At the commencement of my studies in ETL402, I had little experience or knowledge relating to the use of children’s literature to support the curriculum. As an experienced teacher across a range of subject areas in secondary schools (but not English) it had not occurred to me that the subjects I taught could be supported by literary learning as it had not been presented to me, either by other staff or students or during professional development activities.
Initially, I held the narrow view that literary fiction is used to address the English curriculum in schools but is otherwise enjoyed as a hobby. In a blog post on March 8, in relation to graphic novels and wordless picture books, I made the comment that “it is uplifting to think that we can advance beyond our notions of what we have always thought something to be, and challenge these ideas for the benefit of future generations.” The concept of this statement can also be applied to my views on the integration of literary fiction. Cornett (2014) describes the value of including literary arts across the curriculum, emphasising that literature encourages a reader to make personal meaning of themes, helps students build empathy and respect, and helps students deepen their understandings and engage in creative inquiry.
It is difficult to engage in a curriculum-based unit and not apply the content to the curriculum areas that you have the most experience in. However, it is important to be receptive to new knowledge and research. The completion of the assignments and course content of this subject has opened my eyes to the value of using literary fiction to teach and facilitate learning. On a basic level, literature presents a conflict that requires a solution, and this drives the plot. This allows students to imagine possibilities, connect ideas and draw conclusions (Cornett, 2014). What I have learnt is that this type of creative inquiry need not be exclusive to an English classroom and can provide incredibly rich learning experiences across a diverse range of subject areas. In fact, I even learnt about bibliotherapy, the use of books and stories to support social and emotional needs (Heath, Smith & Young, 2017) and had never come across this in 8 years of teaching mental illness. On April 13, I wrote a blog post and made the comment that “as TL’s, it is our professional responsibility to encourage students…to engage in and enjoy reading.” I would like to suggest that it is the professional responsibility of all teachers to encourage and engage students in reading.
Embarking on a new career as a TL is as daunting as it is exciting and provides an opportunity for me to reconsider my educational philosophy. This subject has opened my eyes to the potential of children’s literature to address the curriculum in a way that is genuinely engaging and exciting. In a post on March 8, I stated that “my vision…allows engagement of all children in quality literature existing in a diverse range of genres, forms and formats and accessed through both print and digital publishing.” Whilst this still holds true, I would like to add that the value of literature lies in its ability to provoke personal connection, and a true sense of understanding of ourselves and society.
References
Cornett, C. E. (2014). Integrating the literary arts throughout the curriculum. In Creating meaning through literature and the arts: Arts integration for classroom teachers (5th ed., pp. 144-193). Prentice Hall.
Heath, M. A., Smith, K., & Young, E. L. (2017). Using children’s literature to strengthen social and emotional learning. School Psychology International, 38(5), 541-561. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034317710070