questions about Santman

I found Chapters 4 and 7 in Santman (our reading for Thursday, 2/2) very interesting. Here are a few questions you might discuss about it:

1. What do you think about Santman's strategies for teaching students to have interesting and useful literary discussions? Do you think they would work? Do you think they are necessary?

2. What do you think the significance is of making a personal connection to a text you are reading?

3. Do you think its true that sometimes kids will "miscue" when they are emotionally or ideologically "resisting" a text and its ideas?

4. What do you think of Santman's belief that teaching and learning literature is about helping kids to think about "big issues" and how texts both explore these issues and "position" readers?