English: Learning to think and communicate

I am often asked two questions as a teacher: "Why do you teach?" and "Why do you teach English?" Let me try to explain.

For as long as I can remember, I have worked to help others in any way I can. In my opinion, there is no better way to help others than by teaching. I like to learn, and I like to help others learn, regardless of the topic. I believe we learn so that we can think; the subject of our learning is simply the vehicle we use to expand our thoughts.

That leads me to English. I teach English because I believe there is no better vehicle to help people develop their analytical thinking abilities than literature (math teachers may disagree). Through literature, through stories, we learn to analyze not only words, but patterns, human development, and personal motivations. These make up the world around us. By learning to recognize such patterns and changes, and by learning how others have succeeded or failed when responding to such patterns, we learn to navigate our world in a manner that is beneficial to us personally and to others around us.

Yet there is more to English than literature; we also learn effective communication, be it through writing or speaking. The skills are transferable from one to the other. In fact, writing is little more than a one-sided verbal argument. It is visual communication, and communication is a necessity regardless of your future path. In fact, clear, effective communication is often the key to occupational and collegiate success.

This is why I teach, and why I teach English. I want to create a society of thinkers who can adequately and effectively communicate their thoughts, and in the process, create the world they want.