moment of the conferences was a conversation I had with one of the parents of S2A. Talking to the Mom of the boy who rocked at reading the book, I was excited to find a parent who understood what I was trying to do. I think she must be an educator, especially judging by the fact that she spoke English okay, and her general attitude toward us as teachers, but when I mentioned her son's improvement and said that what we were studying in English is legitimately his thing, the book came up. This mother expressed her appreciation for the fact we were reading a novel in class. She made it sound as if she herself had read the book (perhaps borrowing it from her son) and she heartily approved of the selection. She is one of my favorite parents, clearly very involved in her children's education. She thanked me for the questions I have asked the class and how I am trying to make them think critically, showing me she looks at their work. It was nice to be recognized by a parent for that.

Doing it over again, I would certainly change things. I don't think I did the book justice. I had to rush the  through the ending. I am not sure I allowed them to think enough on it. I am not sure what I was trying to do entirely translated. I am not sure I asked the right questions. I would do more with vocabulary and comprehension, I would do more with quizzes and summarizing. Next time, if there is one, I think I can do better. On the flip side though, reading a novel in class (they were shocked they got to keep the books for a full term and take them home to read!) was a first for all of them, so they are in no position to judge if I was successful or not....

Stay tuned for more on my 2 week end of term break in which Tim and I, to the absolute horror and confusion of ALL the Rwandans we know, spent 3 days trekking across part of the country aaaaaaaaaand sleeping in a tent (a truely appalling idea to every Rwandan we've talked to). It may or may not come before I leave for South Africa on Friday, but if it doesn't happen before I'll just have lots more stories to tell when I get back....