Déjame ser sincero contigo: enseñar el canon literario es algo incómodo a nivel existencial. como profesor, Estoy atrapado entre dos fuerzas poderosas: por un lado, Sé que mis alumnos necesitan la moneda cultural que viene con la lectura de libros como El gran Gatsby y señor de las moscas. Por otro lado, I want the texts we read in class to reflect who they are, where they come from, and the rich diversity of their experiences. Vaya. And be interesting to them so they will actually read them; that’s kind of a “thing.” It’s a tough balance, and I often find myself wondering if I’m doing it right.

The Canon: A Double-Edged Sword

There’s no denying it—some books are considered “essential reading” in our society. If you want to be seen as well-read, if you want to be able to drop references and sound like you know your stuff, you’ve got to be familiar with the classics. And don’t even get me started on knowing when OTHER people low-key drop a reference to suss out who’s smart and who isn’t—a dirty trick, but it happens. I get that. I want my students to have access to that world, to feel confident in any conversation, and to hold their own when someone starts talking about De ratones y hombres o señor de las moscas. Not having read these books can make them feel left out, like they’re missing a secret code that everyone else seems to know. You can hear all about how I make sure every kid can read the canon in my earlier blog post about why adapted literature is a necessary accommodation for SPED and ELL.

But here’s where it gets tricky: these books, as important as they are, often don’t speak to the realities of my students’ lives. They don’t see themselves in the characters, the settings, or the struggles. I work in a building that is growing more diverse every year. I teach standard ELA, not honors, so my diversity is perhaps higher than that of honors and AP classes (which is its own problem that we are working to fix). And that matters. Because while I want them to gain the cultural currency that comes with knowing the canon, I also want them to know that their own stories are just as valuable.

If you want to get really philosophical about it…who gets to decide what “important literature” even IS, anyway? The canon is the canon because the white men who did the publishing chose stories (also written by white men) that resonated with THEM. That is how the canon became the canon in the first place. As the world changes, what does that mean for the canon? Just pondering it is a freaking Pandora’s box.

The Cultural Currency Dilemma

Teaching the canon feels like a trade-off. Sé que mis alumnos necesitan poder hablar sobre estas novelas clásicas, les guste o no., son parte del conjunto de herramientas de la "persona inteligente". Pero también sé que si todo lo que leemos son estos viejos, predominantemente blanco, textos escritos por hombres, estamos enviando un mensaje de que sus propios orígenes culturales no son tan importantes. Ese es un mensaje que no puedo respaldar.…pero aún, al continuar refiriéndose al canon como El Canon, ¿No es eso lo que estoy haciendo?…? Ufff. El dolor de cabeza empeora.

cuando leemos El gran Gatsby o señor de las moscas, Intento dejar claro por qué estos libros se han mantenido. Te explico que estos son los textos que la gente espera que sepas., los que se mencionan en las películas, programas de televisión, y si, incluso entrevistas de trabajo. Pero también dejo en claro que este no es el panorama completo.. I make space for discussions about why we read these books and who gets to decide what’s “essential.”

Balancing Act: Respecting the Canon, Honoring Their Stories

It’s a balancing act, for sure. I want my students to feel equipped to step into any room and hold their own, to drop a reference to De ratones y hombres and know they’ll be understood. But I also want them to know that their experiences, their voices, and their stories matter just as much as any character in a dusty old novel. That’s why, alongside the canon, I make sure we’re reading authors who look like them, who come from where they come from, and who tell the kinds of stories that resonate with their lives.

In my classroom, we do both. We read El gran Gatsby because it’s part of the cultural currency they’ll need to navigate the world. But we also read contemporary authors who speak to their experiences directly, who show them that their stories are just as worthy of study, discussion, and respect. How I’ll find the time to do this effectively and still have time for standardized testing, homecoming week, senior skip day, and spirit week is a mystery, but I will persevere.

It’s a Conundrum That Doesn’t Have a Quick Fix

Teaching the canon isn’t just about ticking off boxes on a curriculum—it’s about giving my students the tools they need to succeed in a world that sometimes feels like it wasn’t built for them. Pero también se trata de recordarles que tienen todo el derecho a dar forma a ese mundo., para contar sus propias historias, y exigir que esas historias sean escuchadas.

entonces si, vamos a leer El gran Gatsby, y si, hablaremos de señor de las moscas. Pero lo haremos entendiendo que estas son sólo piezas de un rompecabezas mucho mayor.. porque al final, Quiero que mis alumnos salgan de mi salón de clases sabiendo que tienen la moneda cultural para tener éxito y la confianza para saber que sus propias voces importan., también.

Etiquetas: El gran Gatsby, señor de las moscas, De ratones y hombres, literatura clásica, canon literario, moneda cultural, ingles de secundaria, Enseñanza de novelas clásicas., estudiantes de nivel socioeconómico bajo, importancia de la lectura, conversaciones inteligentes, antecedentes culturales de los estudiantes, autores contemporáneos, plan de estudios de ingles, enseñar literatura, analizando textos clásicos, educación, Artes del lenguaje inglés, textos canónicos, éxito estudiantil, literatura diversa en educación, lectura esencial para los estudiantes, equilibrando el canon literario, educación moderna, perspectivas docentes, alfabetización cultural, leyendo los clásicos, relevancia de la literatura clásica, literatura para el éxito académico