Wednesday, September 24, 2008
BP4
I can totally relate to Teague about being in high school and thinking your teachers have all the answers. I can remember junior year and having to read poems by Shelley,Whitman and all those other great guys and usually when I came to class I had no idea what point the author was trying to make. When my teacher told us the "right" interpretation it made sense but I had no clue how she came to that conclusion other than she's amazing. However, I think it can be beneficial to hear the opinion of the teachers or anyone even if you don't know your own because speaking with someone who has a strong view can help you to discover your own wether you agree or disagree with that person. When I begin reading an essay or short story now, I try to keep my mind as open as possible because hey, I might learn something new! By learning something new I do not necessarily mean learning a fact but more the perspective of someone from a different place in their life than mine or maybe a completely foreign situation. Now if I am reading for a class I read for the teacher but conversely I read for myself on occasion just for pleasure and "enlightenment", if you will. I love when stories have different interpretations, it stimulates great conversation! Even if it is not a short story, perhaps just a discussion of politics, I love it. True enough I do occasionally remain silent in class because I find that most people cannot relate to (or even try to consider) my view point on an essay, etc. Honestly, I am terrible at writing in the margins of my texts (mainly literature books) because like Teague touched on, I was told not to for so many years. What can I say, I tend to have habitual ways.
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4 comments:
Rachel, I know exactly what you’re talking about when you said that you would look to your teacher’s “correct” interpretation and wonder how they actually came up with their opinions and ideas regarding particular issues. Sometimes I would read for certain assignments and not understand a word of it, and somehow I would come to class the next day and my teacher would have a perfect explanation of it that would clarify everything for me. Other times, I would formulate my own opinions and ideas about a particular reading, and then I would get to class, my teacher would have some extensive, genius interpretation that I felt completely topped my ideas in every way, shape and form. Also, I totally agree with you when you mentioned the importance of hearing others’ ideas. I believe that this is a key aspect in formulating and developing our own personal and individual ideas, because it opens our eyes to new points of view.
I get what you mean about forming your own interpretations while you read, but then looking to the teachers interpretation as a "better one", I do the same thing. this is mostly because my high school english teacher would say it was! I guess she didn't believe in multiple interpretations like Teague does. when asked she says she does but then when a student would voice their interpretation in class if it wasn't close to what she was thinking she would say it was wrong. I of course would usually get a similar interpretation as the teacher, but when I didn't, I wouldn't say anything. Partly because I thought her interpretation to be the "correct one". Mostly though it was because when the student was "wrong" she would "correct" you anyway. There was no argueing with her. I just didn't like the way she approached the situation when she "corrected" you, so I never gave her a chance to "correct" me! When I heared her view I would accept it and move on.
Rachel i loved your response! I agree with you and Austin in that I never understood how teachers came to a particular conclusion about a text,especially poems! I could read them time and time again and no absolutely no idea what the author was talking about, but when my teacher told us her interpretation it always made perfect sense somehow.
I too like to hear others ideas. I feel they allow me to get to know the other person, not because I learn more about them personally, but their opinions on dfferent subjects show me their morals and values. It has also allowed me to see stories or texts from another point of view, one that I had not previously considered.
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