Response # 5 for Dr. Pytash-- Classics in the Classroom Chapter 4

In chapter 4 of Classics in the Classroom, Jago states "books that demand hard thinking on the part of a reader are more likely to be remembered than those students breeze through" (67). This quote stood out to me, as I agree with Jago that students need to be challenged by the texts they are reading. However, I feel that Jago also makes a wonderful point by saying that students need to be guided to the discovery of understanding the themes of the text instead of being spoon-fed answers.

I have seen many teachers become tired of waiting for students to speak up and answer questions about the meaning of texts discussed in class. At this point, many of these teachers simply answer their own question and move on. However, in my opinion, a true educator believes in his or her students' abilities to learn from and understand sophisticated, challenging texts. This type of teacher would help students understand by stepping back from the posed question and asking what has students confused. Then, by facilitating a discussion in which students break down a text in order to find its messages, teachers can help students find their own answers to the question "so what?", which is presented by Jago on page 61. Ultimately, by teaching helping students reach beyond the who, what, when, where, and why of a text, teachers can help students reach a connection between the text and their own lives, which fosters the greatest level of understanding of a text possible.