In a conversation about teaching English and American literature and teacher preparation, high school teacher Matilda Balsley agrees with university professor Andrew Delbanco: students and teachers must engage intellectually and emotionally with the material before significant learning can occur. According to Delbanco, a student’s positive or negative engagement with the material is the key to substantive learning. Both urge teachers to consistently reacquaint themselves with their subject matter and to be prepared to deviate from their lesson plan should their students lose interest.
At the time of the interview, Matilda Balsley taught English and American literature at Reidsville (North Carolina) Senior High School, and Andrew Delbanco was professor of English at Columbia University. Delbanco was a Fellow of the National Humanities Center (2000-01) and later a Trustee of the Center. This episode of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
