Personal Philosophy

I've always been interested in children's literature and after taking TE 348, I realized I still had a lot to learn about this rich and vast world of books for kids. At first, one may think children's literature is just a simplified version of writing that doesn't take nearly as much commitment or talent to produce. Boy, are they wrong! In a way I think children's literature is even more difficult to write and illustrate considering the tender age and experience of its intended audience. Adults may be able to read a book through various lenses to better understand the author's message, but children don't necessarily have the ability to fully comprehend this yet. It is extremely important to consciously think about all the subtle and not-so-subtle messages a piece of children's literature conveys. This course has helped me to really think critically about literature selections, especially when it comes to addressing multicultural issues.
It is easy to say, "I want my personal library to reflect all my students' experiences as well as go beyond what's familiar." Actually building this type of library is another story. All too often I think people assume that simply because a book features a White kid, a Black kid and an Asian kid, surely it is multicultural. but there is so much more to consider! I want my future students to be exposed to a wide variety of issues and cultures on a regular basis when engaging with the text I feature in my classroom. In order to accomplish this, I know I must critically consider each piece of literature I use in my classroom. My ultimate goal would be to seamlessly integrate a wide spectrum of multicultural literature so that all of my students can see various aspects of their personal selves reflected on a regular basis.
Even though this course does not focus on issues of pedagogy, I constantly find myself thinking about how I could use each piece of literature in a classroom setting. I think how you use literature is just as important as the literature you use. This certainly ties in with my thoughts and ideas about multicultural education. I want to be able to lead my students through lesson plans and literacy units that reflect multicultural principles as well as multicultural literature. This includes providing them with various outlets in which to complete work such as assignments that include oral components, dramatic movement, creativity and more. Reaching every type of learner through the way I teach is just as important to me as reaching them through the literature I select.
My biggest concern is accomplishing all my goals. I know I need to keep in mind that it takes time. While I can always be striving to design better lessons and use quality pieces of literature, I believe I will naturally develop this with the more teaching experience I procure. I look forward to the challenge, but I also know I have plenty more to learn myself.