Reflections of an English Education Student

Destiny Hagenow

English 490

4/24/17

Reflections of My Time as an English Student

I remember transferring from NIACC to Buena Vista University and worrying about my last two years of schooling. I worried about whether or not I was making the right choice when it came to my major and whether or not teaching would be a good fit for me. I’ve volunteered with middle school - high school aged students for years where I would listen to their struggles, be there shoulder to cry on, and talk about their faith, but teaching English in a secular environment is going to be different. However, after my two years at BVU, I’ve learned so much and I’m not so worried anymore.

I’ve met so many teachers and peers who have a passion for English and their students. They all love reading and believe that all students have the desire and potential to become lifelong readers, but they just need our help to point them in the right direction. I feel so pained when I hear someone tell me that they hate reading, because reading has given me so much life and enjoyment throughout my life. One of my fondest, earliest memories is sitting with my grandma as we read Junie B. Jones together before bed. During the summers, I remember that my mom would take my sister and I to the local library to stock up on books, because my mom couldn’t afford to buy them at the rate we were reading them. Growing up, I had so much support with my obsession with reading from family, friends, teachers, and pastors. It saddens me knowing that not everyone gets that support and encouragement growing up. Therefore, it’s up to me and other teachers to be that support system for generations of students to come. A society of readers is an educated, creative society.
All of my classes have helped me progress as a reader and lover of literature. I have been subjected to new literature and experienced works I've read before in different contexts and perspectives. I've read literature from various genres, time periods, and cultures. For example, in my World Literature course, I compared and contrasted different versions of King Lear from different cultures. I've learned how to use different theories and criticisms to study literature, which improved my ability to research and dive into texts more deeply. For example, I looked at Edgar Allen Poe's poem Annabel Lee using different literary theories I had learned, including psychoanalytic theory and feminist theory. Overall, I've had a diverse text experience with several works throughout history and within varying cultures.