Queenwood recently welcomed Mr Dylan Chalwell to our community. As Head of English, previously Year Coordinator and Senior English Teacher at Abbotsleigh, he brings a wealth of experience and energy to the faculty. I spoke to Dylan about what it is that makes English – and in particular reading – special. In an age of near-constant reading via texts, social media and mindless scrolling, I thought it would be apt to ask Dylan what it is that makes the experience of reading literature so special.
“Well, a few things come to mind straight away. Firstly, reading and literature give you access to something sustained, long-form, and immersive. I think a lot of what we read on our devices is immediately connected to our lives, which means we lose something that literature and reading provide: engaging with worlds different from our own,” he said. He reflected that unlike phone-based reading, literature can help us to immerse ourselves in “worlds from the past, places from other countries, different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.”
It may be that adolescent reading is on the decline because it is inherently more effortful. But often, that which is effortful is also more rewarding. I asked Dylan to tell me more about the ways that reading is both more difficult but also more fulfilling.
“Virginia Woolf, when she wrote Mrs. Dalloway, commented that she was deliberately writing something difficult but more rewarding because it provides insight into people's lives and inner psychology. From a cognitive level, reading is difficult because it requires attention. We can watch TV while doing other things, but you can't do that with a book. Reading demands close to full attention, even though it's an automatic process.
“It demands us to say no to other obligations of life, at least for a short time. But the rewards reflect that; by focusing on a book, you stretch your brain and step inside an imaginative world. Films are often seen as immersive, but reading allows us to create worlds in our mind through our imagination, which is very rewarding,” he said.
We shifted the conversation to writing and the way that it can sometimes be seen as a purely practical skill. We need writing to compose job applications, to create records and to write professional emails. But I was curious about how we might lift writing out of this utilitarian view?
“Writing and thinking are closely related. Writing becomes a form of thinking. The research tells us this is true, but even at the simple level of experience, writing helps us process and express difficult or joyful moments in life. Handwriting slows our thinking and gives us space to think carefully.
“On the communication side, writing allows others to enter our private worlds, which is essential to human life. It lets us express and cultivate our inner worlds for others to understand. So, writing is closely linked to thinking and allows others to share our private experiences,” he said.
I asked Dylan what he was looking forward to about his new role at Queenwood.
“I'm really looking forward to getting to know the students. I've been impressed by their keenness to write. Queenwood seems to have a strong emphasis on getting students to write well. I'm also excited to help the girls engage with rich literature and express themselves well. The girls are enthusiastic, engaged, and eager to learn. Building on those strengths is something I'm really looking forward to,” he said.