The first of these two chapters, “Becoming an English Teacher: Theory into Practice” encourages us, as new teachers, to reflect on our literacy experiences to discover our perspectives on reading, writing, and language. I am a lifelong reader, and I have loved books since before I could read. I tend to view reading as a wonderful tool for knowing the unknown and traveling anywhere. When my family moved to a new neighborhood in my childhood, I sought books as a source of company and comfort. I would travel, via bicycle, to the public library several times per week. My experience of writing, though, was completely different. I did well on school assigned essays, but I despised all school assigned creative writing assignments because I believed they were trite and unnecessary. These experiences have shaped my view of language. I believe that language is a tool, and that, like all tools, learned and used best by those who enjoy them and use them in personally meaningful ways. For example, this summer I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The narrator speaks of the relationship between he and his motorcycle as he uses tools to maintain it. He claims that a feeling of disconnection from tools and maintenance methods leads to isolation and a meaningless (and often disastrous) experience. Similarly, I think that reading, writing, speaking, and listening should be tools our students use in ways that are personally meaningful. When I read as a child, I made important connections to the characters because reading was a meaningful activity for me, whereas teacher designed writing assignments (“Name the historical figure you would most like to meet and why.”) seemed like a waste of time.
 

The first chapter also gives several helpful suggestions for new teachers. I agree completely with the importance of planning. The first time I taught, I approached the lesson like a class presentation: I figured once I got up there I could just follow my very loose notes. I hadn’t anticipated how nervous I would be and how different it would feel to be the teacher rather than a student. The next class I planned exactly what I wanted to say—I did not read the lecture, but I also did not get completely off topic or run out of things to say. I also liked the method of planning units rather than individual daily plans. Units create continuity between class meetings and allow the teacher more freedom each day.
 

I don’t agree with the “language as artifact” approach to teaching for several reasons. First, I believe that reading and writing need to meaningful to an individual, and text-centered courses do not allow a focus on the individual learner. Second, I believe I fall far short of the role of “teacher as expert.” I do not think I would enjoy centering all classroom activities on my interpretation of the text. In my literature courses I enjoy hearing the interpretations of others, which might cause me to change my opinion. Although there are advantageous to this approach (most notably, the fact that it prepares students well for college), I think the limits outweigh these benefits and I would use this approach in moderation or in combination with other approaches.