The Value of the English classroom
in a stem world
I once heard that all I really needed to know, I learned in Kindergarten. Kindergarten provided a strong foundation. I do still wash my hands and share most things. I am, unfortunately, still trying to learn to wait my turn. However, all I truly needed in life, I learned in an English class.
In a race for 21st century skills, the English classroom builds minds with the power of perspective. In the English class thinking and communicating become intrinsic and organic. We build. Through reading and writing, the English classroom pushed me to create, to reflect, to discover, and to evolve. These skills are not mere English skills; they are the skills of life.
We create. In English we create ideas and conversations. Students bemoan their lack of creativity when they enter, but we are all made to create and to produce. We create connections. We generate context and understanding. We learn to arrange 26 letters on a page and create ideas, emotions, and meaning. From laughter to tears, we create. It is this art of creativity that will outlast memorized facts and unknown technical skills.
We reflect. In English we reflect on the past and the future. We consider the greatest philosophies and works ever written and we seek to understand the human condition. We reflect on the ways in which mankind has sought to explain nature, religion, and politics. We reflect on the rise and fall of nations and the delight and sorrow of life. Reflection that gives strength in times of weakness, as we continually reflect on our own skills and understanding.
We discover. In English we practice reading and writing in hopes of gaining so much more than knowledge; we seek to discover an awareness -- an awareness of ourselves and an awareness of others. We discover cultures unknown to us and feelings often foreign. We discover ways to communicate and ways to listen. We push ourselves beyond the boundaries of our own experiences and we discover the beauty and the tragedy of humanity.
We evolve. In English we evolve as learners. We are not the same. We leave English with a lasting awareness of the world. We practice recognizing the importance of learning. Our learning does not involve the answer to the multiple choice test on the structure of a cell, it involves sensitivity and empathy towards others. Learning that involves the ability to communicate ideas effectively so that the world will listen; and the ability to overcome adversity when the world will not.
In an English class, I learned to express my ideas and to consider the ideas of others as a student and now as a teacher. And perhaps most importantly, I learned the words of poets and writers who would be a refuge, a place of protection. Reading and writing are the gateways to critical thinking and understanding, the skills most needed. It is in the English classroom that I created, reflected, discovered, and am continually evolving as a student of the world.