One of the most exciting things about becoming an English teacher is creating my library. Books have always been one of my favorite things; they’re the reason I ended up with an English degree. My goal was to move to New York after college and work my way to the top of a publishing company. I always thought being an acquisitions editor would be the ultimate job. And then I met a boy… but alas, everything works out as it should in the end, no?
So here I am, soon to begin my final 3 classes before student teaching next spring, and every day I find another book to add to my “to buy” list. A couple weeks ago I spent an afternoon on Thriftbooks (one of my absolute favorite sites!) and bought $500 worth of books for $30. Doesn’t get any better than that, folks! Finding the time to read them all is another thing, but getting them into my library is the first step.
Today, instead of simply adding to my list, I found a book that I had to buy immediately. It’s cowritten by Alan Sitomer and Michael Cirelli, and it’s called Hip-Hop Petry and the Classics for the Classroom. I’ve always loved poetry, but in just about every English teaching class I’ve had there’s been a discussion about how difficult it is to teach. High school kids too often think negatively of poetry, and the forced teaching of classics only worsens their negative opinions. Of course, as a new teacher, I’m all “I’m going to make it fun!” And the professionals who have been teaching all their life look at me and think, “Yeah, right. I remember when I could change the world…”
From what I can tell, Sitomer and Cirelli have created something really good with this book… at least something that teachers can work with, and hopefully, something students can, too. This is one addition to my library that I can’t wait to read!
What books do you consider “must-haves” for an English teacher’s library?
I think it depends on what kind of teacher you are. I had a AP English 11 teacher who I hated, who was really hard on me, who taught The Scarlet Letter and The Assistant (Bernard Malamud) in a way that changed my life.
The following year I had an easier teacher who loved me, and I never even finished Gulliver’s Travels or A Brave New World, though I did get an A for Candide for writing “the best essay about a book you clearly have not read that I’ve ever seen.”
I personally think teachers now should consider works that are rarely taught at a high school level, like Ginsberg’s “Howl,” to name one that comes to mind immediately. I think the real challenge – and we have talked about this – is finding literature that is relevant to modern kids. Don DeLillo, Francine Prose, Joyce Carol Oates, John Irving – there are so many truly great authors who have written tremendous books that get overlooked because they’re not traditional, or “classic.”
P.S. I think Joyce is completely wasted on high schoolers. Maybe on anyone under age 25.