The summer lit class is also a source of frustration for me though. Most students who take this class don't want to be in it but figure it's better than a foreign language course. (If I were them, I wouldn't be so sure of that.) I have finally given up on making it a traditional literature course in favor of (I hope) novels, assignments, and topics of discussion that have actual and immediate significance to their lives. This is the first semester I've taught this course where I am happy with the outline I've made. I feel pretty comfortable with the direction I want the class to go. If we can have a little fun this summer and learn something about ourselves and the world we live in that can benefit us in our daily lives, I will be satisfied.
So far, I seem to have an interesting group of students enrolled in the two sections, one on the main campus and one in Litchfield. It's difficult to get a feel yet for how our class discussions will progress as there hasn't yet been much opportunity for that. I understand their dislike for reading and writing (sort of) and feel confident that I have done my best to select novels they will either enjoy or at least learn something valuable and relevant to their lives. I'm incorporating 2 films and possibly a 3rd. I love movies! And I think students do too. We'll see how things go, I suppose. At least they are pleased that I'm not making them read Dickens or Hawthorne. There is value in reading the "classics." Still, canonized literature is severely overrated.
