Caring in Literature

Dr. Susan WegmannUniversity of Central FloridaSlideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/SwegmannTwitter: DocWegmann

National Council of Teachers of English Annual ConferenceNovember 20, 2009

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“Care”

“a state of being in relation, characterized by receptivity, relatedness, and engrossment.” (Noddings, 2002)

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Sympathy: “the affective state of attention in caring”

1.Robert cares for Ernesto.2.Robert acts on his care for Ernesto.

3.Ernesto recognizes that Robert cares for him.

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• Caring for: face-to-face, nurturing relationships in which one cares directly for another.

• Caring about: involves a benign neglect, unless personal relationships are established.

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How can teachers nurture a “caring for” attitude?

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Nurturing Care in classrooms:

1.I Poems, (Kucan, 2007) 2.Social narrative writing

(Heffernan & Lewison, 2003)3.Writing (Nelson, 2000)

Social awareness can be found in the nexus of developmental theory and classroom practice.

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A decision:

to care/not care.

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Roser, N., Martinez, M., Fuhrken, C., & McDonald, K. (2007). Characters as guides to meaning. The Reading Teacher, 60, (6). 548-559

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Character feelings• Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola.

(1979, Harcourt Brace).• Wemberley Worried by Kevin Henkes.

(2000, Greenwillow).• Coming on Home Soon by Jacquelyn

Woodson. E.B. Lewis. (2004, Putnam).• Yoko by Rosemary Wells. (1998,

Hyperion).• The Day of Ahmed’s Secret by Florence

Parry Heide & Judith Heide Gilliland. T. Lewis. (1990, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard).

• Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto. E. Martinez. (1993, Putnam).

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Character motives• Eloise by Kay Thompson. Ill. H. Knight.

(1955/1983, Simon & Schuster).• The Old Woman Who Named Things by

Cynthia Rylant. Ill. K. Brown. (1996,Harcourt Brace).

• Harry and the Terrible Whatzit by Dick Gackenbach. (1977, Clarion).

• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. (1982, Viking).

• The Mysterious Tadpole by Steven Kellogg. (1977, Dial).

• Doctor Desoto by William Steig. (1982, Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

• Saving Sweetness by Diane Stanley. Ill. G.B. Karas. (1996, Putnam).

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• Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles. Ill. J. Lagarrigue. (2001, Atheneum).

• Tico and the Golden Wings by Leo Lionni. (1964, Pantheon).

• Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco. (1992, Bantam).

• Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie dePaola. (1981, Putnam).

• Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman. Ill. C. Binch. (1991, Dial).

• Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco. (1992, Philomel).

• Amos and Boris by William Steig. (1971, Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

(Roser, Martinez, Fuhrken, McDonnold, 2007)

Character-rich picture booksCharacter relationships

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Genuine discussionMembers a. join together in addressing a question of

common concern, b. exchanging and examining different

views to inform their answer, c. enhancing their knowledge or

understanding, their appreciation or judgment, their decision, resolution, or action over the matter at issue. . .

d. People do not discuss experiences whose meaning is plain to them, nor their indisputable feelings or incontestable values.

a. When they do discuss these things, they have some question about them and they join with others to form an answer. (Dillon, 1994, p. 8)

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A Connected Stance

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Moves found in a connected stance:

a. Challenging the text b. Questioning c. Wonderingd. Speculatinge. Humorf. Giving informationg. Building rapporth. Intertextuality

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1. Buchanan, L. (2009). The Fat Boy Chronicles. Cleveland, TN: Tin Roof Films.

2. Gratz, A. (2009). The Brooklyn Nine: A Novel in Nine Innings. New York: Dial.

3. Levine, E. (2007). Henry’s Freedom Box. New York: Scholastic. (Ill. Kadir Nelson)

Caring in LiteratureDr. Susan WegmannUniversity of Central Floridaswegmann@mail.ucf.eduSlideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/SwegmannTwitter: DocWegmann

National Council of Teachers of English Annual ConferenceNovember 20, 2009

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ReferencesBercaw, L.A., & Wegmann, S. J. (2001) Literature discussions, Participant stance,

and the discussion filter. American Reading Forum Yearbook. Retrieved May 3, 2007: americanreadingforum.org

Dillon, M. (1994). Using discussion in classrooms. Philadelphia: Open University Press.

Heffernan, L., & Lewison, M. (2003) Social Narrative Writing: (Re)Constructing Kid Culture in the Writer’s Workshop. Language Arts 80 (6). 435–443.

Hebert, T. P., & Kent, R. (2000) Nurturing Social and Emotional Development in Gifted Teenagers through Young Adult Literature. Roeper Review, 22 (3). 167-71. (EJ606610)

Kucan, L. (2007) “I” poems: Invitations for students to deepen literary understanding The Reading Teacher, 60 (6). 518–525.

Kurkjian, C., & Livingston, N. (2007) The importance of children’s literature in a global society. The Reading Teacher, 60 (6). 594–602.

Lobron, A., Selman, R. (2007) The interdependence of social awareness and literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 60 (6). 528–537

Nelson, G. Lynn. (2000) Warriors with Words: Toward a Post-Columbine Writing Curriculum. English Journal 89 (5), 42–46.

Noddings, N. (2002). Starting at Home: Caring and social policy. Berkeley, CA: University of California press.

Probst, R. E. (2001) Difficult Days and Difficult Texts. Voices from the Middle, 9 (2). 50–53.

Roser, N., Martinez, M., Fuhrken, C., McDonnold, K. (2007). Characters as guides to meaning. The Reading Teacher, 60 (6). 548–559.

Selman, R.L. (2003). The promotion of social awareness: Powerful lessons from the partnership of developmental theory and classroom practice. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.