Beyond classroom curriculum, Marshall students have myriad opportunities to take their communication and language skills to the next level. Here, we talked with faculty and staff about some of the deeper work that happens as a result of engaging with the words surrounding, shaping, and being harnessed by students each day.

 

GARRETT QUINN

With his seventh grade classes, English faculty Garrett Quinn builds on middle school goals of learning to love reading. In the fall, students work on defining their “Reading Rights,” where students talk about what makes reading less fun for them—including a required page count, written responses after reading, annotating the text—and their “outside reading” is able to reflect these anti-guidelines.

“Outside reading in middle school is hardly ever assigned; the point is to instill a love of reading,” Quinn said. “Students get to discover characters and stories that can both validate their experiences and increase their empathy for others, and they are highly encouraged to explore topics and narratives that are familiar and foreign.”

While reading is an opportunity to understand and empathize with others’ stories, writing is an opportunity for students to find their own voice and perspective. “If you give students the space to explore their identity, they will absolutely surprise and impress you,” Quinn shared. “One of our assignments is to write a speech for students to ‘speak your truth,’ and it gives them a space to demonstrate bravery as they go deeper about a topic of their choice. Some big, tough topics—mental health, homophobia, gun control, et cetera—have been tackled there.”

Quinn can’t help but bring his passion into the classroom with him. “The number of times I’ve read something and been impacted is mind-boggling. I can’t imagine not reading and engaging with the world that way,” he said.

INSPIRING WORDS FOR QUINN

“A PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE, NO MATTER WHO IS CONTROLLING IT, IS TO LOVE WHOEVER IS AROUND TO BE LOVED.”

KURT VONNEGUT
THE SIRENS OF TITAN

 

DR. LON WEAVER

Dr. Lon Weaver curates a wall in his classroom that’s full of quotes—111 quotes, to be exact— and the point is to reveal important voices and to encourage students to embrace their own voices. As Marshall’s Ethics and World Religions teacher and chaplain, Weaver’s professional interaction with words is dynamic. “I want to empower students to use language as a way to connect rather than to persuade,” Weaver shared. “This works better with courage, confidence, and safety within a group setting, and that’s what we try to create together in discussion-based class.”

Facilitating discussions rather than debates is a particular goal of Weaver’s, and his classes rise to the occasion. Students choose the issues, spend time researching and preparing for the discussion, and take notes on the arguments they see being made. For grading purposes, the preparation work ahead of the discussion is more heavily weighted than a student’s time spent discussing. Oftentimes, smaller group discussions will come out of the classroom moments, bringing students back together to gain more understanding of each others’ perspectives and opinions.

“What’s especially relevant to these discussions is the opportunity for students to see arguments being made and understand the line of reasoning they are following,” Weaver explained. “Looking at logical argumentation, when students can see how someone’s thinking is structured, they can piece together the arguments being used, even if they are not explicitly stated.”

“I can’t control the experiences, perspectives, or biases students bring into the room, but I can make a soft landing for them,” Weaver said. “At the end of the day, my responsibility is to teach students how to assemble and discern arguments so they don’t have to be pulled along by others’ thinking or told what to think. Framing these moments as ‘discussions’ instead of ‘debates’ has positively affected the culture of these conversations and gives students practice in truly civil discourse about controversial issues before they leave Marshall.”

INSPIRING WORDS FOR WEAVER

“LOVE HAD RESURRECTED THEM, AND THE HEART OF EACH CONTAINED INEXHAUSTIBLE SPRINGS OF LIFE FOR THE HEART OF THE OTHER.”

FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

 

KAREN STILES

To Karen Stiles, words are everything. She doesn’t just take them seriously herself; learning to notice the world and notice words and language is a common thread through her ninth grade classes and advisory groups.

“Writers write about the human experience; some of these experiences resonate personally and some of them don’t, but they all have something to teach us. Words help us find connection,” Stiles said. “Good authors are masters of language and showcase experiences through their use of words. For example, in Richard Wright’s autobiography Black Boy, he deliberately alters his writing style to mirror and reflect on the significance of various life experiences. As a teacher, it’s fantastic to see students begin to notice and develop awareness for the ways people around them use language.”

One thing Stiles makes sure to tackle that doesn’t often get this much thought and attention? Teaching ninth graders how to write emails and interact on social media.“Words aren’t just words; they are also tone and intention, both of which are significantly more difficult to discern in an email or a social media post,” she explained. “It’s important and helpful for them to understand how much weight their communication carries, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and to understand that things like sarcasm can be hurtful.”

“I just want people to notice language; I think my biggest hope,” Stiles expressed, “is that whether it’s what they read or what they hear or ultimately what they say, they notice the power of words.”

 

INSPIRING WORDS FOR STILES

“YOU MAY WRITE ME DOWN IN HISTORY
WITH YOUR BITTER, TWISTED LIES,
YOU MAY TROD ME IN THE VERY DIRT
BUT STILL, LIKE DUST, I’LL RISE.
DOES MY SASSINESS UPSET YOU?
WHY ARE YOU BESET WITH GLOOM?
’CAUSE I WALK LIKE I’VE GOT OIL WELLS
PUMPING IN MY LIVING ROOM.”

MAYA ANGELOU
“STILL I RISE”