Reading the World

               Gallagher begins chapter nine “Reading the World” with a scenario where a school principle asks the teaching staff to use three weeks to focus on critical thinking skills, rather than the “normal curriculum” to help prepare their students for the state required tests (p. 167-168). This scenario is helpful because it further validates teaching literary theory. Teaching literary theory in these classes essentially is teaching critical thinking skills. I find that the following activities provided by Gallagher are valuable because I do think that what most students are going to take away from their English education is not going to be the love of classic novels but rather the skills to read and think critically. I also think that it is those skills that are more valuable that remembering such novels and texts. Gallagher expresses this nicely when he says, “I want them to be able to analyze literature in my class, but the bigger goal is that they develop these cognitive skills to a level where they may be transferred beyond the classroom” (p.169). Many of our students will not pursue post secondary education and it is when they are outside of the classrooms that these skills will become useful to them in their everyday activities.

Reading the world is essential in the fast pace world we live in today. Reading and thinking critically is a helpful tool in all walks of life, including all jobs. Along with many other young adults, I have worked in the retail industry for many years and I find that it is important to read advertisements, promotional coupons, job descriptions, and more, critically. There rarely goes a day when I come into contact with a customer who has misunderstood an advertisement and is disappointed when they are shown the reality. After all advertisement are crafted to trick us, “jeans starting at $19.99!” often means very few pairs are at that price. These tricks often do not fool me, as a critical thinker, but I know how often they catch others. A strong sales example is BOGO “buy one get one half off.” Now I must try not to fall into a rant on how difficult this concept is too many customers coming from an employee who worked too long doing these jobs. My point is that, the fact that the customer is paying for the more expensive pair is usually beyond their understanding, also fliers show the ½ off price next to images assuming it is your second pair. Every day at work I had to explain this sneaky advertising that often situated the employee (me) as the “bad guy” deceiving innocent buyers (them). My point is then that high school English is not only about remembering literature (comprehension) but is about so much more. Perhaps students, like myself, often do not know this about their English classes until later in their lives, so it therefore would be beneficial to do some of the “reading the world” activities in the class so that they can make this connection earlier. Students, who do not desire to continue post secondary education, might find themselves valuing their English education more if they understood how it will help them “read the world” if they made this connection earlier in their student lives.