Teaching with James Dean by Grace

Teaching with James Dean by Grace - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

Ever since I was little I have loved reading. Sitting on my parents’ laps, I followed along as their fingers pointed at the words until I could finally do it by myself. Then I devoured every book in sight: the entire Boxcar Children series, then Nancy Drew, The Sweet Valley Twins, Andrew Clements, Jane Austen, and too many more to name or even remember the titles of. However it wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I started to love literature. My English teacher, Ms. West-Lentz, helped me develop this love by putting the books in context, teaching us about the authors, and helping us analyze the contents of the book.

Before I arrived in Ms. West-Lentz’s classroom, I had never taken an English class where we read into the meaning of short stories or novels. Books were events and characters. As students, we learned factual information that could be tested. Ms. West-Lentz, because of her love for the books herself, showed us that these stories had more to offer. Before we started reading The Catcher in the Rye, Ms. West-Lentz taught us about the background of J.D. Salinger and the culture surrounding the book. Because she grew up in the 1950’s, it made her descriptions all the more interesting. They were first-hand accounts of American history. When she talked about Elvis’s appeal and the importance of the movie Rebel Without a Cause, it wasn’t just a lecture, it was a story. Not only did she make books come alive, but she made history come alive too, and showed how many disciplines are inter-related.

After this particular lesson, I found myself entranced with the way Ms. West-Lentz made the fifties sound. Not that I’d never heard of Elvis and James Dean and the birth of rock ‘n roll before, but it sounded so fascinating when she talked about it. I was inspired to find out more for myself. So I checked out Rebel Without a Cause from the library, and before I knew it, I was finding other movies from the same decade. I found that James Dean’s performance was eternal and could resonate with any teenager today, just as it could sixty years ago. Because of Ms. West-Lentz and her determination to give the book historical context, I discovered the beauty of history and of a bygone era. And isn’t that what a great teacher does? She inspires you to find out more, do research, and learn more outside of the classroom.

Ms. West-Lentz inspired me in other ways too. While we were studying The House on Mango Street, we did a project where we had to write poems. I had always been fearful of writing poetry and hadn’t had much experience with it, and when our poems were handed back, there was a note on mine saying to see her regarding my poem. Fearful, I approached her after class, only to find out that she thought I should enter my poem in the writing contest. I had never even considered doing something like that before, but because she believed in me, and my poetry, I did. My poem did not win anything that year, but my senior year I decided to try again and one of my poems won second place in the school. Ms. West-Lentz showed me that I could do something I’d never done before, and succeed at it. She built my confidence up, in writing, and in myself.

The most important thing Ms. West-Lentz showed to me was a discussion-based classroom. Previously my classes had been more of a lecture format. Now I had to collect my thoughts, in front of my peers, and give my opinion on themes, symbols, or character development. As frightening as this initially was, I learned to love it eventually. Discussion helps to develop the thoughts, opinions, and speaking skills of students. It forces them to think fast on their feet and support their ideas. Discussion also helped me to learn better. As I explained my ideas to others, I was better able to form my own.

My senior year, Ms. West-Lentz transitioned from teaching English to being one of the librarians. I spend a lot of time in the library, so this was good news, meaning I would be able to see and talk to her often. She continued to recommend great books to me, influencing me to read The Grapes of Wrath, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Catch-22. I would often discuss current events or political issues with her. Ms. West-Lentz has taught me, even when she hasn’t been my teacher, by discussing things and helping me find more sources to expand my knowledge. She has affected my attitude towards education by teaching me how to educate myself.