Same Sun Here And The Potential For Teaching

I had the privilege of attending a discussion that Neela Vaswani, one of the authors, at Saint Michael’s College.  The event covered a number of topics, ranging from the issues in the novel to the path of becoming a successful author.  Neela Vaswani had a very unique point of view, one that is not often found in Young Adult literature.  It was present in the writing, as it added a sense of realism to a very human story.  The novel, in correlation with the Saint Michael’s Mission Statement has expanded and nurtured the view of how I believe literature can be used creatively in the classroom environment.  This novel could be used in a myriad of ways to help students craft historical narratives, be used as a companion assignment to learn geography, or as a tool to show the impact of environmental issues and social strife.

At the event, Neela Vaswani spoke of how she had visited schools and talked with students of what they took away from the book.  The answers and questions she received were varied, and I was intrigued by how each student focused on something different in the novel.  As educators, we can present materials and ideas to students and they have the ability to view situations in ways that we failed to see.  I find this very important as I progess as an educator, as I want to provide my students enough freedom and creativity for them to analyze ideas and materials for them to draw their own conclusions and questions.  I want to guide the learning of my students without overpowering their personal creativity and interests.

One other key idea I discovered at the event is that media, such as books, can be used as a catalyst to start conversations and discussions among students.  Presenting new ideas to students through literacy allows them to have a common platform to begin sharing new ideas with one another.  Students may disagree with one another, yet in the classroom they can listen to each other’s point of view.  Novels that present intriguing and divided issues, such as mountaintop removal, can start debate and possibly move students to become active in their communities.  Empowering students in and out of the classroom is something I strive to accomplish as an educator.