Exciting Students About Great Literature

Jennifer Thomas has taught history and literature to high school and junior high students in Catholic schools for twenty-five years. During that time, including a three-year stint at an inner city diocesan school in the Oakland diocese, she has “never seen a student of good will fail to respond with an awakening enthusiasm for great literature.” She has spent the last 14 years at St. Augustine Academy in Ventura, California.

Awakening excitement about great literature and great language is Mrs. Thomas’s number one goal as a teacher of literature. How does she approach this task? First of all, she says, the teacher needs to know and love the works she presents to her students. Intimate knowledge and personal excitement will shine out before the students and begin to get them interested.