Teaching!
I will be teaching two tutorial sections of American Lit 2 this year. My tutorials and office hour are all back-to-back from 10 am to 1 pm Tuesday mornings. In just a few weeks I will be teaching college students American literature, wow! Within the course’s stated authors I get to pick out who I want to teach.
I think I will focus on: Jonathan Edwards, Phillis Wheatley, Charles Brockden Brown (Wieland), landscape and the sublime, Susannah Rowson (Charlotte Temple which I might pair with Shelley’s Frankenstein as they need a few non-US lit options), Hector St John de Crevecoeur (Letters from an American Farmer) Emerson (Essays), Thoreau (Walden) and selections from Margaret Fuller.
Feel free to read along with me this semester!
Oh, the very first class I’ll start off with a bit of Jonathan Edwards, focusing on his ‘Personal Narrative’ as this is what the lecture will have been on. Any ideas about teaching a theological text literarily in a very secular context? 
September 13th, 2005 at 9:40 pm
That’s great, Ash. Sounds very challenging. I would love to read along
September 14th, 2005 at 8:25 am
We studied Edwards in my English Lit class. We didn’t study it from a secular point of view at all really. We did look at it from the context of the society and times and its audience but it really turned into a very theological discussion, which my non-Christian teacher obviously expected. But we didnt’ start the semester with it, which I think was wise. You don’t want your students to think that the whole class is gonna be about Americans and their Christianity. Unless you are doing your literature in chronological order, I’d start with something less heated. That’s my opinion anyway. Because like it or not, even if you try to teach it without lookign at its religious content and try to be secular, it won’t happen because his views on religion, even in Personal Narrative, will get people going big time.
I’m not saying don’t use it- Use it! It’s a great piece of American literature and it’s a great piece to break down and discuss. But I fear if you start out with it, the students really will get heated about Americans and their “God Bless America” religion. But that’s just my humble Bachelor degree opinion. YOu’re the one going for the PhD. If you think it’s a good start, then by all means, start with it!
But I have no advice on teaching in a strictly literary and secular way. Other than the context/audience sort of thing.
September 14th, 2005 at 10:57 am
Hooray, Ashley!! When is the first class?
September 14th, 2005 at 1:21 pm
Thanks Lori; unfortunately I more or less have to start with it; I’ll think more on it.
Sarah, my first class is Tuesday 27 September (don’t have a calendar in front of me, but I think that’s the date).
September 16th, 2005 at 6:52 pm
Couldn’t you get Mander’s in your class? Just thought I would ask:) Her dad (she will be so embarrassed)
September 17th, 2005 at 9:20 am
Thanks Randy for your comment! Unfortunately she’s opted to take English Lit 2, so I’ll be missing out on her words of wisdom. However, I do have a few friends teaching English Lit 2, so hopefully she’ll get in on one of their tutorials.