I found this chapter easy to read and informative. At first I was a bit turned off by the use of the the word seductive but as I continued to read I began to understand that there is no better word. The sentence that stuck with me and convinced me that seduction is the correct adjective was, "...seductive teachers lead students toward finding their own learning routes that make them strong and able human beings - people who know how to learn, who care about learning , who can cope with change, and who can contribute productively to a democratic society" (3-4). That is a long list of accomplishments and one would have to be seductive to accomplish them!
I also, very much liked the idea that "schools should be a place where people come to work with older people who can help hem and want to be there" as well (4). It always has amazed me the amount of students who come to school unprepared to work and the amount on staff who would rather be anywhere but at work. What a horrible way to spend 180 days a year, with someone who hates being there! This, with the idea of seductive teacher, led me to think about first impressions. I came to realize that teachers must make positive first impressions however, they must allow their students to have a fresh first impression daily. Teachers will have difficulty seducing their students if they are unable to win them over from the beginning.
Finally, I loved the analogy that in education it is as if something has gone wrong with the car so we should go back to the horse and buggy. This conversation followed with the discussion of how we are continually trying something "new" really hit home for me. Every year that I taught we were either going back to the basics or trying something "new and incredible!" We were never able to stick to one thing long enough to even know if it was a successful teaching method. Teachers must have time to learn and prepare themselves for lessons and methods of teaching curriculum if they are to be seductive teachers. Always changing the materials and strategies does not allow for this time.
Wolfe and Antinarella appear to have a great deal of first hand knowledge and I am enjoying reading their thoughts about how English teachers can be involved in reform.
