TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES AND WEAR THE CLOTHES OVER THERE. THIS IS A LITERATURE CLASS SO YOU CANNOT ENTER LIKE THAT!!!
How many of us have not heard these words before having a literature class? How many of us have changed our mood early in the morning when we remember that the first class hour is literature and feel as victims of that so called “literature class”? And the frightening voice we hear at the very beginning: take off your shoes, wear your uniforms, get rid of your own feelings, emotions, and comments. Do not ever forget to switch your tune to the one same as that of the teacher. Soon we will be on the air and you will be asked to give the answers expected from you. If you did your reading assignment and completed the exercises about reading your teacher’s mind you do not need to worry a bit. However, do not ever think of having something on the menu. You ask why? The answer is easy and simple: This is a literature class. Though it may sound exaggerated, isn’t this the situation in which we have at least been in once in our lives. Haven’t we experienced moments at which we could hardly breathe in class? Haven’t we just wished to go kilometers away when we heard the word literature? Why can’t we just laugh or cry when we really want to? Why has literature always been the starting point of grave and impressive comments? Haven’t we once thought that either the writings are so complicated or we are so simple? Or just thought that of course I could be the writer if I were able to do such writings or produce such impressive comments? Why does literature reminds us a tie worn by force and causes you trouble or as a tight dress for which you sacrifice in order to look slim? Do the answers lie in the teachers or the students? Are students not clever enough to think of the expected answers or are teachers magnificent enough not to like the comments given by students? Isn’t literature a kind of magic by means of which we discover and question ourselves, identify our weaknesses and strengths, see the things which we have always thought of but never had the courage to voice, become proud of ourselves because of our comments, add lots of things and create a work of art on our own, agree or disagree with millions of people whom we have never met just by reading the same line? Isn’t it something that gives us the chance of taking the control from the pilot and sit in the cockpit or see the places only we really wish to see as the passenger on a coach. Then, why there is more effort to turn literature into something sour rather than to make it something desired? Why is it then to tell our students that literature is one of the rarest things, which give you the inspiration and courage to exceed your own limits of creation and to expect them to stay within the limits of the teacher in order not be convicted of crime? Isn’t it at this point where the responsibility of the literature teacher seems quite difficult as it means to create enough room for the students to wander around freely in literature class? Should we teach literature and should we help our students experience literature, feel it, and have their own way of reading, analyzing and responding to literature? Or is it to tell that literature is a part of our lives but we should just watch but not touch? Isn’t it time to make literature an indispensable part of our lives and personal development and isn’t it high time to be courageous enough embrace different viewpoints? Isn’t it time to leave the stage to students and having a break? Would it be so difficult to try new ways of analyzing poems, short stories or drama in class? Would it hurt us? Would it make us less powerful? Is it that difficult to try and see what happens if we once go into class and surprise our students? What would happen if we add a piece of dancing, music, taste, and color to work we are to analyze in the following lesson? Wouldn’t it be nice to start with asking different questions this time? How? Here are some of the questions, which I believe to be useful and enjoyable to start with. The magic lies in believing ourselves as teachers. Once we start being creative and open to creativity, we will sure help the students to be so too, won’t we? We can never be sure of the result before we try it out, can we? Would you like to take the first step? Here are some of them:
By Aynur Kesen