Speak

Since Speak was my favorite reading this semester, I wanted some of my thoughts regarding the reading to be a part of my blog...

As a future teacher in today’s society, I am thankful for artists such as Laurie Halse Anderson who write on such imperative themes, especially rape. I have been in the high school setting interning for 15 weeks, and I have yet to hear the word “rape”. In fact, thinking back to my college days, I don’t recall discussing rape in any class except a short 2 week non-credit abuse workshop. The education system is shunning the word rape, and in return turning their heads at the action of rape. Society has been raising generations under the belief that “rape” is an unspoken word. The problem here is that rape is prevalent. And even worse, some citizens do not realize that rape is morally wrong.

In my opinion, teachers need to be vocal about rape, allowing students to openly discuss sexual harassment. Students should be taught what to do if they are a victim of rape. A great way to introduce a shocking theme, such as rape, is through a book that exploits the topic. Such reading can allow teachers and students to critique the situation and learn what they should do in a particular situation. In doing so, the readers will study the characters in depth. Graphic organizers, such as character maps or flow charts, can be used to chart the growth and emotions of the character at different points throughout the book. Educators should allow for group discussions to provoke students to be open on the subject. Also, reading about an expressive theme may stir some emotions and the students should be encouraged to ask questions, share opinions or beliefs, and debate with other classmates on the topic. After all, one does not own their knowledge until they can verbalize and defend it.