Post #4: Cris Tovani "Why Do I Have to Read This?" Chapter 5 Analysis

    In Chapter 5 - The Mask of Minimal Effort, Tovani describes the characteristics of the minimal effort mask, why some students resort to this mask, and the importance of authenticity in order to enhance students' focus and urgency to learn and produce quality work. 

    After reading Chapter 5, there was one consistent theme that resonated throughout - the importance of authenticity. Tovani mentions in previous chapters that students often establish these masks (either class clown, apathy, or minimal effort) for a few distinct reasons. However, most of the time, the reason is that students do not feel a connection/purpose to their learning and their overall learning experience is not "authentic." This sentiment is represented in great detail in this chapter, specifically on page 127, in which Tovani states, "If you really want to ramp up students' urgency to revise and produce quality work, you need an authentic audience. Providing an audience for students to share their thinking requires a little bit of planning, but it's well worth the effort" (Tovani, pg. 127). Supplementary to this, Tovani also states a few lines later that "When students who wear the mask of minimal effort have the opportunity to create and engage in the work of professionals, they are more eager to do the work of school" (Tovani, pg. 127). These insights from Tovani connect back to another essential theme from previous chapters - the necessity of student interest. As Tovani mentions, one of the best ways to harbor student engagement is to provide them a platform. Students, like everyone else, want their voices to be heard and want to feel that their writing can make a difference in their community. As stated, if students are writing about a topic or for an audience that cares about their writing, they will be more likely to take the work seriously and put in the effort to revise and produce the best quality work they possibly can. 

    Per usual, Tovani presents a number of great strategies for teachers to help break student masks and foster engagement and interest. As aforementioned, Chapter 5, like the previous chapters, discusses the importance of meaningful and authentic learning, and presenting students with a stage to share their insights in a productive way. As an aspiring social studies teacher, I will definitely be using these strategies in my classroom and providing students opportunities to connect their learning in ways that serve their learning goals.