Teaching "The Hobbit"

1: A Detailed Description of the Text:

After being visited by a wizard named Gandalf, a hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins is drawn into helping a group of dwarves reclaim their land. Reluctant and terrified to go on this adventure, he eventually decided to go along. Throughout their journey the group faces a number of setbacks, and Bilbo gets separated from the rest of the group after being knocked unconscious. Eventually stumbling upon a creature named Gollum and a magic ring, he engages in a game of riddles to leave and not be eaten by the strange creature. After reuniting with the dwarves and Gandalf, they run into problems with a giant spider, and then a group of wood elves and all the dwarves end up captured. Bilbo frees the dwarves by using his magic ring, and ends up in Lake-town, where a bunch of humans live. Eventually, Bilbo and the dwarves make it to the mountain where the treasure of Thorin, the leader of the dwarves, is guarded by a dragon named Smaug. Tricking Smaug, Bilbo convinces the dragon to attack Lake-town, which proves to be the dragon's defeat, and the men, elves and dwarves begin to fight over the treasure. Eventually, a group of goblins and wargs (sentient wolf-like creatures) join in, and while the combination of the humans, dwarves, and elves manage to win, Thorin dies in the conflict. After some mourning, Bilbo returns home to live a peaceful life for a while.

2. Why Did I Choose This Text and Who's the Target Grade Level?

I chose this text because partially because of my enjoyment out of the book when I was younger, despite not being required reading. Additionally, the book is a simple read for 7th and 8th grade students, meaning the book is a bit more accessible for students as a whole. The story can be used to explore themes related to greed, race, and heritage and how those affect character motivations and actions in the course of the story. Multiple characters are driven by green throughout the novel, which has consequences for those characters over the course of the novel, and influences the choices of some of the characters. Similarly, topics relating to race and heritage can be similarly examined, as both those play into the behavior and rationale behind character actions.

3. Some Teaching Examples

This text could be used to examine the relationship between characters and the plot, as well as how character actions influence plot. Additionally, the book could be used as a teaching device for figurative language, comparing the symbolisms for race, heritage, and greed. The book is a simpler read than the majority Tolkien's work, and would also be able to work on several writing activities. Finally, there are some teaching exercises you could do comparing the (pointlessly extended and in many cases redundant) movies.

4. Potential Teaching Problems

The book isn't a very "risky" book to have in the classroom, being already included on the required reading lists for some schools. The biggest problem with this this text is that there is more violence than some parents would probably be okay with, including the death of at least one named character. Some parents may not be okay with their children reading about that in a book in school. The other issue, although uncommon, is the inclusion of magic and fantasy, which could create some problems with more religious families that may not be okay with such things in popular media.

Tovani's "I Read It, But I Don't Get It"

Cris Tovani's "I Read It, But I Don't Get It" is a wonderful resource for any teacher. The author includes ideas and lessons that she has tested and implemented in her own classroom. Everything in this book comes from practical experience, meaning the information she uses is based in actual application in the classroom. This helps make this book much more meaningful and insightful, providing a glance at the classroom environment from a teacher's perspective. In my placement, I have seen and even started to use some of the strategies she presented. The inclusion of her personal struggles in the classroom while working with students feels authentic and genuine, and the simple language used to present her ideas makes this book an incredibly accessible and helpful resource for any English Language Arts teacher. 

The edTPA

In the "Making Good Choices" document of the edTPA, one of the topics that stands out is time management. Being able to manage time effectively is important, as it allows you to better prepare your lessons and effectively teach material. Effective time management also  helps you effectively prepare and plan lessons. This is especially important, as planning the lessons with plenty of time in advance can help give you time for revision and editing. Additionally, it allows instructors time to thoroughly provide information in their lesson plans. This allows teachers to prepare, anticipate, and adjust their lessons ahead of time, which allows the students to receive more effective instruction in their classrooms.

Social Justice in the Classroom

Social justice is, in my opinion, a topic that is to be glanced over rather than to discuss. It's a topic that seems almost entirely divisive when brought up, with few people understanding what social justice really means. The phrase "social justice" is often used as a blanket to talk about many of the social and political issues in society, but few people really seem to understand what social justice really means. While it's important to advocate for social justice in a classroom, it's also just as important to understand what social justice truly is. By doing so, teachers can enable and empower students both inside and outside of the classroom.

Popular Culture and Critical Media Pedagogy in Secondary Literacy Classrooms

The research article "Popular Culture and Critical Media" presents a very unique and interesting perspective on how to implement and utilize popular culture in the classroom. The document presents the idea of incorporating student suggestions as part of various lessons. By taking student suggestions into account, students can feel more valued as individuals. This can help create a welcoming and positive environment for students, and helps to foster opportunities for learning. By listening to students and factoring their opinions into lesson plans, teachers are better able to connect with their students. Additionally, it addresses the needs of other students that are in the classroom. As teachers, this can encourage students to learn and enables them to better understand and engage with the material.

"Pedagogy of the Oppressed"

The chapter from "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" focuses on issues related to teaching students. The instructional method this chapter calls into question is one where students are expected to take in knowledge, without an opportunity to apply or question. This method allows no room for growth or development of a student's capabilities. This manner in which educational material is presented to students impedes and inhibits the development of critical thinking skills, discouraging free thought and questioning authority. As a consequence, progress and development in society stagnates.

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment and grading can be a tricky and difficult to figure out as a teacher. You want your grades to be useful to both measure student performance and to show their growth over the period. The articles we read for this week present a perspective on grading that feels very different from what I'm familiar with. Both of these articles focus on how to assess and grade in ways that are very different from my experiences in high school, and even in my time in the education program.

The Assignment Template for California's CCSS

The assignment template provides a basic framework for teaching aspects of reading and literacy within a classroom setting. It provides teachers with a guide to helping students write about what they have read. Reading is critical to understanding a variety of subjects, and being able to teach students to read and interpret a variety of texts is critical to their development. By breaking down these tasks into steps, teachers are able to help students learn to thoroughly analyze and understand a given text. This gives students the opportunity to succeed and better prepares them for future lessons.

Common Core State Standards

In my personal experience, the Common Core State Standards has been presented as a controversial subject. It’s something that I’ve known about for some time. However, despite hearing about the Common Core State Standards I feel I still have a very limited understanding of what these standards entail. With the information I have, I feel the Common Core State Standards (or CCSS) can be useful if implemented properly within a classroom. I feel that they serve a purpose and can be helpful when taught effectively in the classroom. As with all things, however, I feel that if implemented poorly or ineffectively that it can do more harm than good to a student’s development.