When you tell people you teach English, it is not extraordinary for either one of two things invariably occurring. The first stems from their own insecurities bred from by some cruel English teacher in their past. They say at once, "I better be careful what I say," meaning how they say things, as if every teacher of English were some persnickety bore. Grammarians are out there who take pleasure in correcting the solecisms of others, but they tend, really, not to be English teachers. I've never seen a colleague correct a solecism, only someone outside the profession acting like one.
The second thing people do is engage you in a conversation about books you've read and liked. This latter is much more desirable. Of course, we all collect lists of favorites--either classics or contemporaries or a healthy blend of both. Some people who read voraciously can change the list seasonally. I can't. I am a slow reader. First, I do a whole lot of re-reading--One reason some of my favorites stay favorites. Also, I do take time to read; I'm in no hurry. That might seem counterintuitive considering the inordinate amount of reading to be accomplished--hundreds of new books published each year. Nevertheless, my training makes it a habit to read slowly.
Recently, in our summer reading seminars, I was struck by one young student's grasp of the issues surrounding Afghanistan and larger global issues vis a vis her reading of The Places In Between. That she chose the less-selected book--most of the school opted for the novel The Kite Runner--struck me first and foremost, but when she told me she was onto another book about Afghanistan---that floored me. To the extent to which she was informed and articulate about the complex issues surrounding both the text and the country, and the United States' relationship with it, equally astounded me. As it turns out, her father recommended both books to her,
and under her father's influence she was doing this extracurricular reading. For a parent to be able to motivate his student to read this way, with this depth and engagement, speaks of real success on his part. The point is, it isn't always the teachers doing all the work to prepare these students, despite the fact that they are away at boarding school--The success of any good boarding school is reliant on how much the parents at home buy into the program and support it.
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