YAL 2020 Introduction
Greetings, YAL Summer 2020 class! This is Ms. Jerald here, writing about my thoughts regarding the upcoming summer semester. I am so excited to get started with this course, as I have been waiting for an excuse to read and review more YA books. Finally, I've been given the opportunity to interweave a pastime into my academic work! I'm pumped for what the future holds.
Out of this study of YAL this summer, I hope to gain insight from various perspectives. All the books that I have chosen for this course have extremely unconventional narratives. For instance, one of my books tells the powerful story of a girl with a physical disability. Another tells the story of a young Persian American boy's struggles in society. Growing up, I never read such diverse narratives. The protagonists in the books I read would all look, speak, and act the same. However, with all these books I've acquired for the course, I'm venturing into the lives of protagonists from a variety of backgrounds, the majority of which I am unfamiliar with. And, I love that. I love that this class is allowing me the freedom to see the world through different eyes.
I believe that YAL definitely has a place in secondary English education. In fact, it has to have a place. The novels that students read in their ELA classrooms have to reflect the students in some way or another. To simplify, the students should always be able to see a bit of themselves in the novels they read about. Frankly, I believe The Hate U Give is a more important read than any Shakesperean piece. And, I believe a student would be more inclined to read and connect with Darius The Great Is Not Okay over The Odyssey or Of Mice and Men or any other traditional, narrowly written "classic." Perhaps, I'm a little too progressive in that way. However, I'm speaking from experience, having remembered my days as a secondary school student. I had always longed for a book that was easier to understand and swallow. And, I had always longed for a narrative that was similar to my own.
I can't wait to finish and write reviews for these books this semester. I also can't wait to introduce them to my students in the future. In doing so, I hope my students will be able to clearly see themselves and their other classmates in the narratives. It is my wish to provide them these perspectives that I, unfortunately, was a little too late in obtaining.
Out of this study of YAL this summer, I hope to gain insight from various perspectives. All the books that I have chosen for this course have extremely unconventional narratives. For instance, one of my books tells the powerful story of a girl with a physical disability. Another tells the story of a young Persian American boy's struggles in society. Growing up, I never read such diverse narratives. The protagonists in the books I read would all look, speak, and act the same. However, with all these books I've acquired for the course, I'm venturing into the lives of protagonists from a variety of backgrounds, the majority of which I am unfamiliar with. And, I love that. I love that this class is allowing me the freedom to see the world through different eyes.
I believe that YAL definitely has a place in secondary English education. In fact, it has to have a place. The novels that students read in their ELA classrooms have to reflect the students in some way or another. To simplify, the students should always be able to see a bit of themselves in the novels they read about. Frankly, I believe The Hate U Give is a more important read than any Shakesperean piece. And, I believe a student would be more inclined to read and connect with Darius The Great Is Not Okay over The Odyssey or Of Mice and Men or any other traditional, narrowly written "classic." Perhaps, I'm a little too progressive in that way. However, I'm speaking from experience, having remembered my days as a secondary school student. I had always longed for a book that was easier to understand and swallow. And, I had always longed for a narrative that was similar to my own.
I can't wait to finish and write reviews for these books this semester. I also can't wait to introduce them to my students in the future. In doing so, I hope my students will be able to clearly see themselves and their other classmates in the narratives. It is my wish to provide them these perspectives that I, unfortunately, was a little too late in obtaining.
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