Edvard Munch: The Scream

I believe that literature is an art and that the study of it leads to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world. I have always loved to read and started for the simple pleasures that it offers. I was one of the few people I knew who looked forward to English class in high school; I was fairly good at it. I felt, and continue to feel, that reading offers us windows and mirrors. Through reading we have the opportunity to see another world through the eyes of another person, hence the window. We are also able to make connections between the literature and our own experiences, the mirrors. Reading gives me the opportunity to get away and explore something new. In college I learned that literature has many layers which I find through analysis. This offered another level of enjoyment for me. Not only am I able to explore and make connections, but now I can try to figure out what the author was trying to do through the piece. I still find the discovery process very exciting.

It is also through reading that we become better writers. As we learn what the great literary minds have done with language, we can incorporate that into our own writing while still using our unique creativity in order to develop a new piece. I also believe that writing is a process; I am still revising pieces I had thought were final drafts. There is always room for improvement and that is part of what makes writing so interesting.

As a teacher, I believe I should share my enthusiasm with my students and show them the joy I have gained from reading and writing. Planning lessons is an outlet through which my creativity can flow and my students constantly urge me to continue learning. Life, especially as a teacher, is a continuous journey of growth.

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