"Poe Response"

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the first authors that I can remember actually enjoying.  Throughout middle school and high school, I really wasn't much of a reader.  I didn't read for fun and I rarely even read my requirements, I would just read the bare minimum to get me by.  I remember having to read Poe in one of my Language Arts classes though and actually loving what I read.  I thought it was intriguing and interesting and this is when I really started to actually somewhat enjoy reading. I think Poe is a classic author that all students need to at least be introduced to while in secondary school.

The collection of Poe stories is a great way to integrate Poe into the classroom.  This allows students the options of what stories they want to read and for them to also get a taste of the different stories that Poe has written.  Some of Poe's work might be pretty difficult for students to understand at first, but I think he has a lot of stories that are possible for students to read. The Raven and Tell Tale Heart are two that I think I would start students off with to introduce them to Poe.  I think that Poe is more appropriate for high school level students, but I am sure people could find ways to at least talk about Poe in middle school.  I remember reading The Raven in high school and then watching the movie after and that really helped me to understand Poe better.  I could definitely see myself using this technique with my students when teaching them any of Poe's stories.  I think it is important to bring pop culture into the mix somehow when teaching Poe because a lot of his work is deep, so this could really help the students to grasp Poe's content more.

It seems as if Poe is taught an English quite frequently from grades 9 and up and sometimes even younger. Clearly, Poe has made his mark in literature and I think as teachers it is important to continuously teach Poe's work because there is so much a student can gain from him.  Plus, very rarely does one not enjoy Poe's work, so he would be a great author to teach about because students will stay engaged and interested.  I am excited to see the lesson plans that I can come up with when I finally get to teach Poe in my own classroom.  I think students will love it!