Teaching Literature

Dr. Showalter is a gifted writer and educator. In her other works, her point of (feminist) view is tempered by a clear sense of generosity. I am an avid reader but not an educator. What has struck me is how very difficult it must be to marry the complexities of high literature with the young and sometimes skeptical minds of the student. More importantly for me is that reading this book has provided more tools with which to understand an author's purpose(s). I recommend this for critical readers. In addition, given my own experiences with a number of English lit professors, it would have been useful for some.

As a student of literature, I have been reading Elaine Showalter's articles for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed this truthful and thought-provoking work on the joys (and agonies!) of the teaching profession and the world of literature. A great book full of practical advice that any aspiring teaching should read.

Much to my surprise this book was boring. I think the author comments on too much anecdotical information. At times it seems she is just rambling. I expected to find something more concise, more to the point. I guess this is not due to her lack of talent as a writer or lack of experience as a teacher but to the phenomenon she describes so well: in teaching literature nothing is written and everybody has been doing what he or she can. I can't recommend it. I just want to finish it and read no more..... Could it be the reason why I still have some pages to go?

I read this book as part of assigned reading for a 'Teaching Practicum' class in my English PhD Program. It was a good, helpful read (even though she has some kind of chip on her shoulder about Yale). We supplemented Showalter with other more theoretical and more anecdotal accounts of teaching literature. I would recommend this book if you're a beginning teacher and would like to accrue some vicarious teaching experience, and think a little more critically and constructively about what you do in the classroom and why.

This book is fairly good for learning to teach a college class. As a middle school Language Arts teacher, I am finding that many of the methods are similar to those used in teaching in the public school English classroom. There are things I would disagree with and seem fairly outdated.

I've looked at the role of authors, teachers and students, but all three have somethings in common, all learn. Learning is not a common experience but, when addressed with concentration, is universal. A book on teaching literature can be extensive but should be provacative and memorable. As long as it's exciting and worth while, then, someone in teaching; someone is learning.This book is helpful and contributive. Both worthwhile!!

Such a good book to help understand my own teaching pedagogy.

Okay, if you're going to be teaching at Harvard or Yale, Showalter's advice is perfect. For those of us outside of the ivy league, she still offers great advice and insight in an easy to read format with abundant references for the novice teacher. Her introduction on anxiety will give any teacher pause to reflect.