Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Teaching Literature by Elaine Showalter

In this book, Elaine Showalter reflects on the process of teaching literature. After going through some common anxieties (which was not entirely helpful--I know that I am anxious and why I am anxious, thank you very much), she spends most of the book reflecting on strategies of teaching. She has many suggestions for different sorts of classes (in terms of genre, number of students, lecture/discussion balance) and has interviewed several other professors, whose advice she incorporates generously throughout the text. The end result is more like a hodge-podge than anything else. I would recommend skimming, taking new ideas that might work for you, and discarding the rest.

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