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Philosophy of Teaching Literature Philosophy of Teaching Literature

At the beginning of the school year, this information will be presented orally to the students. I'm adding it to the web page so that parents can better understand what we're doing (and what we're NOT doing in the classroom.) As always, if parents have specific questions or concerns, they are encouraged to arrange a conference.

  • Students will be memorizing literary devices but more importantly, they will be learning how to identify the use and purpose of these devices in literature,  and actually use them more frequently in their writing. Whew! It’s a lot to handle, but if they work hard, they will be successful!
  • I encourage students to share (appropriately!) because the class is more interesting if THEY share more than I share. It takes courage to share – students may say something that’s controversial or something that will be challenged by another classmate or by me. Students need to know that they are safe to share because they have the support of their classmates. Of course, students need to share responsibly. The following rules will be shared with the students:
    1. Don’t say something inappropriate just to get a laugh. You may get your laugh but you lose some of your credibility.
    2. Speak so that everyone in the room can hear you. If someone can’t hear you, be prepared to repeat your comment. Nothing should be shared with only your neighbor.
    3. Listen to the conversation so that what you say connects and contributes to the discussion.
    4. Don’t laugh. Don’t judge.
    5. You can attack the comment but not the person.
    6. Generalizations based on a person's gender, race, religion, or national origin will not be tolerated.
    7. What is said in class should stay in class. We need to think of ourselves as a community and we should be able to trust one another. This applies to me as well except for those things which by law I have to share with others.
    8. Be honest. If someone says something that’s hurtful, please tell us!!!
    9. Leave problems at the door.
  • Some of what we’ll discuss may be political. Although I vote and I have definite opinions about most social issues, I am a-political in the classroom. This means that I will not make any statement for the purpose of supporting a candidate or political party. Honestly, I have voted in nine presidential elections and have voted for people from each party as well as one independent candidate for president. I am not in-line with every belief of the Republican Party, the Democratic Party or any Independent Party. Don’t read anything into the comments I make and infer that I support a specific candidate, social issue or foreign policy. If students are taking one position on a topic, they should expect that I will take the other side so that there can be true dialogue and discussion. (Parents and students can expect that I will never take the side of defending illegal or immoral actions, though.)
  • The power of literature is that it transforms individuals and society. My hope is that my students will be transformed. Since many of the problems in our country and in the world result from intolerance and ignorance, many of the selections that we’ll read this year connect to intolerance – specifically discrimination. We will read about discrimination based on religion, race, and gender. Because these are sensitive topics, some may feel self-conscious. As we’re reading any of these selections, students should let me know about any discomfort so that we can address their needs.




Mrs. Stluka's Web Site
Shiner ISD
P.O. Drawer 804
510 CR 348
Shiner, TX 77984