Language of Language Arts
Every student has a variety of needs and many of those needs can be fulfilled based on how we use language in the classroom to facilitate and moderate classroom discussion. We don’t need to utilize the traditional methods of lecture style teaching because most of the time students will just zone out. As teachers, we need to figure out ways to engage our students in the classroom.
Zwiers defines interpretation as “the process of understanding messages and underlying meanings from a text” (pp. 71). Teachers will for the most part have a different view of interpretation compared to a student with regards to a text. Students for the most part may just not find the text interesting at all. If we as teachers find ways to make students some kind of personal connection with the text, students will be able to analyze, critique, and have fun with the text.
Phrases like, “One way to interpret her words is…,” and, “If we read between the lines, and see that…” are great ways to illicit responses from students. You can then use persuasion and cause-and-effect thinking to help a student hone in on a particular view and have them think criticality about it.