English Department develops new coursework
Teachers choosing new curriculum for first time in years
English teacher Annamarie Wilfahrt directs her honors English 10 students in the beginning of class June 4. Wilfahrt is one of many teachers who will alter the structure of their class next year under International Baccalaureate directive.
June 5, 2019
Junior Amelia Huebsch said she believes the English Department’s decision to change curriculum will be for the better, as it will provide students with a new set of diverse, representative readings.
“(Changing curriculum) is really good because I think it’s important to have representation in all aspects of schools,” Huebsch said. “Not just in people that we use to represent our school and the teachers, but also in the literature we read and the textbooks that we use.”
According to English Department head Julianne Herbert, the department reviews its perspective on literature once every few years requiring them to change their books as well.
“Roughly every six or seven years (we change), it kind of depends,” Herbert said. “It’s not just the book list that’s changing, it’s the philosophy that changes and the book list changes as a result of a changing perspective about the study of literature.”
The English Department was seeking to bring in authors from around the world, according to Herbert.
“I think there was a sense of wanting to place literature as an art form in a global perspective, and seeing how different groups and different cultures come together with literature and what things are coming across cultures through literature,” Herbert said.
It’s not just the book list that’s changing, it’s the philosophy that changes and the book list changes as a result of a changing perspective about the study of literature.
— Julianne Herbert
Junior Joey Miller said he believes new readings will provide students with new perspectives.
“I think it’s good because the school has a wide variety of diverse students, so it’s good to stretch out your worldview,” Miller said.
Huebsch said she believes changing the curriculum is beneficial as well in order to keep teachers engaged.
“I think it’s obviously nice to be able to read different books and also for the teachers so that they are not teaching the same book over and over again,” Huebsch said.
The testing and courses are changing in addition to the books, according to Herbert.
“A lot of the assessments are changing, the book lists are changing, the way in which we structured the course is changed. It’s in response to people wanting to see things improve,” Herbert said.
