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Classics in the Classroom: Designing Accessible Literature Lessons
Reading the classics isn't easy. Students often balk at the difficult syntax, unfamiliar settings, and descriptive passages. Length alone keeps some books out of the curriculum. For a teacher to persistsometimes coaxing, sometimes drivingrequires an act of will. In Classics in the Classroom Carol Jago provides practical ideas for making these challenging texts come alive for contemporary students. Continuing in the tradition of her popular book With Rigor for All , Jago argues that all students, not just those enrolled in honors classes, deserve to read great literature. To make this happen requires artfully crafted lessons that address specific textual challenges. In Classics in the Classroom Jago shares her lesson plans and materials for Jago also offers practical wisdom for helping all students learn and enjoy great literature. Simply assigning books is not enough. Teachers need an instructional plan that makes difficult texts accessible.
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2004
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48 people want to read
About the author
Carol Jago
82 books22 followersCarol Jago is an American English teacher, author, and past president of the National Council of Teachers of English. In 2016, Jago received the CEL Kent Williamson Exemplary Leadership Award from the National Council of Teachers of English.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 1, 2012
First, a few positives. This book definitely contains wonderful lesson and activity ideas, regardless of what texts a teacher chooses to use them for. Also, I greatly respect the author's value of challenging her students - while I find myself in profound disagreement with most of what this book contains, I agree that students needs to be challenged in their reading and their thinking. That is the only way learning can occur.
This book, however, is founded on some terribly erroneous ideas. The first is a misunderstanding of the zone of proximal development. Jago describes it basically as content or skills that are outside the students' current abilities, or those with which the students require help. That would indicate that every text above a student's ability is then in that zone, and that is false. The zone has an upper limit, meaning books can be TOO hard for students, and reading them accomplishes as little as reading something in her "Zone of Minimal Effort." I would argue that if a text is completely inaccessible to a student without a teacher's help, which is precisely what Jago recommends, it would be well past the theoretical area which students can benefit from.
My second problem with this book is related to the first - Jago recommends an extremely teacher-centered approach to the classroom. If a teacher assigns a book that is extremely difficult, even unreadable, without a teacher's help, what are the students gaining? No doubt, walking students through a text will yield the thematic, philosophical, and human experience lessons she holds in such high regard. But I firmly believe that, in order for student growth to take place, teachers need to stop seeing themselves as the center of the classroom. When I assign difficult texts in my classroom, and do not take weeks to parse every lesson and insight for the kids, there is no doubt that students are missing out on the full depth of meaning that others have found in the text. But the meaning they do find is theirs, the process of that discovery is theirs, and I believe they leave my class much better equipped for future reading. Ms. Jago cannot accompany her students into college, and I'm curious how successful they are at squeezing all the juice out of a text without her.
Finally, my first two points have nothing to do with "the classics," only with text complexity, because Jago's entire argument is built on the near-ridiculous equation "classics equal challenging and complex, while contemporary texts equal simple and shallow." I guess I am confused as to what types of titles are available at Ms. Jago's library, as my classroom is populated with a wealth of titles that contain meaning, are challenging, AND that the students find enjoyable and engaging. Jago uses a metaphor that literature needs to be a window (into other cultures, times and experiences) and not a mirror (reflecting the students own experiences). Amen. That's a wonderful way to look at the texts you add to a classroom. But to then imply that all contemporary literature is a mirror is baffling. I have my students read Foer's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," a challenging text, rich with meaning, literary features, and human experience. This, according to Jago, is apparently not good enough.
With her equation debunked and challenging contemporary material out there, Jago offers no other defense of the "classics." What this book is, then, is what Stuart Hall descibes in his Cultural Studies theory - hegemony in the education world reinforcing itself, which I believe is one of the most profound mistakes teachers can make. Jago clearly believes that because certain classic titles worked for her or provided her with meaning, then they will do the same for her students, whether they like it or not. She is woefully out of touch with the skill requirements of millenial students. She even attempts to address this argument, belittling new teachers for lack of familiarity with the classics, but she comes across as a myopic, ethnocentristic traditionalist who is defending a mode of education that is increasingly ancient in a world where texts abound, and a canon of literature is no longer the only source of meaning and significance.
This book, however, is founded on some terribly erroneous ideas. The first is a misunderstanding of the zone of proximal development. Jago describes it basically as content or skills that are outside the students' current abilities, or those with which the students require help. That would indicate that every text above a student's ability is then in that zone, and that is false. The zone has an upper limit, meaning books can be TOO hard for students, and reading them accomplishes as little as reading something in her "Zone of Minimal Effort." I would argue that if a text is completely inaccessible to a student without a teacher's help, which is precisely what Jago recommends, it would be well past the theoretical area which students can benefit from.
My second problem with this book is related to the first - Jago recommends an extremely teacher-centered approach to the classroom. If a teacher assigns a book that is extremely difficult, even unreadable, without a teacher's help, what are the students gaining? No doubt, walking students through a text will yield the thematic, philosophical, and human experience lessons she holds in such high regard. But I firmly believe that, in order for student growth to take place, teachers need to stop seeing themselves as the center of the classroom. When I assign difficult texts in my classroom, and do not take weeks to parse every lesson and insight for the kids, there is no doubt that students are missing out on the full depth of meaning that others have found in the text. But the meaning they do find is theirs, the process of that discovery is theirs, and I believe they leave my class much better equipped for future reading. Ms. Jago cannot accompany her students into college, and I'm curious how successful they are at squeezing all the juice out of a text without her.
Finally, my first two points have nothing to do with "the classics," only with text complexity, because Jago's entire argument is built on the near-ridiculous equation "classics equal challenging and complex, while contemporary texts equal simple and shallow." I guess I am confused as to what types of titles are available at Ms. Jago's library, as my classroom is populated with a wealth of titles that contain meaning, are challenging, AND that the students find enjoyable and engaging. Jago uses a metaphor that literature needs to be a window (into other cultures, times and experiences) and not a mirror (reflecting the students own experiences). Amen. That's a wonderful way to look at the texts you add to a classroom. But to then imply that all contemporary literature is a mirror is baffling. I have my students read Foer's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," a challenging text, rich with meaning, literary features, and human experience. This, according to Jago, is apparently not good enough.
With her equation debunked and challenging contemporary material out there, Jago offers no other defense of the "classics." What this book is, then, is what Stuart Hall descibes in his Cultural Studies theory - hegemony in the education world reinforcing itself, which I believe is one of the most profound mistakes teachers can make. Jago clearly believes that because certain classic titles worked for her or provided her with meaning, then they will do the same for her students, whether they like it or not. She is woefully out of touch with the skill requirements of millenial students. She even attempts to address this argument, belittling new teachers for lack of familiarity with the classics, but she comes across as a myopic, ethnocentristic traditionalist who is defending a mode of education that is increasingly ancient in a world where texts abound, and a canon of literature is no longer the only source of meaning and significance.
May 18, 2017
I'm somewhere in between Carol Jago and Kelly Gallagher. I didn't need any convincing to use classics in the classroom, but I let students read whatever they want for recreational reading. Some reviews accuse Jago of promoting a teacher-driven classroom, and I think she does, and I think it's fine. She's the one who has the experience to guide students through complex literature, and -- based on her discussions of how she teaches -- I think she probably does it really well.
I've been teaching a long time now, so there wasn't much new here for me, but I think it's an excellent book to give to newer English teachers or to departments that are watering down their curriculum in hopes of seeming more "relatable" (a word I hate!). She doesn't talk much about writing assignments -- that's not her focus here -- but she does give some examples of assignments she'd give.
I share with Jago the concern that some young English teachers may themselves not have much experience with the classics themselves and may thus be intimidated by them and thus avoid teaching them. I used to be appalled at how few English courses our English Ed majors needed to take to fulfill the degree requirements, and I'd always rather see an English teacher get an MA in English rather than in Education. So that's my bias.
I've been teaching a long time now, so there wasn't much new here for me, but I think it's an excellent book to give to newer English teachers or to departments that are watering down their curriculum in hopes of seeming more "relatable" (a word I hate!). She doesn't talk much about writing assignments -- that's not her focus here -- but she does give some examples of assignments she'd give.
I share with Jago the concern that some young English teachers may themselves not have much experience with the classics themselves and may thus be intimidated by them and thus avoid teaching them. I used to be appalled at how few English courses our English Ed majors needed to take to fulfill the degree requirements, and I'd always rather see an English teacher get an MA in English rather than in Education. So that's my bias.
June 20, 2019
Carol Jago, the author, is Sarah Scobell’s mentor teacher, so I knew this book was going to be good! I loved the argument for why classics are important, but also the acknowledgement that some kids struggle reading them. She offers great tips on helping students through them, not watching them struggle. Her tips on vocabulary and literary term instruction was very helpful, too! Lots of ideas for next year. A great read!
February 13, 2022
Though published many years ago and much has changed in terms of the teaching of classics, I found this text and love all things Carol Jago so I gave it a read. Jago provides activities to teach whole class novels throughout. Additionally her criteria for choosing books is applicable well beyond classics in the classroom.
October 9, 2010
For teachers struggling w/ the classics vs. contemporary lit debate, NCTE president offers practical advice and strategies for teaching classic literature. I particularly like to prescient points Jago makes: The literature teachers teach should be literature students cannot read on their own; teachers must challenge students to teach beyond the "zone of minimal effort." When students challenge the study of classic texts by saying such things as "What does this have to do with my life," Jago responds, "Everything," adding that students just don't know this reality yet.
This does not mean Jago rejects contemporary lit. Indeed, she acknowledges the important role popular YA lit plays in the language arts classroom, adding that much contemporary poetry, for example, can illuminate classic texts and that knowing the classics informs our reading of contemporary works.
This does not mean Jago rejects contemporary lit. Indeed, she acknowledges the important role popular YA lit plays in the language arts classroom, adding that much contemporary poetry, for example, can illuminate classic texts and that knowing the classics informs our reading of contemporary works.
February 24, 2012
I found Jago's attitude toward contemporary young adult texts incredibly misguided and incorrect. From following her on Twitter, however, I think her attitude has changed a bit since the publishing of this book in 2004. I can understand her thesis and see a case for bringing classics in the classroom, but when kids come to us today with so many different reading abilities, I struggle with approaching it in a whole class manner.
I read this book as part of my research project for a graduate class I'm currently taking. My research is about giving high school students more choice in their reading lives. As with any good argument, you always have to read the opposing side to make your case stronger.
I read this book as part of my research project for a graduate class I'm currently taking. My research is about giving high school students more choice in their reading lives. As with any good argument, you always have to read the opposing side to make your case stronger.
October 25, 2012
I did really like her approach to teaching challenging works and I also enjoyed how she gives more than just philosophy and pedagogy-actual examples from her classes. But I marked it down because I think she is missing one of the most important components-teaching students to love reading. I think a lot of the high school students I know would leave her class hating reading. It's a shame, because then they might not read the classics after graduation, when they're older and can appreciate them better.
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December 24, 2014This is a very strict approach to teaching literature, and it really shot down some of the ideas and methods I have about teaching English. However, I still really liked a lot of the ideas here, and while I may not ascribe to all of them, I think it will be good for me to add more balance to my teaching philosophy. In the end, I still side more with a Kelly Gallagher approach which is a 50/50 student-choice and classic literature curriculum.
March 13, 2012
The author argues her case convincingly yet appears to be in denial regarding the many real issues that exist in the average classroom that prevent a large percentage of students from tackling the difficult load of classics she suggests. In ways, Jago plays into the hands of the NCLBers whose "make it so" rhetoric is unrealistic and disingenuous at best and out-and-out dangerous at worst.
January 17, 2009
She holds up high academic standards and is a real professional/constant learner in her field. My kind of teacher!
March 7, 2012
LOVE THIS BOOK! I have learned so much from it and will use all of these ideas while teaching!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews