With Rigor for All: Teaching the Classics to Contemporary Students

by Carol Jago

In this disarmingly pleasant-to-read book, Carol Jago provides a convincing rationale for teaching the classics to all of your high school students.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Teachers

178 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Carol 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.

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'll admit to liking this book, I don't agree with it. I read it after hearing Ms. Jago speak, and she appears to be a fine teacher and a wonderful person. However, this does not mean that her central arguments hold water. When she says that "through stories...students learn to confront ethical dilemas," I agree with her. When she says, "classroom texts should pose intellectual challenges to young readers," (p. 3) I agree with her. However, when she claims that, "a critical reading of classical literature results in a deep literacy that I [Jago] believe is essential," I take pause. When she boasts of her students that, "long after they have forgotten the teenage romances and science fiction they gobbled up, Beowulf will still inhabit a place in their minds," (p. 18) I shudder.

What it means to teach English in an interesting converstaion, and surely a part of the job is helping students to navigate texts they might not otherwise approach. But when Jago and others elevate books to cannonical status - and she presents a list that she offers for each grade in high school - they often denigrate the reading choices students make independently. Further, by asserting control over what is of authentic value to read - 'classic literature' - and what is of marginal value - 'romances and science fiction' - they assert personal preference as accademic certanty, with only personal anecdote as evidence. The ultimate in circular literary theory.

My fear is that along with excellent tips for teaching challenging material, readers of With Rigor for All will adopt elitism, perpetuating the cycle of students who don't respond to English in school, yet who read quite capably on their own terms.

[Heather]

Carol Jago had a lot of good ideas on how she teaches literature in the classroom while adapting to common core standards. Carol Jago believes that the experience of reading literature impacts students greatly. She wants to pick literature/classics that will interest the students in her classroom while providing opportunties for meaningful conversations. Overall, this is an excellent text to read if you are teaching upper ELA classes.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carol Jago believes we become better people by studying classic literature and that it is the job of the English teacher to make sure this happens. Although this book was not written in opposition of Nancie Atwell's Reading Workshop approach, one can guess that the two teachers would not see eye to eye. Kelly Gallagher blend the two approaches in Readicide, and I think I side with him.

Despite some excellent writing, Jago's book is uneven and left me wondering whether her students were actually reading all the books she assigned. Of course, Jago would likely challenge my expectations. But she seems to take a medium rigor route as well: have the students read the classics and be affected by them, but do not worry too much about the devices the authors employed.

Overall, I appreciated Jago's passion for reading. She is certainly well-read, and her book gave me two books to check out. And I also like that she is a teacher. My favorite part was her thesis: that we must teach heroes so our students can be heroes in their own journeys. Still, I was put off by her bold confidence. Perhaps she is just being a classical hero, like Beowulf, who does not worry about self-doubt.

[Kristen Pollard · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent read for any English teacher struggling with how to make classics more approachable in the classroom. However, while I agree wholeheartedly with Jago's assertion that students need to be challenged with classics in the classroom, I can't as easily give up contemporary literature. I still have trouble with this idea of the "classics" as some static block of literature composed and chosen by western white males. That's not to say that there aren't some excellent, well-weathered stories among the lot, but to deny contemporary novels a place in our unit plans is to deny the fluid process by which a truly great book becomes a classic and to also deny the opportunity for our students to read and digest a new great work with the help of a guide.

Perhaps this wasn't the impression that she meant to give, but I find it hard to follow her solution of just adding more books to the curriculum. Her students may "spend too much time watching TV or on the computer," but that's not necessarily true of all students, and it seems ridiculously presumptuous of me to assume the same about mine.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all teachers of English. Along with Nancie Atwell's In the Middle and Kelly Gallagher's Readicide, I will be gifting a copy of this book to every student teacher I have from now on. This book is a quick and easy read, but is chock full of convincing rationale for teaching the classics to middle and high school students. Ms. Jago also addresses way to make the teaching of classics easier for students and teachers. It offers advice on testing, holding students accountable, and teaching them to love classics, or at least understand their importance and how to process them.

[Sirpa Grierson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jago does not mince words as she discusses why our students need to wrestle with the Classics. While she enjoys YA, she describes the richness of the lessons we can learn from books that have stood the test of time. Practical lesson ideas are included. A well-reasoned reminder of why we need to teach "literature."

[Michele Mcconnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a LONG time ago - possibly 2000. I loved it. The book spurred me to change my beliefs about teaching and what students can do, if they have a great teacher. Shortly after, I read Mike Rose's Lives on the Boundary. Again - students, ALL students need access to great writing, great reading.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought there were a lot of good ideas in here. I like her idea about getting away from testing and focusing more on the learning aspect; however, this would not work in real life because these days teachers are forced to document instruction and learning so they themselves can be assessed.

[Rainier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jago offers many good ideas and tips about teaching kids literary classics. She also includes some nice pairings of older works with contemporaries, which I'll implement. She can come across a bit dogmatic, though.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jago is the teacher that I always wanted to be.

[Christi · Rating 1 out of 5]

So far, what she offers is true of all good books -- not just classics.

Upon finishing this book, my original comment stands.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking so much about improving the quality of instruction in my classroom led me to read this. It has quick insights that I really appreciated.

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for teachers with lots of practical tips.

[Lauralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great activities here.