By: Ally Ener

Just like students, teachers have their own concerns about reading in school. Many students have admitted that they disliked required reading, and teachers are trying their hardest to combat this and engage students with literature. Mainly, English teachers are just trying to do their jobs and convince students not to hate reading, but many of them are still seeing issues with required reading that need to be addressed.

Several high school teachers have said that their biggest issue currently is the fact that more and more students today refuse to read what is assigned. It is easier than ever to find information about literature online, giving students the ability to skip out on reading outside of class. When asked what the biggest issue with reading in his classes was, Sammy Young, an English teacher at La Vernia High School, said, “I do not like the fact that students, by a large majority, will not read books outside of class time. In our society there does not seem to be a high priority on reading in the home.”

While it’s extremely frustrating that students today frequently skip out on their required reading, some teachers understand that it can be challenging for certain students to comprehend difficult readings. “I see a lot of kids who are just skimming a page. They’re not actually reading it at all because they’ve given up a long time ago, because it just doesn’t work for them. The words on the page don’t mean a lot, or they’re just lazy and unmotivated and don’t want to. So that’s the struggle. That’s the fight for the teacher who teaches the regular to low level students, it’s, how do I get them to care enough to really read this and dig in?” said BJ Swenson, an English teacher and instructional coach at El Campo High School.

Some students have suggested that the way to get them interested in assigned readings is to provide them with the opportunity to choose what they have to read. Ideally, this would happen in most classes, but practically it often cannot be done. “The problem with it is just being able to juggle and manage all that, and you’ve got to have materials for everything,” said Mrs. Swenson. “The managerial part of it becomes a nightmare. But, yes, in a perfect world we’d be doing the reading workshop, and kids would be reading their own book. But it’s too hard for the teacher to handle it.”

Another part of the reason that it isn’t possible for many teachers to give students choice is that there simply isn’t enough time in class to devote to reading. Standardized test preparation has taken over most high school English classes, and while it is necessary, it can be disappointing to students and teachers alike. Because there is less time to read, teachers must choose what they think are the best possible books to teach students certain skills. “Time is the biggest issue. A shortage of time dedicated to reading. The more you read, the better you can read and write. But alas, we are in a world of standardized tests and that comes first,” said English teacher Lynn Jarzombek at La Vernia High School.

However, many teachers still try their best to accommodate students’ desire for choices because they want students to learn to like reading. “They read a novel outside of class every six weeks and it’s one of their own choice. I think that if they’re choosing their genre that they’re reading, they’re more likely to read, and I want them to learn to read for the pleasure of reading and not because they had to,” said Kathy Vanpelt, a middle and high school English teacher at Utopia ISD.

Overall, English teachers are not trying to make students’ lives miserable by assigning things to read; they just want to educate their students by helping them understand and appreciate literature. Although teaching literature can have its difficulties and frustrations, many English teachers do it because of their passion for reading, which they hope they can pass on to their students. When asked what her favorite part about teaching was, Mrs. Jarzombek answered, “A love of reading is what led me into teaching, so anytime I can see a student get pleasure from a book, I just love it. The hard part is when they tell you that they’ve never been to the library, or they hate reading. Then the challenge is on to hopefully change their minds.”

Additional reporting done by Kristen Cox and Brooke Kalinec.