For my little interview series, I feature authors, illustrators, publishers, and college professors in the sphere of children’s literature to find out, what makes a children’s book? What’s needed in a portfolio? What does the study of children’s literature entail? But I’ve been wondering what a different perspective might look like. What are children like nowadays? Who has the best understanding of the actual readers of the published children’s books I am such a fan of? Where can I find the right someone to give me the nitty-gritty details of current school kids?
My answer arrived in an article I stumbled upon at work. Jody Stallings is a writer and middle school English teacher in lovely Charleston, South Carolina (Hi Sar and Griff!). He writes “Teacher to Parent,” a weekly column for the Charleston Post and Courier supplement the Moultrie News - the source of my discovery. He has also authored a novel, White Lake. A teacher, adjunct professor, director of a Christian youth group, and a father, Jody Stallings’ many positions explain his nuanced questions and ideas in his writing. I appreciate his thoughtful breakdown of many hot topic events in the public discourse surrounding today’s youth, schooling, leadership, and much more. Mr. Stallings agreed to an interview, and I’m happy to share his critical responses.
Photo courtesy of Jody Stallings.
What made you want to become a teacher?
I had a feeling when I found myself at about the age of seven delivering lessons to my Star Wars action figures that teaching was what I was put on the earth to do. (The action figures were generally better focused than teenagers, by the way. Less entertaining, but more focused.) :)
How does literacy factor into your classroom? Do your students enjoy reading and writing?
Literacy, to me, is essentially being able to understand what one reads; I aim beyond that, seeking to help students actually appreciate, enjoy, and learn from what they read. Someone told me there are three questions we should be able to answer about what we read: 1. What does it say? 2. What does it mean? 3. What does it matter? I focus mostly on the third question -- how does this text relate to our lives? -- and find that students absorb one and two along the way.
I teach middle schoolers so I can't truthfully say that they enjoy either reading or writing, but I don't worry about that. As long as I can induce them to just do it, I know one day love and enjoyment of it will come (for many, at least).
Do you have any favorite writers or books to include in your lesson plans?
It can be dicey incorporating your very favorite writers and books into your classroom because when students treat what you think is sacred with a yawn and a shrug, it can be discouraging. So I try to give them works that are appreciated by broad audiences and only carefully give them works I hold close to my heart. Flannery O'Connor and the Brontes I would not give them because I don't think they could fully appreciate those writers. But I do give them some Ray Bradbury stories, some Emily Dickinson poems, Thornton Wilder's Our Town, and Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. For the most part, they enjoy those works. Except for the poetry. They almost universally despise poetry, which is sad for me because it's my favorite genre of literature. But that's okay because it inspires me to try to improve at teaching it every year!
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing students today?
It's a combination of technology's dominance in their lives and lowered expectations from teachers and adults.
TikTok and other social media apps -- not to mention pornographic sites -- have fundamentally changed the personalities of adolescents. Parents are giving kids unrestricted phone access at younger and younger ages, and kids now essentially live two lives: the one in real life that their parents see, and the hidden one online under the influence of a billion unknown users who do not have the kids' best interests at heart.
The other issue, teachers' lowered expectations, is permitting kids to grow into adults with little knowledge, sloppy work ethics, me-first attitudes, and almost no intellectual curiosity or critical thinking skills.
When you really look at it, the biggest challenge facing students today is bad decision-making from the adults in their lives. :(
What aspect of being a teacher do you find most rewarding?
In addition to being a public school teacher, I am also a community Christian youth group director, and many of the kids in the youth group come from my classroom. Seeing faith transform those students is far and away the most rewarding aspect of teaching. :)
Catch Jody Stallings on his website, jodystallings.com and follow his column, “Teacher to Parent” at the Charleston Post and Courier for more reflective responses on key issues for today’s youth and education.