Connecting School and Home Experiences

When I was younger, I remember curling up on the couch in awkward, uncomfortable positions, and reading for hours. I went from reading the Barbie Adventure books to Harry Potter, all on that ugly, almost guppie green couch that our cats went to town on with their claws. I remember crying on that couch after finishing the last Harry Potter book (I know I'm a total nerd). While thinking about the experiences I had with my discipline at home, I asked myself: why that green couch? Why not my bedroom or the rocking chair or the comfy recliner? As I reflected, I remembered another image, almost identical to the first picture I described. 

My dad. My serious, hard-working, intelligent, police officer dad, would lie on the couch with his nose stuck in a book. I don't know why I didn't think about it first, but now that I remember, he was always on that green couch, too. I can also picture the shear volume of books stacked next to his bed, getting higher and higher after each book was completed. And now that I think of this, I also had a large collection of books stacked in my room. I think this is what first influenced me to read and really connect with English. I was not just encouraged to read books as a child, but my dad set an example for me. Reading was something worth spending time on, a hobby that gave you all kinds of knowledge. I think this shaped my feelings about reading and my opinion that reading is an investment. 

English teachers can demonstrate the value of reading by reading themselves. You practice what you preach. If your students see you reading, see your collection of books, hear you talking about the novel you are reading, this gives them an example what a passion for reading can look like. English teachers can also draw from students' backgrounds and connect them to the literature, without even knowing it sometimes. Students can connect their own experiences (whether known or unknown by the teacher) to the literature in valuable ways, just by discussing themes, character development and motivations, plots lines, metaphors, etc. (which are the core curriculum standards). That is why literature is so great. It is about connecting the human experience.