Garth Boomer's thinking influenced many of those working in school English during the time he was alive. The ripple effects of his legacy continue to be felt. For the author, it is Boomer's interests in metaphor and meaning that resonate most. The use of tropes and figure is a distinctive feature of his writing and offers a rich…

The texts and classroom activities in this paper are a sample of those used within a unit on "The Battle for Survival". The unit brings classic Australian literary texts together with reportage on contemporary news events, and demonstrates an integrated approaches to the Literacy, Language and Literature strands of the AC:E. The unit concludes…

What is the hold of literature on a reader's imagination, on my imagination? I remember many hours spent with books in a kind of romantic entanglement, and heartful obsession, and joyful reverie. I certainly remember being lost with words, lost in enthusiastic abandonment. I loved the sounds of words, and the images they conjured, and the…

This article explores a number of dimensions about the role of literature in schooling and analyses the views of both practising and student teachers who responded to two national surveys about the teaching of literature. These surveys suggest that literature occupies a good deal of curriculum space but without producing a satisfying experience…

Describes the author's incorporation of compassion into her teaching as an English teacher. Describes herself as an interminable idealist who is driven by the idea that her English students will learn to love words for the brilliance of articulation they offer. (SG)

Considers how the university might respond to the electronic text revolution in offering an undergraduate education in the arts and humanities. Discusses how the University of South Australia might provide a program for prospective teachers in the world of texts, and it might offer different ways of reading and writing. (SG)

Takes a "snapshot" of a senior Literature class to see how all the participants--including the teacher--developed greater sophistication in their reading skills, while simultaneously cultivating their pleasure and appreciation of more challenging texts. Explores other aspects of the "interpretive community" of the classroom, including reflective…

Notes that teaching literature in a Technical and Further Education setting presents its own special set of problems and paradoxes not usually encountered by teachers in more conventional classrooms. Discusses students and their literature experiences; impact of the canon on teaching; and influence of modern literary theory on the reader-text…

Reminds readers what a deeply problematical exercise teaching Shakespeare can be. Describes teaching "Romeo and Juliet" to a mixed ability year 10 class. Argues that Shakespeare should not be obligatory in the secondary classroom; that there is no excuse for the elitist attitudes around Shakespeare; and that Shakespeare should be treated as a text…

Ponders why the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" has held a place in the secondary school canon for 40 years. Describes a 10-week unit for year 10 English students that takes a critical literacy approach to the novel. Outlines a set of pre-reading activities, during reading activities and post-reading activities. (SR)

Discusses the administrative role and the social role of three listserv student moderators as they mediated discussions about literature with Year 12 students in Australia. Suggests student moderators can facilitate discussion by initiating topics, contributing to existing discussions, and modelling effective discussant behavior. (NH)

Describes the methods of three eccentric teachers of Shakespeare and claims that Wordsworth, as one of those teachers, can serve as go-between in most transactions with Shakespeare. (NH)

Offers an overview of contrasts and similarities in various approaches to Shakespeare studies. Discusses how a shift in perspectives from grappling with tragic moral themes to examining aesthetic and semantic complexity represents a productive way to respond to Shakespeare. (NH)

Provides a self-help questionnaire to enable teachers to find a position for teaching Shakespeare. Explores the concept of "uses" of Shakespeare as they vary from the conventional to the curious. Reports a 75% positive result to a survey of 35 students following their study of "Hamlet" that combined the introduction of explicit theoretical…

Provides a personal narrative of how one Shakespearean teacher-actor was "remade" through specific experiences. Claims that students must perform at least some Shakespeare in order to experience personal and social enrichment. (NH)