Skip to main content

An Introduction


Book, Read, Book Pages, Pitched, Learn, Literature
Hello! I'll begin my first foray into blogging with an introduction.

My name is Elise Harris, and I am a first-year teacher located in east Tennessee. I teach 10th and 11th grade English. My background is in French and Arabic, so I'm entirely new to the world of ELA education. Although English isn't exactly my comfort zone, my love of words and reading isn't confined to the languages I've formally studied. I feel very fortunate to spend my days waist-deep in literature.

I look forward to exploring my thoughts on the topic of childhood literacy here on this blog. I'm also excited to learn more about the current landscape of children's and young adult literature, as I haven't paid much attention to either since I was a child myself.

Until next time!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I'll Be Right There

I'd like to continue my posts about literature in translation today by recommending the novel I'll Be Right There  for study in the high school classroom. First published in Korean in 2010, this epistolary novel takes place in 1980s Seoul during the regime of dictator Chun Doo-hwan. It tells the story of Jung Yoon (Yoon to her friends), a university art student, and her experiences living during this time of intense political unrest. The novel begins shortly after Yoon's mother dies, and her diary entries are steeped in cryptic grief as she processes this event and reveals to the reader the circumstances of her mother's death. Her romantic relationship unfolds timidly, inviting the reader to watch a relationship develop through careful, intimate letters between Yoon and Myungsuh. Kyung-sook Shun, the author, describes violent political demonstrations with the same care and weight as she does quiet meals and conversations between friends, highlighting how mundane the pro...
Post a Comment
Read more

Myshakespeare.com

Since I’m new to teaching English (and teaching in general), I sometimes feel out of touch with technology innovations in the classroom, especially regarding literacy. As a result, I can default to teaching lessons the same way I learned them in high school. So naturally when it was time for my sophomore to read Julius Caesar, I asked them to get out their textbooks. However, before we even assigned parts, one of my students asked if they could read on myshakespeare.com instead. After checking out the site, I happily agreed. Myshakespeare.com has annotated versions of several of the Bard’s plays, including Julius Caesar. They also include great translations into 21st century English alongside the original text, which has been especially helpful for students when they’re absent so they can keep up with the text. Each play also has videos that provide historical context or performances of key scenes. I found the video on the Lupercal festival especially helpful. I’m thankful my student...
Post a Comment
Read more

Persepolis and Literature in Translation

More than an "English person," I have always been a language  person. I love how we use words and how language evolves over time, and for most of my life, my primary way of indulging in this love has been through reading. I went to college for French and Arabic just to experience even more  language. Because of my experiences reading works in other languages, I am a huge believer in reading works in translation. Using translated works in the classroom allows students to learn about diverse viewpoints and broaden their concepts of literary canon. Translated works can also provide perspectives completely absent from English sources. For instance, Persepolis  by Marjane Satrapi provides a first-person account of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Most of my students only know about Iran from recent news stories, so this graphic novel gives them historical context for current events and US-Iran relations. I encourage all self-professed lovers of literature to expand their ho...
Post a Comment
Read more