This week I had the pleasure of receiving a book recommendation from a student, which I promptly picked up from the public library and devoured in two days. I talk a lot about books in all of my courses, even though some of them are not literature-based (as this particular one was not), and students have discovered by now that I have a variety of interests, especially how English intersects with Economics. One student told me about a book he was reading, in which some of the economic secrets of Hollywood and the business of filmmaking were revealed, and recommended that I take a look. After zipping through it, we had a nice conversation about the book before class, sharing insights that we had each learned, debating points the author made, and venting frustrations with some of the more controversial elements of the text. I greatly enjoyed our chat and happily told him to let me know if there are any other books that he thinks I may find interesting.
This is one of my favorite parts of teaching—the reciprocal learning that can take place between a teacher and a student, each of whom has a genuine curiosity and a desire to share. These are the connections that make college (or any level of education, for that matter) truly worthwhile. Discovering new knowledge in a place where one can join fellow investigators in attempting to understand truths about the world is the very essence of education. So a big thanks to that student, and I hope others will follow his example.
Here’s a quick piece of advice: teachers should always be telling students what they are currently reading—it allows students to see them as real people with real interests outside of the classroom; and students should always be telling their teachers what they are currently reading—it demonstrates a level of engagement with the world outside of class that teachers will respect and want to join in. Everyone benefits, and school becomes infinitely more fun.
Share a book title with someone today. You never know what connections you’ll make.
This is one of my favorite parts of teaching—the reciprocal learning that can take place between a teacher and a student, each of whom has a genuine curiosity and a desire to share. These are the connections that make college (or any level of education, for that matter) truly worthwhile. Discovering new knowledge in a place where one can join fellow investigators in attempting to understand truths about the world is the very essence of education. So a big thanks to that student, and I hope others will follow his example.
Here’s a quick piece of advice: teachers should always be telling students what they are currently reading—it allows students to see them as real people with real interests outside of the classroom; and students should always be telling their teachers what they are currently reading—it demonstrates a level of engagement with the world outside of class that teachers will respect and want to join in. Everyone benefits, and school becomes infinitely more fun.
Share a book title with someone today. You never know what connections you’ll make.