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So my name is Rebecca Wieder, and I teach at Gateway High School, and I teach Humanities 9;

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Creative Writing, which is tenth to twelfth; and also Honors American Literature.

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Today was a literature circles day, and so the purpose of literature circles is

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to give the students a chance to make meaning of the text in a student-led way,

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in which each student has a role that they play,

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and the roles cater to different learning styles and strengths.

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So, students have different ways to show their knowledge and to engage in the text.

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Student: It says right here, "She can feel Pedro's heart pounding

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against her chest, suddenly the pounding ceases."

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Wieder: The goal of this particular literature circle was to make meaning of the end

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of the text because they had just finished the book and to kind of pull together some

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of the big ideas from the book that we've been tracking along the way.

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So, that was kind of the content goal.

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The process goal for literature circles is

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to help students become more independent, self-directed learners.

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We find that when students are not just kind receptacles for the learning but are actual agents

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in the learning that it changes the way they conceive of themselves as learners

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and changes the way that they engage in class discussion and whatever activities we are doing

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because they feel that their voice is important.

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Wieder to class: We're going to travel back to our last couple literature circles.

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These were our goals the last two times around, right?

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Remember we started off, these were our initial goals and then we did okay, right?

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We had some problems with interruptions, some problems with making sure everyone got

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to contribute, but then we really made some improvements during our second lit circle, right?

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So, we ended up with a nine.

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Now our goal for this lit circle is to do even better.

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So, what would that look like?

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Let's come up with some goals, okay?

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What do we want to see from ourselves and from each other

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to make this our most successful lit circle?

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Okay. Chanice?

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Student: We could refer more back to the book.

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Wieder: Excellent.

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Wieder: Literature circles are a structured discussion

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in which students come prepared to take on a certain role.

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For example, one student comes in prepared to be the discussion director,

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and they've have prepared questions that will spark debate and discussion.

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And so that student will take over the discussion when it's their turn

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and prompt deeper debate amongst his or her peers.

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And the idea is that each student can showcase his or her knowledge in different ways.

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And so we're trying to encouge different kinds of learners to engage with the text

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and to feel confident about making meaning of the text,

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and to show kids that there are different ways to make meaning of a text.

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Student 1: She followed Mama Elena's tradition because she wanted to be,

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like, her mother's follower in a way.

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Because since Tita disobeyed and Gertrudis disobeyed, so she wanted to be the one to be like,

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"Oh, I'm going to do what my mom did."

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Student 2: So you're saying she basically, like, looks up to her mom as a role model.

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Student 1: Yeah.

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Student 2: Because she was the only one who didn't disobey.

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Student 3: That's true.

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Wieder: Literature circles require a fair amount

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of preparation because we have multiple goals.

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We have the goal of having students really discuss big ideas,

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and that requires helping them ask good questions.

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And so we do some work around what does it mean to ask a question that will spark debate?

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What does it mean to ask a question that will get students engaged in discussion,

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and how do you ask follow up questions to engage more discussion?

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So, that's one aspect of our preparation.

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Another aspect is how do you listen in the discussion?

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How do you stay active even when you are not the one talking?

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And so we do some work on active listening, what does it look like to be an active listener.

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And we also do model discussion where six students discuss in front of the class,

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and we watch and really focus on positive feedback.

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What did we see them do with body language to show the other students that they were listening?

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So, we call that a fishbowl activity.

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We do that before they ever go into their own circles.

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So, it helps prepare them for what it's going to be like.

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Student 1: So you guys have anything else you want to discuss?

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Oh, I want to know how Tita died.

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Others: She ate the candles.

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Student 2: Where does it say she ate the candles?

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Student 3: It says it right here.

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Student 4: Try eating candles, let's see if you don't die.

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Student 1: Let's not eat candles.

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Student 3: But why did she eat the candles?

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Student 5: Because she didn't want to be left alone.

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Pedro died, so she went after him.

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Student 3: Did John Brown die too?

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Others: No.

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Wieder: I think <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i> is a really compelling text for students

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because it deals with issues that they are facing as young adults.

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One of the big themes in the book is how does one resist an unjust rule or unjust ruler,

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and that's something we talk a lot about.

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And in adolescence, it's very common to feel oppressed by the various authorities in one's life,

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and so students really relate to the main character who's being oppressed

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by the force of her mother.

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So, that's one reason.

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The other reason is the romantic aspect.

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Romance is a big part of adolescence,

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and students are thinking a lot about their first relationships,

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and the book is about the main character's first love and first relationship

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and her struggle to realize that love.

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And so for a lot of students, that really hits home.

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Student: Well, I don't think Tita would have any strength if it hadn't happened,

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like how she didn't marry Pedro and how Rosaura married Pedro.

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I think that's what made her strong, having to deal with that.

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And I think if she was in Rosaura's position and she didn't love Pedro and Rosaura did,

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and she was supposed to marry Pedro, I think she would have done it because she didn't have

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that strength to stand up to Mama Elena.

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Wieder: So, as much as possible during literature circles,

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I stay hands-off because I really want students to feel that the energy

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and the meat of the conversation is coming from them and that my job is just to observe

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so that I can reflect back to them what I saw at the end of the conversation.

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And so, unless a conversation has really derailed, I will let them try to get back on task

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and try to encourage each other to participate.

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And so I really see my role as one of facilitation in terms of set-up,

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and then as an observer during the actual lit circle.

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Occasionally, I will come into a lit circle to ask follow-up questions,

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but otherwise I'm really observing and making mental notes

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that I can then share with the class after.

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Wieder: You think she would be better off without either of them?

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Anyone agree?

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Student: No.

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I don't agree because I think...

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Wieder: In some ways, I want them to struggle a little bit in that first lit circle

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and to then notice this is where we got off track, and this is what we need to work on,

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and so that really comes from them.

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And so, I deliberately let go of the reins a little bit,

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which is a hard thing for a teacher to do, but I think reaps rewards in terms of the

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of the students' self monitoring and ability to feel like they really are in charge.

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I'm not just saying they are in charge; they really are in charge.

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