My oldest son’s English II teacher sent an email home welcoming him and us to English II, and its first lessons.
It’s been a great first week, and I’m looking forward to starting our first unit. We’ll start with multicultural book clubs, and your student was able to choose from a selection of six titles: Dreamland Burning, We Were Here, Dear Martin, Purple Heart, Sold, and Refugee. We encourage you to have a conversation with your student about their choice.
When I mentioned this to my beautiful wife, she mentioned that it would come in English IV. But, c’mon, man, I read A Tale of Two Cities as a freshman in high school (and I admit I turned to the Cliff’s Notes edition to get the plot straight). You know, Dickens. Those tales of white privilege and supremacy and debtors’ prisons.
Looking back over the books they’ve had to tote home, they’ve never had to read any of the great books or elements of the classical canon, ever. And they went to a private elementary and middle school. The only exposure they’ve had to classical literature is what we’ve provided at home.
I suppose I should work harder at it again.
