Peter J. Rabinowitz and Corinne Bancroft ’10 were invited to lead an interactive session at the National Council of Teachers of English Conference on Nov. 21, in Washington, D.C. Rabinowitz is the Carolyn C. and David M. Ellis ’38 Distinguished Teaching Professor of Comparative Literature.
The session, “Recentering Literary Education,” was based on Rabinowitz and Bancroft’s new framework for teaching literature in secondary schools, originally set out in an article in Style last summer.
Their model is grounded partly in cognitive psychology, partly in rhetorical narrative theory, and partly in their respect for what they call “Kid Knowledge”—that is, their recognition that young students often know more than we give them credit for.
During their presentation, Rabinowitz and Bancroft illustrated the basic principles underlying their proposals for revamping pedagogy and encouraged those in attendance to look in new directions as a way of invigorating the teaching of writing.
