Teaching a literature course in college for the first time can be intimidating. However, if you're prepared, the idea of teaching a literature class in college can start to feel fun and uplifting. To teach literature to students, you need to include strategies that can be used at the college level, find ways to maintain a positive classroom environment, develop teaching strategies that you feel comfortable with, and structure courses that meet your faculty requirements.
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Part 1 of 4: Teaching for College Level
Step 1. Motivate students to read as well as take quizzes
One of the biggest challenges in teaching literature in college is getting students into class prepared. One way to motivate students to read and enter class ready to discuss reading is to give them daily reading quizzes.
- You can create simple quizzes with short answers or give them an impromptu writing assignment that will test students' reading comprehension. Give a quiz at the start of each class. You can even include quizzes in class discussions, such as asking students to explain their answers.
- Make sure you give enough marks to the quiz as well as the responses. For example, if an entire semester's quizzes are only 5% of the overall grade, some students will not find it worth the sacrifice of their time and effort. Instead, consider giving the quiz a score of 20% to 30% of the overall score.
Step 2. Have students prepare questions while attending class
Another option to motivate students on reading assignments is to require students to attend class prepared with reading questions. Then you can use student questions to start a class discussion.
- For example, you might require students to bring a series of three discussion questions to a class and invite students to ask questions at random. Then you can also collect those questions at the end of class and score students who have completed their questions.
- Make sure you explain how to write good discussion questions before you start requiring your students to prepare questions. Explain to students that a good discussion question can be an open-ended question. The answer can't be yes and no, or one answer, such as "What was the name of the person who visited Mrs. Dalloway?". Instead, a good question could be something like, “What is the meaning of Shakespeare's Cymbeline that Mrs. Dalloway? Does this sentence seem to have any importance for anyone other than him? Why or why not?”
Step 3. Provide opportunities to participate in lectures
If you're giving a lecture, make sure you include opportunities for students to participate every seven to 10 minutes. This opportunity will allow students to provide feedback, discuss, or ask questions about reading material. A number of good strategies to use include:
- Asking rhetorical questions. For example, while reading Mrs. Dalloway, you might ask students something like, “What is the purpose of inner dialogue?”
- Ask students to share similar experiences with neighbors. While reading Mrs. Dalloway, you could encourage students to identify something they have in common with Clarissa, or another character.
- Ask students to compose the concept just explained in their own words. If you are introducing a theoretical concept that explains what you are reading, you could divide students into pairs or groups and ask them to try to explain the concept in their own words.
Step 4. Include theory
At the tertiary level, students must be familiar with literary theory. If your faculty has specific courses that aim to introduce students to theories, you can ask students to incorporate theory into papers or presentations. If not, you can provide a few pointers to help students understand and use literary theory.
For example, you could ask students to formulate discussion questions to include a specific type of literary theory, such as feminist theory, psychoanalytic theory, or Marxist theory. Or you can assign different literary theory ideas to each student or small group and require them to develop a reading analysis using that theory
Step 5. Discuss specific sections of writing with your students
Reading perusal is important when teaching college-level literature, so make sure you devote plenty of time in class to perusal. Try selecting a passage or invite students to choose a passage in one class and focus on that passage for 15 to 20 minutes.
- For example, you could invite one student in each class to read their favorite paragraph aloud and then invite the rest of the class to discuss the paragraph.
- You can also ask other students to point to other sections of the reading that connect with the paragraph the first student chose as a way to deepen the conversation.
Step 6. Turn discussions in class into writing assignments in class
Some reading passages may be too difficult for students to develop directly in the classroom. In this situation, you can always direct your students to write freely to help them come up with ideas.
- For example, if you notice that students are having difficulty commenting on a passage or if the discussion turns out to be only a handful of students, give them five to 10 minutes to freely write about that passage.
- Avoid filling silent moments with your voice. Keep in mind that there will be times when your students are silent, but that is usually because they are having trouble with a question or concept. Give them a little time to calm down rather than give them an answer.
Step 7. Include group activities
Some students will not feel comfortable speaking out loud in class, at least at the beginning of the class. Therefore, incorporating small group activities into the class will be useful so that all students have the opportunity to contribute to class discussions. Incorporating group activities or collaborative learning in the classroom can also benefit students by providing opportunities for them to learn from their peers.
- You might start some classes by dividing students into groups and assigning them questions about the day's reading. Or you could ask students to focus on a particular passage or chapter and then develop some ideas and/or questions to add to the class discussion.
- For example, if the class is reading Mrs. Dalloway, you might start the class by asking students “How did Virginia Woolf transition from one character's point of view to another? Look for examples from the text to support your answer.
Part 2 of 4: Creating a Positive Class Environment
Step 1. Use scaffolding techniques to teach difficult skills
Scaffolding is when you teach students to do something that is one level above their abilities, then help them get through the assignment. Students should develop mastery of the skill after practicing it a few times, then you can stop helping.
For example, you can introduce the process of perusing by guiding your students through a passage of perusal in a class, then give students the opportunity to do the same during class. Then, you can ask students to peruse the reading passage outside of class and write about it in a paper
Step 2. Model skills and strategies in the classroom
Students will often observe you and imitate the skills you model for them in class. That's why it's important that you model the types of skills you want students to learn.
For example, you can model good questions to your students using the questions you ask in class. Or you can model good writing to students by showing them the papers you wrote while you were a student
Step 3. Ask questions
Asking questions can help students relate what they read to their own knowledge and experience. It is especially important to ask questions that will help students make connections between reading and their own lives. Make sure you ask students in-depth questions during class to help them find effective ways to enter the conversation.
- Focus on open-ended questions, rather than yes, no and other single-answer questions. Ask questions that start with the words “Why” and “How”. If you are asking a single-answer question, make sure you invite students to say more by asking “Why” and “How” questions.
- For example, if your class has just finished reading Mrs. Dolloway by Virginia Woolf, you might ask your students something like, “How did Woolf tell the story?” and “What does this format tell us about the way we tell our own lives?”
Step 4. Use visual aids
Using pictures, films, and other visual aids can be quite useful for students who are more visual learners. No matter what form of teaching you prefer, you should consider incorporating some visual aids into your classroom. These can take many forms from high-tech, like PowerPoint, to low-tech, like notes and doodles on a whiteboard.
- For example, creating a PowerPoint that pairs a difficult concept with an image can help some students gain an understanding of the book that they might not otherwise get from an oral lecture.
- Movies can also be a useful tool to include. For example, you can use the film as a complement to a difficult scene in the book, or as a point of comparison after the class finishes reading the book.
Step 5. Encourage students
To maintain a positive environment in your literature class, you must encourage your students to contribute to the discussion. This could be a simple sentence such as “Thanks for bringing that up”, after the student has finished commenting or asking questions. Or you can give a more personalized response. For example, you might say something like, “I thought the same thing the first time I read Mrs. Dalloway.
- Also thank the students at the end of each class for their participation. For example, you could say something like “I really enjoyed our discussion today. Thank you all for contributing great ideas.”
- Avoid criticizing your student's interpretation or interrupting him if something doesn't feel clear. If something a student said is not clear, you can ask him to clarify it by saying, “That is an interesting thought. Why do you say that?” or, “You seem to be struggling with a difficult concept. Would you like to expand on or open up the topic to the whole class?”
- Avoid praising the quality of the questions. Saying that you think a question is “good” can lead other people to think that the question isn't really a good one. Therefore, try to avoid this type of compliment. Instead, stick to comments that will encourage students. You can even use nonverbal cues, such as smiling, nodding your head, or giving a thumbs up.
Part 3 of 4: Developing Your Strategy
Step 1. Work with a mentor
Some faculties may provide tutors to help you when you are just starting to teach. If the faculty does not provide a mentor, you may consider choosing one yourself. Choose someone you think is right to help you develop your teaching skills.
For example, if you are an expert in medieval literature, you might be able to ask another medieval expert in your faculty if he or she is willing to guide you. However, having the same scientific interests is not a must to be a good mentor. You can simply choose someone who you think would be a good mentor because of their personality and experience
Step 2. Develop your pedagogical knowledge
You can increase your knowledge of pedagogy and what can be used to teach literature by attending conferences and by reading articles on teaching literature. Try looking at presentations and reading articles related to the literature you teach.
For example, if you are teaching Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, you might want to read a journal article about the pedagogical strategies that can best be used to teach this work. Or, if you are attending a special conference about a particular writer, such as the Virginia Woolf conference, you might try attending a pedagogical presentation that deals with teaching about Woolf in general or with specific readings, such as The Waves or Orlando
Step 3. Reflect on your favorite lecturer
Think back to your favorite college professor of literature to start getting ideas for teaching strategies. Some questions you can ask yourself include:
- What teaching method does your favorite lecturer use in class?
- What do you like about this teaching method?
- How can this method help you understand and discuss difficult passages?
- What (if anything) would you like to change about this method if you decide to use it in your class?
Step 4. Recognize your strengths
Based on past teaching experience, you may already have an idea of what you are good at in the classroom. For example, you may be very good at making and giving PowerPoint presentations, facilitating class discussions, or developing interesting group activities.
Make a list of your strengths in the classroom as well as any other personal strengths that you think can lead you to an effective teaching strategy
Step 5. Ask colleagues for advice
Your more experienced colleagues are a great resource for learning about teaching strategies and getting ideas for teaching programs. Whether you're a teaching assistant just starting out or a full-time lecturer, you can learn new things from more experienced members of your faculty.
- Try setting up a meeting with someone who also teaches literature at your school. Ask for suggestions on what to use, feedback on your current ideas, resources that can help you, and general suggestions.
- Consider asking to observe other literature classes to see how other lecturers encourage discussion.
Step 6. Write down your teaching philosophy
A teaching philosophy communicates your goals and values as a teacher. Creating a teaching philosophy can even help you develop your teaching skills, so it's a good idea to write down your teaching philosophy even if you don't need it. Most teaching philosophies include:
- Your thoughts on teaching and learning
- A description of the strategies you used to teach.
- An explanation of why you teach the way you are now.
Part 4 of 4: Compiling Courses
Step 1. Find out the faculty requirements
Your language faculty may have specific guidelines for the course you teach, so it's important to find out before you start drafting a course. For example, you may be required to teach certain readings, give certain assignments, or enter certain concepts.
Ask the principal or other supervisor if you can look at the syllabus of other professors to get an idea of how your course should work. Use this syllabus to help you determine how you can meet the faculty requirements for the course
Step 2. Consider choosing a theme
If you teach a course specific to your faculty, you may already have a theme. However, you can always add a theme to make it even more focused. If the course doesn't have a theme, you'll find the lecture easier by identifying reading and writing assignments using theme selection. A number of literature course themes include:
- African-American Literature
- Courses on writers, such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, or Dickens
- Family
- Food
- Gender
- Myth
- Rural or urban literature
- Symbolism
- A period, such as the 20th century, the Enlightenment, or the Renaissance.
- Types of literature, such as poetry, short stories, plays, or novels
- Utopian or dystopia literature
- female writer
Step 3. Make a list of books and other readings
Once you've found a theme, start making a list of potential readings that you can teach for the course. This list includes far more books or other works than you can realistically teach. Just remember that you can narrow down your list later.
- You can also ask colleagues for advice. Someone who has been teaching for a long time will be able to suggest literature that would work well for the course you are teaching.
- For example, if you want to teach a course that focuses on women writers, you could include on your list works by Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Toni Morrison, and Zora Neale Hurston, or Indonesian women writers such as Nh. Dini, Ayu Utami or Marga T.
Step 4. Develop a reading schedule
Once you've decided on the work you'll include in your course, you'll need to develop a reading schedule. First, decide in what order you want students to read the passage. Then you can work out a schedule for how much to read each week.
Consider reading length as you develop your reading schedule. For books and other lengthy works, you will need to break the reading into manageable sections. For short works, such as poems or short stories, you may be able to read the entire work in one class
Step 5. Define the task
Most classes require students to write at least one term paper, but you can also include different types of assignments. For example, you can include presentations, discussion leading activities, or quizzes and exams.
