Literaturely

In our latest episode, we launch our new series: Teaching Traditionally-Taught Texts! Many instructors are encouraged or required to teach texts from the traditional canon. Sometimes instructors feel an internalized obligation to revisit these texts. Sometimes these texts are important cultural capital, but our own teachings have become stale. So how do we keep traditionally-taught texts fresh, relevant, and representative?

Our first episode of the series focuses on two seminal feminist texts: Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. We discuss using these texts to challenge feminism and academia, building resources to better contextualize these works, and bouncing around potential lesson plans. We also spend a good deal of time talking about the Hulu show The Great and the historical Catherine the Great. Don't worry--it all ties in.

How do you teach traditionally-taught texts? Share your experiences, questions and resources with us at [email protected] or tweet us @Literaturely101.

In our ninth episode, Paige and Margaret discuss approaches for teaching literature about, courses focused on, and responses to 9/11. From thinking about collective trauma, national memorialization, and political narratives, we consider how to tackle sensitive issues in a literature class. We spend some time talking about the use of context, theory, trigger warnings, and perspective to help students critically engage an emotional moment. Have you taught 9/11 narratives in your literature course? Share your experiences, questions and resources with us at [email protected] or tweet us @Literaturely101. 

With classrooms becoming increasingly tech-friendly, it has become easier than ever to incorporate movies and television into the literature class. In this episode, Paige and Margaret discuss their techniques for incorporating film into traditional literature courses, teaching film classes as a literature professor, and more! From sharing our dream assignments to breaking down logistics, we try to cover the ins and outs of film adaptations, dramatic works, and multi-media narratives! Have you taught film in your literature course or department? Share your experiences, questions and resources with us at [email protected] or tweet us @Literaturely101. 

Intro to English Studies can be a beast of a course. From teaching the skills necessary for the major to juggling a range of skill levels to tackling a variety of genres, there is a lot for one course to cover. Margaret and Paige share their experiences as both instructors and students within an Intro to English Studies classroom. We discuss about the purpose of this course--including emphasizing the practicality of an English major.

We talk about leveling the learning field, setting goals, and creating assignments. We deep-dive into a specific course Margaret recently taught to talk about particular approaches to teach close reading, analysis, translation and adaptation, secondary sources, ethics of the field, cultural evolution, and more. Paige then reveals her own time in an Intro to English Studies as a student and how she'd incorporate the experience of learning theory, writing, and conferencing to teach in the future. And together, we brainstorm about ideas we'd like to explore in future versions of this course.

We'd like to hear how you teach Intro to English Studies! Share your experiences and questions with us at [email protected] or tweet us at @Literaturely101.

Worried about teaching online this fall? Paige and Margaret have got you covered! In this episode, we pull from our backgrounds as online comp instructors to brainstorm online literature courses. We deep-dive into what strategies have worked for us in the past, what we've struggled with, and what we hope to try soon! While we talk about Twitter and its many uses for a good chunk of time, we also discuss getting your students excited for (or at least invested in) an online learning environment, adapting your materials and techniques, and finding the silver lining of the digital sphere. We know that it's a stressful time for teaching right now, and we're here to try to make it a little easier. Still have questions, concerns, or tips you'd like to share? Let us know at [email protected]! 

In this week's episode, we tackle creating assignments to fulfill your course objectives. From establishing the basics to fulfilling departmental requirements, we share how we try to keep things exciting in the classroom! We start by breaking down how we use assignments to engage students before discussing how we scaffold assignments to build skills throughout the semester.  Now that we've shared our stories, we want to hear from you! If you'd like to share your assignment tales, send us an email at [email protected]

Please note: this episode was recorded a few weeks ago, before the murders of George Floyd and 11 protesters. We are horrified by yet another incident of racist and systemic violence against Black Americans. We know that this is not an isolated incident and we grieve with and for our colleagues, friends, and communities who are constantly burdened by the weight and terror of perpetual injustice. We also know that classrooms are not exempt from racial and racist biases and our own students often face microaggressions and overt racism on campus which impacts their well-being. We plan to discuss this in future episodes of the podcast, but in the meantime, we are donating our time, energy, and resources to our communities to try to help today.

In this episode, we talk about the top questions you may face when building your syllabus for a literature course. We cover tips for beginnings, new approaches for old hats, and resources for all! In our conversation today, we specifically tackle narrowing your focus, grounding your materials in course objectives, and selecting texts to create an effective literature course! And after you finish listening, feel free to join in the conversation by sending us an email at [email protected].

Join us as we talk about common myths about literature courses, our goals when teaching lit, and how we get comfortable with ambiguity. We share our perspectives on the role literature plays as a cultural artifact to help students better examine the connection between individual and community, trace the gradual changes in a community's values, and improve their critical thinking skills. This is our overview of the purpose of teaching literature in the 21st century!