How to Teach Literature in Secondary Schools
Teaching is a job that requires a certain kind of planning and organisation skills as the job gets more difficult when teaching literature in a secondary school. Most of the high school students are unaware of the importance of literature and if they appreciate classics still it is always difficult for them to understand the hidden meanings of these master pieces.
This situation can make teaching literature a difficult job but you can overcome all these problems by following few simple teaching techniques.
Instructions
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1
At the outset, they should be in right frame of mind before starting reading literature. Ask them why they are in literature class. Check their inclination and aptitude through simple tests. This series of tests will motivate them and they will attend literature class with full devotion.
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2
Avoid imposing your likes and dislikes rather give them the choice. Ask them what they want to read and then start with the desired genre. You will see that even those who were reluctant in the beginning are actively participating in the discussions.
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3
Before starting a book, have a discussion with your students and ask them what they think the book is about. You should excite them by telling some interesting incidents related to author, characters or book. Ask them how the book is relevant even in this modern era.
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4
Change your teaching method according to the genre for example if you are teaching drama then may be little bit theatrical presentation will be really great. Similarly, if you are in a poetry class then recite the verses like a poet. You may divide them in groups and ask them to compete against each other.
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5
Start with short and simple literature books as they can get bored in the beginning. Help them in understanding the story, locale and characters. Give brief description of the era when the under discussion piece of literature was written.
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6
Give them the task to summarise the story. Arrange group discussions or give them writing assignments. Establish literature circle and encourage them to share their work with others. You should play the role of moderator during group discussions.
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7
Direct them to pay attention to beauty and delicacy of the language. Tell your students how masterly the author has pictured something with words.
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8
After finishing a piece of literature, you should have a detailed session to discuss its strengths and weaknesses. This will really help your students to understand different aspects of that master piece.
