A classroom literature teacher, Christine D. Warner focuses her practice and current research on drama in education learning methodologies and interdisciplinary inquiry. Her teaching takes place in classrooms in both the middle school and university classrooms on a American Indian Reservation in Montana. Currently Christine is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University in the Integrated Teaching and Learning department and past research projects have included the nature of student and teacher engagement in drama as well as a co-researcher describing Native American learning styles of 5th grade middle school students on a Crow reservation. https://opeep.osu.edu/people/warner.55
How and when did you become involved with OPEEP?
Dr. Tiyi Morris approached me about teaching the course two years ago. She knew I had experience teaching and learning with populations of both adults and young adults who had been or were incarcerated, and the course I was offering was an important GE that would align nicely with the OPEEP’s college degree program.
What courses will you be teaching for OPEEP, and what challenges do you foresee?
I will be teaching EDUTL 2368 Introduction to Children’s Literature. The course is primarily a survey of children’s and Young Adult literature for all ages in genres that may include picture books, myths and folklore, poetry, nonfiction, historical fiction, and fantasy, making connections to the historical, cultural, institutional, and psychological contexts as well as provide foundational links to early literacy. The course will also focus on quality how quality Children's literature is a representation childhood and reflect assumptions about the social and educational function of children’s and young adult literature.
What takeaways would you like students to leave your class with?
The major take away is a course that identifies key components for quality and valuable children’s literature. Literature for both children and the adults who read and experience the act of reading with their children provides a distinctive critical position—a doubled or overlapping perspective consisting of one’s own reactions and impressions of the book and how each child finds himself/herself inside the book. It is my expectation participants will Identify and analyze complex practices, values, and beliefs and the historically, culturally, institutionally, and psychologically defined meanings of childhood and adolescence reflected within texts. Ultimately, I hope the students are able to explore and realize that children’s literature is a foundation for literacy, fosters empathy, promotes cultural awareness, and influences young minds in a positive way.
Often incarcerated women can be “invisible” which refers to their frequent marginalization. No Incarcerated women should be invisible to their children and/or grandchildren. Rather they can play a significant role by reading with children during visitation days and ZOOM Calls. Reading aloud is one of the few spaces that checks all the boxes in terms of social, emotional and mental health. The universal act of sharing one’s love of reading quality children’s books to a child and/or grandchild, niece and nephew is bigger than just literacy. It's another opportunity for expression of love and a tool for helping children’s and young adults navigate the world no matter where and when the reading experience takes place.
What is the one thing you wish more people knew about prison abolition and transformative justice?
The fundamental misconception about prison is that time served, alone, is sufficient for reforming incarcerated individuals. Research has indicated that our current criminal justice system needs to be restructured, potentially to the point of dismantlement. Instead, our state and/or country should invest in communities of rehabilitation and find alternative ways to address change. Many people may not realize that the U.S. prison system is regarded as one of the cruelest in the world, which ultimately makes it ineffective.
Which book are you most looking forward to teaching this fall?
Since this class is a survey of children’s and young adult books, we will be exploring lots of different kinds of books and the stories and topics these books embrace. We will be exploring books from multiple genres, time periods, topics and styles.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Read, read, read, read, read, and garden. My garden is not edible but rather purely aesthetic, resulting in quiet, peaceful, and natural beauty.
I read a lot of children’s books and young adult books. I also read about books, including how they are made and who buys them. Additionally, I read about research on response and engagement practices related to reading and books. Sometimes, during the summer, when I am not teaching, I can read up to three books at the same time
