Collective Effervescence and Whole Class Texts

When it comes to reading, I am a huge proponent of students’ choices, but students also benefit from reading a common text with the whole class. I could examine the pros and cons of either side, but it has been done already by a number of experts in the field. Instead, I will focus on the emotional facet of the whole class reading experience – in particular, on the phenomenon called collective effervescence

The term collective effervescence was coined by Emile Durkheim who used it to describe “a particular force that knits social groups together.” Although it came into being in connection to religious rituals, nowadays the term is often applied to sporting events, live concerts, and other social gatherings where people experience a strong emotion as a group. Collective effervescence instills in us the sense of belonging. I believe that reading a powerful text as a whole class has a similar effect. 

Miss, do you remember when we read…? 

Act 3 scene 1. Julius Caesar is struggling for his last breath, and my entire class is holding theirs. Then, as we all gasp at the inevitable, one of the seniors lets out, “That  f…ing Brutus!”  I don’t have the heart to write him up because his response is as offensive as it is authentic. The class discussion that follows reminds me of the bubbles that the raindrops make – everyone is mentally and emotionally invested – the students finish each other’s sentences – the feeling of collective effervescence is palpable. We hate Brutus together and we grieve over the betrayed Caesar together. You cannot beat that. 

Daisy and Jay, The Great Gatsby | The Best Movie Kisses of ...

“Can we read aloud?” We are taking a break from partner read, and I grab the book. I will read it for them aloud because my favorite part is coming up and because words are like music, 

“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath…(Fitzgerald, 1925).

My skeptical sophomores who have scoffed at Fitzgerald’s characters for weeks, perk up and listen so intently that I can hear every word etched in their memory. They are more than listening- they are living through this moment along with Gatsby and Daisy – together, as a class. Although they probably won’t admit it, right there and then, they are swept by the possibility of love that transcends it all. Tomorrow they will have plenty to say, but today I don’t ask any questions, letting them doodle or journal quietly. They are enveloped by the magic of the text we shared.

Why are those moments magical? 

Experiencing a strong emotion collectively breathes a spirit of unity into a group and amplifies the effect by the number of hearts beating in unison and the number of minds bubbling to the same purpose. It brings us together, lifts us, and moves us above and beyond our individual abilities, qualities, and strengths. Collective effervescence is a rare moment of the harmonized emotional and intellectual energy of people working together. It’s when all the thinking bubbles pop and release into the air. 

Why read as a whole class?

If we only gather as a whole class for a mini-lesson over some reading skills and then go into our separate corners to read the books we picked out, we might miss out on the joy of shared reading and discussions!  When we read whole class texts, we develop deeper relationships with characters and become emotionally invested in the plot. Now we have something to share! No trendy book tastings or book speed dating will ever replace a whole class deep dive into the text. Doug Lemov rightfully notices that ”independent reading, for all its strengths, is also, well, independent. Part of the pleasure of reading—sharing the story as it unfolds—is tacitly sacrificed.” Especially now, coming out of the pandemic, this joy might not be something we would want to forgo. 

The experience is as joyful as it is valuable. According to Kate Roberts, “Guiding students through a whole-class novel can be a powerful experience for everyone in the room. That kind of community is hard to beat when it goes well, and the struggle to understand dense text can have an enormous payoff. Having the support of a teacher and a class of peers when reading a book can lift the level of our thinking and can hold our attention in ways that sometimes reading on our own does not.” 

Our differences make the common reading experience priceless, “When a learning community shares a text, they come together to share not just the plot and theme but a common, social experience.  With their unique skills and individual backgrounds, students can build a rich conversation and deep collective thinking that will move the community beyond the state of just a singular understanding to “Ah ha! I never thought about it that way!” (Erica Lee Beaton).

More about Collective Effervescence 

Durkheim, E 1915, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life: A Study in Religious Sociology, Macmillan, Oxford.

More about Whole Class text approach 

https://www.tes.com/news/doug-lemov-three-fresh-approaches-teaching-reading

https://blog.heinemann.com/whole-class-novels-good-thing

https://b10lovesbooks.wordpress.com/tag/whole-class-novels/

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