"So What?"

The “So What” responses these unnamed students gave were very interesting. It is apparent that these students, whatever the age/race/gender, are digging into the poem. They are thinking about what they read and applying it to the bigger picture. The “So What” question also brings about more questions from the students. It is interesting to see how each student caught on to the racial tensions of the poem, yet there was some disparity about the gender of the two people in the poem. This shows how each student will take a poem and make it their own. I really liked that one of the students said that, “literature provides a way for us to step outside our protective bubble into situations that are foreign…” Students need their teachers to present them with material that pushes them out of their comfort zone and exposes them to new ideas and situations. Students should be aware of the wide array of materials available. Hopefully, the more diverse materials students read, the more well-informed and tolerant they will become.