As a junior in high school, I’ve been through three English classes with the usual requirements of mandatory book readings. I don’t have a problem with reading books for school, as I know that it improves your brain and sometimes I even enjoy the book. The issue is the way the teachers make us take in the information. 

   Everyone knows that there are multiple ways to intake a book. Most people take the movie route because it’s faster and easier, like me. Some people who don’t have the time to sit down and watch a movie or read a book try the audio version, so they can listen to it while working on something. 

   While everybody has a different style of listening and understanding a book, it’s important to accommodate this, especially in the classroom. But trying it all at once doesn’t seem to help a single soul. 

    As a student currently in an English class I go through each one of these tactics for reading a book and it doesn’t help me or the class in any way.  

   I get confused and it gets annoying having to repeat the same scenes just in different styles. I stop paying attention and tune it out because I’ve already read and watched this part. 

   English classes are important and I enjoy certain books. I just think that we should find something that works for the class to ensure everyone understands what is going on. 

    It’s hard to understand a book when we bounce back and forth between parts. Some characters and scenes aren’t there in the movies, and audio books don’t go at a pace that is comfortable for everyone. 

      Let’s take The Great Gatsby for example. My class read the book, the audio book, the graphic novel, and watched the movie. In the end we didn’t even finish the book because we ran out of time, this is what i’m talking about. I truly think we should stick to one way of intaking an important book. 

   Seeing The Great Gatsby through all of these mediums causes confusion because details from one can bleed into another making remembering and interpreting difficult and incorrect. 

   The book is usually the original and I think that’s what the teachers should stick to. Many worksheets are based off the book so sometimes questions don’t even match with what’s going on in the film. 

    I understand it’s easier to do a movie because they 

keep more students entertained and only take a couple of classes. 

   I also understand that audio books can help if no one wants to read out loud or the teacher’s throat hurts. But this shouldn’t be all at the same time. 

   There are gonna be students that want the audio book, some that want the movies, and there are some that only want the book. You’re not gonna be able to please everyone, so I say stick to majority rules.