The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

This isn't an easy thing to write about. I read this book recently, and wondered whether it would be meaningful to my middle schoolers. I wasn't sure if they could take the graphic detail of a tragic accident scene, until they were telling me about all the details of The Hunger Games. I thought, if they can take children fighting each other to the death in futuristic societies, they can take a little horror from the real world.

Well ... it's not quite that simple. Having not taught this age group before, I was still piecing together the whole picture of what literature to bring in for them, and how, exactly, to read a book - there are multiple ways, of course - when considering it for a classroom setting.

I handed the book off to an eighth-grader, who reported back to me that she really enjoyed it, but wouldn't recommend it to just anyone in her class. She suggested I create a shelf of "mature reading", which would require parents' permission to read.

Simultaneously, a parent (who also happens to be a teacher) wondered to me whether she was being too overprotective in thinking that this book was not appropriate for middle school. I shared some of my thinking behind bringing the book in, and then went to consult with the student I mentioned above. That night, the parent emailed me with a more lengthy description of her thoughts and experiences with the book (which she had read).

I appreciated and learned a great deal from her approach to conversation with me. Never did I feel accused, never did she assert assumptions, never did I feel shamed for my decision. In fact, I noticed that, instead of directing the matter to me, directly, she reflected on her own assumptions first: Am I being too overprotective? That approach opened up the opportunity for me to reflect on my own assumptions, in return: Am I not being protective enough?

Our correspondence was not lengthy, but just enough for me to feel that I have a clearer picture of choosing literature for middle schoolers to read. Still not complete, but important gaps have been filled, and my questions for further pondering continue.

And yet, I feel like this experience was not primarily a lesson in choosing literature for students. It was, first and foremost, a lesson in living in community. As teachers, we play a role in our communities, but not to the exclusion of others' expertise. We look to parents for the understanding that only they can offer, the pieces of the bigger picture that only they can fill. And when we do, we must always be mindful of our assumptions, question ourselves before questioning others, and remember always to support each other in the valuable roles we have in our community together.