In the second chapter of Jim Burke's The English Teacher's Companion, he discusses four components of effective teaching and learning: construction, occupation, negotiation, and conversation. Not only does he explain these four components, but he describes what each component "looks like in the English class," and gives examples of tasks and activities that encompass each of the four components. For example, he defines construction as "not only making things but also studying how they are made and how they work." He goes on to explain that construction can be exemplified by manipulating words to change their meaning and constructing, deconstructing, or reconstructing texts to better understand how they work and what they mean.
Burke has meaningful things to say about each of the four components, but the component that most appeals to me is negotiation. In this component, teachers create an environment that allows students to think of the classroom as theirs. There is a great deal of buy-in from the students, and they take ownership of their learning. Burke states, "Negotiation challenges those teachers who see the class as 'their' class. My students remind me that by inviting them to share and think about their lives, the English class necessarily becomes a communal space where the students assume control as they progress toward independence." When I really thought about this particular quotation, it made me realize that English teachers have the unique ability to really get to know their students in a way that a math or science teacher doesn't. In English class, we talk about how texts relate to our lives, and by that means, we have the opportunity to get to know our students as people, not just students. Because of this, students have the opportunity to feel that they have control and choice, and it's up to us to foster that.
At the conclusion of this chapter, Burke suggests that readers view a movie about inspiring teachers: Dead Poet's Society, Freedom Writers, Stand and Deliver, and The First Year. I have seen most of these films, but all before I became a teacher, and I think it would be interesting to view these movies through the eyes of a teacher.
