Blog #10 R.E.A.L Instruction and Artifactual Literacies (Pahl, Rowsell, and Stewart)

In Exit West, Mohsin writes about the calm before the storm, "the foundation of a human life, waiting there for us between the steps of our march to our mortality." I feel as if Pahl and Rowsell are somewhat addressing this calm in their discussion of "artifacts" (of course a "calm" is more an emotion and "artifacts" are things, but I think the message is the same: it is the little things that make up life). They seem to be looking towards all the minutiae surroundings of life and, despite how unassuming they may appear, their potential significance. For them, a scarf can be much more than an accessory; it can be a portal to the past, a simple reminder, or an opportunity for connection.

It is interesting to think about this idea in terms of EL students and the ESL classroom. Often objects, and their significance, have less to do with language and more to do with feelings or human experiences. Inviting students to write about the artifacts of their life can also encourage them to explore their shared experiences or feelings.

For example, I think of my journals; they are so much more than just pages of writing. Each one houses different stories and they each have a different feeling or vibe associated with them. My first journal has a purply blue suede cover, and it houses the story of my first heartbreak and all the tears and experiences that went along with that. If asked to write about that journal, I would write about emotional pain and the importance of friends and family. This could lead to a discussion, or a, "yes, that happened to me too!".

Using a handy acronym, Stewart also writes about connecting the lives of students to curriculum. "R.E.A.L. Instruction" is relevant, engaging, affirmative, and literacy oriented. I think this concept is important to keep in mind for EL students, but could also be applied to your monolingual English students. All students deserve curriculum that is relevant, engaging, affirmative, and, of course, literacy oriented.

What I really enjoyed about Stewart was, what came across as, her love for ELL students. She writes, "we need to ensure that we are learners of our students and their lives." I think that this is really at the heart of teaching ELLs and, really, all students. Schools may be physically separate from other areas of life, but education can not exist in a vacuum; life compliments and sometimes complicates learning, but, regardless, the two can never be fully separated. Honestly, I don't think I would even want them to be.

Life informs learning and learning informs life. I think the balance between the two is really lovely, and, after last weeks guest speakers and recent readings, I think working with and learning from emergent bilingual students can add some real depth and richness to that balance.