Final Blog: I really enjoyed this course, which is slightly surprising to me. I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind, because, as an English major, I have had multiple classes teaching me how to teach English. What I was really impressed with, was how the class was structured to use the strategies to teach the strategies we were learning about. What I mean is, Amy did not use direct instruction, unless she was teaching us various ways to use direct instruction. Likewise, if we were to learn how to use a jigsaw method, then we would use a jigsaw activity as we taught ourselves about jigsaw activities. I really liked that.

However, what I really liked about the course was that it was not just another English major course, it involved various other majors. I firmly believe in cross curriculum team teaching. There is no way that I can teach my students everything that they will need to know about my topic, and I feel as though other majors know what I mean. However, by working as a team, as a faculty, and helping our colleagues to teach multiple things, we can achieve much more. If I were to, and I want to, have units where I teach about health, or math, or music, then the students will see that what they are learning in health, math, and/or music, is not just valid in the related classroom. These will not be big units, mind you, but enough to relate it to the topic at hand. Likewise, if other courses make sure that the students use their literary skills within their own settings, students will see that grammar is not just important while in English class.

I want students to leave my class with life skills that they feel competent and confident enough to use. I did not. When I decided to be an English major, I had to get a few tutoring sessions because I had no idea how to organize a paper or how to do research. My husband hated English class while in school and he thought he would never need it again, once he graduated. (Math too). His algebra teacher made a special arrangement with him, come in once a week and work with me, in order to graduate and he paid his cousin to write his senior paper for him. However, now that he has decided to get a real career instead of just hard labor, he has realized that he needed math skills and English skills. Lately, our road trip conversations start with, "KayDee, how do you use commas?" or something to do with literary skills. I want my students to leave my class being confident that they can write a paper, or read and understand a book if they need to. I know better than to say, "I want my students to leave my class with a love of English," because they won't. However, I do want all of my students to feel validated and comfortable within my classroom. I want them to be able to use the skills they use in my class within their other classes and throughout their life. I want them to see why being literate is important.