Creating Analysis Using Nonfiction
When most people think about analysis in the "literature" classroom, they envision scenes of students interpreting Shakespeare, or grappling with the language and message of authors like Toni Morrison, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Students gain access to...
read moreApplying Lessons from a Science Classroom to the Curricular Design of a Literary Analysis Course
TO ALL MY diehard fans, I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the major success I felt with my attempt to slay the proverbial beast that was my problem of practice. In my first blog post, I focused on the design of my Fall 2018 curriculum, in which "I sought to blend...
read moreThat was fun, I actually tried
Problem of practice: How might our students create more authentic and diverse forms of literary analysis? This semester I am teaching two response to literature courses, with a particular focus on "alternative" writing responses. The goal is to allow students more...
read moreHOW TO CREATE AUTHENTIC LITERARY ANALYSIS WITH VOICE AND CHOICE!
An experiment in varied written assessment. I used to (and still do) believe that the repetition of writing structures is crucial in a student's ability to improve and and internalize organized literary analysis. I often assign the same structured essay three to four...
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What Happens When Function Follows Form?
This semester, I've been working towards creating opportunities for my students to marry an insightful analysis of literature with a creative use of language that highlights unique authorial voice. I documented my efforts (and background on my course) in my last...
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How to continue to connect literature to students’ lives???
I have being trying to help students connect the literature to their personal lives all semester. I just think this is more fun! My hope was to help them see that understanding other peoples' journeys can help us understand our own experiences. In my last blog post, I...
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Authentic Responses to Literature JRC#2
In my first blog post I talked about our department's mission to create authentic responses to literature beyond the traditional structure of a five paragraph essay. My solution this semester was to require two forms of response for every project: one...
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Unburying Voice
I have some students who naturally imbue their analysis with voice—the future English majors, future video game critics, future New Yorker contributors—but what of the rest?
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Providing a 360 degree literary analysis opportunity
I was excited! I had been searching for a text that authentically engaged students about issues of immigration (with a particular focus on immigrants from Latinx communities). These students filled my classroom, but rarely saw themselves reflected in the literature....
read moreAuthentic Responses to Born A Crime
I just finished teaching “Born A Crime” by Trevor Noah to my class. In the memoir, Noah describes his childhood during and after apartheid in South Africa. The book discusses a wide range of themes related to identity, including race, gender, language, education,...
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