“A lot of the kids walk in the classroom and they think that literature with a capital L isn’t meant for them.”
Reading is something that, like most people, I didn’t really take to until I got older. When I was growing up, even through high school and college, I had way too much stuff on my plate to concern myself with reading. Which friends house am I gonna go over to? How can I cover up the fact that I didn’t do my homework today? Does Madison like me or is she just being really nice? So many questions and concerns running around my head, and reading definitely wasn’t one of them. In the past few years though, things have really slowed down for me in the chronic existential crisis mode that is youth, and alas I have found books. Luckily for our species there are some that are more mature than I was. The impressive few that enjoy learning and reading at a young age. Today we speak to Kara McCabe who liked reading so much she decided she wanted to be a high school English teacher. Now, as an English teacher in the U.S. and as a volunteer teacher to girls in Afghanistan, she helps recruit the next generation of young readers.
“I will say that I have not yet had a student who I think will go on to study Shakespeare, which breaks my heart, but never say never.”
“I get to talk about books all day. I love reading, I love books, I love the study of literature. I am living the dream.”
Interview Contents
3:00 - What made Kara interested in becoming an English teacher.
5:00 - The curriculum, and what you want to teach vs. what you have to teach.
8:00 - Teaching grammar.
11:00 - Getting kids to read.
17:00 - Trying to make things more exciting for the kids.
18:30 - The types of kids that like to read.
23:30 - Difficult concepts for the kids to learn.
25:45 - Trying to get kids interested in things like Shakespeare.
31:30 - Getting involved in your students’ lives.
36:45 - Volunteering time teaching girls in Afghanistan.
42:45 - Kara’s favorite part about being an English teacher.
43:30 - Advice for volunteering.
Links
THIS EPISODE WAS MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Kevin Cole
Marcus Batson
Roxanna
Michelle & Jim Wortner
Janelle Swanson
Jimmy Seymour
