I was quite intrigued by Webb's chapter on homelessness. I was most inspired by his introductory story on the man he discusses in the beginning. I feel that because Webb came across a homeless man the way he did, that is inspired him to reflect and influence his own students to learn more about it from different angles. I really like the idea of teaching homelessness in the classroom, especially using some of the references Webb leaves for the readers throughout the chapter, as well as in the end. Some of these resources are things many people have heard of before, but have they ever really thought to base a unit around a theme like homelessness? I sure have not. The responses from his students in the beginning where some were unsure of homeless people, and a particular student who wanted to drop the class because he thought they would be learning "character, and plot", were interesting to read and even more exciting when Webb got "sharper" analytical papers after their findings and readings. Turns out most students were more interested than they perceived to be in the beginning.
One quote in particular is what I hope to be true above all when it comes to student responses in class, "If involvement with real-world issues and events developed consciousness, it also led to better written projects, extended and deepened reading, and provided a basis for passionate oral reports and intense class discussion" (20). This proves that having themes like homelessness create curiosity to young adolescents and in spite of their doubts, they may actually learn something and enjoy learning in the process. I hope to have this type of impact on my students in my own English classroom one day, where I can find the spot where each individual can find something we are doing in class to be useful and a great learning experience.
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It's important to note that this was a college level class and thus students had the real option of dropping his class. Now, what if we taught a similar class at the high school level? While it is possible for students to switch classes in high school, it is much more difficult to accomplish due to fewer classes being offered. I might require a complete reschedule of all classes that student is taking. Most often, the student would have to just accept that the class is being taught differently than expected. (Maybe this is a good thing?)
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