Teach Me How to Work and Keep Me Kind: The Possibilities of Literature and Composition in an American High School

Teach Me How to Work and Keep Me Kind offers the content of AP English classes. This book intends to serve as a guide and encouragement to educators by showing what can be possible when a teacher enjoys the freedom to find their own voice. Poems, novels, short stories, essays, and plays become the means to have conversations with young people about love and life, peace and war, virtue and vice, joy and grief. The author/teacher describes creating an environment and curriculum where students could greatly improve their writing skills. He explains the rationale for his presentations and literary selections. Even those who missed a thoughtful introduction to literature the first time around may find a useful beginning in what’s presented here. Seeking to engage in the ongoing educational debate in the US, the writer demonstrates how the material presented in these courses can contribute to students’ genuine artistic and literary education. These volumes suggest that such reading and writing prepare young people to be good citizens in a democracy. *offers curriculum for AP English classes *explains how to present challenging material to high school students *presents a method to increase students’ writing skills *useful as an introduction to literature (for those who missed it) *stresses the value of a humanistic approach to literature *argues against Common Core Curriculum homogenization