Choosing Which Books to Teach (Pytash)

I was surprised to see how many books she has her students read during the year. She states, "I require a lot from students, and by and large they live up to these expectations," (Jago 45). I want to teach like that! I DO NOT want to teach to the 'Zone of Minimal Effort' (Jago 45). It is discouraging to sit in a classroom and see what expectations too many teachers place on his or her students. It's like they don't think the students are capable of reading anything. She says she's "always on the lookout for compelling novels that encourage thinking about big ideas," (Jago 45). I think this is an important idea because sometimes I feel as though some young adult literature may lack complexity and depth. She lets students read five books outside of class per semester and she states that she "give(s) them a list of twelve novels I believe educated teenagers should have read" (Jago 42-43). I like this idea because it allows students to have choice but also encourages reading complex reads. I think it is great to have students reading outside of class. I read more outside of class in high school than I read in class. I was actually able to get by without reading the novels until after we covered them in class. I would get A's or B's on tests over basic plot elements or characters and then I would go home and read the book after we were done with it in class. Why? I think I did this because my teachers did not set books up properly in class. This may be why I really like the idea of choice in the classroom as well as anticipation guides.