Allison WyssMay 27, 2023

@starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane @vashafer

Another approach is better guidance through books that are difficult. While I love the idea of more choice, everybody reading different things probably makes that guidance harder.

Also, I am boosting a lot because it's my habit and because I want to encourage the conversation. But I don't actually know, pedagogically, what's best. I don't know even know what the goals are for high school reading.

Show threadVanessa A. Shafer
@allisonwyss @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane I can't speak for the experience any of you had in high school/Gymnasium/whatever but the literature teachers in my high school were big on symbolism. I don't recall any emphasis on meaningful interaction with the text.
May 27, 2023 at 7:35pmWeb
Show threadAllison WyssMay 27, 2023

@vashafer @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane

I remember a college lit course when the professor forbid us to use the word the symbol or symbolism in any way because he was so sick of the way high school had taught us to do nothing but root out possible symbols.

Show threadVanessa A. ShaferMay 28, 2023
@allisonwyss @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane I think that's what turns so many off on literature whether it's reading or writing. The push to dissect the text and to tease out the teacher's interpretation of what it means, with no opportunity to offer a differing interpretation.
Show threadAllison WyssMay 28, 2023

@vashafer @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane

Instead of "What does it mean?" I'm much more interested in the question "What does it do?" Which welcomes many different takes--it does this to me--and no one can argue if it does or doesn't--we just add it to the list of things it does. And then you dig down to "How does it do that?"

(But I'm teaching creative writing classes--not what we've been discussing.)

Show threadVanessa A. ShaferMay 28, 2023
@allisonwyss @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane I love that line of thinking, Allison! That's an approach I have never seen before and it's an interesting way to look at it.
Show threadAllison WyssMay 28, 2023

@vashafer @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane

In the "what does it do?" category, I also had a teacher/mentor who cautioned us against thinking in terms of "how does it get away with that?" when something strange or unexpected occurs but to phrase it as "how does it make that happen?" Every happening is wondrous. And we can look at stories in progress the same way.

Show threadAllison WyssMay 28, 2023

@vashafer @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane

Also, you know, sometimes what it _does_ is "make me think about how x is kinda like y," so it's still allowing for appreciation of symbols, but they are not the only thing and they can also emerge more organically (as I want them to in my writing and I suspect others do too).

Show threadAllison WyssMay 28, 2023

@vashafer @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane

Then again, I've noticed a type who hates that there's NOT one easy answer for what a thing means and are turned away by that.

Show threadTrajecientMay 29, 2023

@vashafer @allisonwyss @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane

Or the examiner's interpretation, when it comes to external exams.

Show threadVanessa A. ShaferMay 29, 2023
@Trajecient @allisonwyss @starbreaker @orionkidder @crcollins @joyce @WildTypeWriter @adaddinsane Yes, that too.