The English Classroom: the Place for Teaching Values

Values. Parents should teach them; churches should teach them; parochial schools should teach them. But can public schools teach values? Certainly we teach values whether we realize it or not. Every teacher conveys values in her tone of voice, demeanor, attitudes, work ethic. What we require students to study reveals our values. When we pass or fail a tax levy or bond issue, community values are apparent. But what about directly and consciously promoting values? Where can this happen in the public schools? The place is the English classroom, middle and high school. It might even happen in the elementary schools. Literature is the medium. It all boils down to the teacher’s approach. Is the approach based solely on memory? Does the teacher ask questions like these: “What’s the name of the dog in the third chapter?” or “What color was the fence in Tom Sawyer?” Granted, these questions have their place: they determine whether the student has done his homework and if he retains and comprehends the material. But what is really important about a novel, poem or play? What do we want the kids to remember in 10 years? That’s where values appear. Take "Macbeth," for example. This is a play about consequences of evil. The evil act occurs early in the play. It is not about why or how; it is about results. They range from “losing the eternal jewel” (Macbeth’s soul) to destroying the husband and wife relationship (“she should have died hereafter.”) It is also a play about the nature of evil, particularly its deceptive nature: "the instruments of darkness tell us truths...to betray us in deepest consequence." Focus on these points in the English classroom and values will emerge. Teachers: Before teaching a work of literature, ask: “What values are here? What do I want these kids to remember forever?” Teach kids to determine the authors’ values. Give lessons on determining theme. Ask kids to think about these questions: “What aspects of society is the writer criticizing? What quirks of human behavior are revealed? Do we have free will? What is the writer saying about a force in the universe? What sort of behavior is beneficial? What behavior is destructive?” Ask the kids to comment on these values. Do they agree with the author? Are these problems still here today? What can we do about the problem? Select literature that is diverse. Values should not be simply from middle class white male America. What kids will discover is that the same positive values exist in just about every culture, nationality, race and religion. Oh, yes, this isn’t easy. It means the kids have to talk. It means the room might be noisy. It means there will be some arguments. It means there will be essay tests, not multiple choice ones. It means we will have to limit the number of students per English teacher. It means encouraging dialogue and writing. It means spending money. But it also means values. And it just might lead to teens and adults who know how to think and who will think before they act.