English Education: Should This Be Right?
By jerro39
@jerro39 (23)
United States
December 3, 2009 5:20pm CST
As a student in the average public high school, one gets exposed to many popular works of poetry and literature. The students read these poems and are asked, often in discussions, what they got out each work. The students may then be given a test or quiz asking what an author's point was in an entire piece or a small section. A student may have the problem marked wrong if it is different than what the teacher has said the writer meant. Why should this be the case? Wouldn't a higher education have us interpret pieces rationally and gain our own ideas an opinions rather than memorize what the "popular opinion" of what some "experts believe that the author meant?
1 response
@raynejasper (2322)
• Philippines
4 Dec 09
..hi.. maybe in that case, you have to talk to your teacher and explain why you have answered that way.. because I believe that each poetry or literature mean differently in our lives.. sometimes, our own explanation depends on our personal experiences.. we are entitled to our opinions and there's no right or wrong opinion because they are just opinion and not facts.. For me, your teacher should understand that.. If she insist with her opinion, then you better ask your classmates to file a complain since your grade is at stake.. your teacher can say you're right or wrong if you are already dealing with the general impression of the poetry or the author.. there has to be proper way to give the teacher a lesson..
