UPPER SCHOOL / SAVING HUMANITIES
Saving Humanities
How do I think for myself in a room full of people with different beliefs ? How do I search for the truth in a world where fact and opinion are continuously intermingled ? Where do I get my information and how do I articulate it ? What does my language indicate to others ?
These are essential questions posed in Bo Knox ’ s AP Language and Composition class every day . English class at CPA Upper School is not just for reading the classics or for “ right brain ” people . Knox combats the preconceived notion that English isn ’ t used beyond high school , that language and composition are non-essential to the 21st century workplace . On the contrary , he argues that every single job requires reading and writing every single day .
Together , Knox and department head Maria Jernigan ( AP Literature and Composition ) have created a culture of critical questions , putting the WHY before reading , writing , and speaking . Why is it important to love reading ? Why is it important to hone writing skills ? Because our thoughts and how we communicate them are fundamental to who we are .
“ The art of communication and how to assimilate information is vastly disappearing . Information is given and received in bytes , limiting context , deep understanding , empathy , expertise , and critical listening skills . Good students of the humanities become thought-leaders in every industry ,” explains Knox .
The “ Twitter-fication ” of our world is old news , however , the ramifications of this day and age are only just beginning to take affect . The ability to invest time and focus in subject matter , form independent beliefs , consider diverse bodies of thought , and articulate a position has never been more important . Knox has his class read literature of all kinds , both self-selected and assigned . As he states it , “ you have to take in a lot of art in order to be able to produce it .” But the class also engages in frequent “ think for yourselves ,” research-driven evaluations of current events or issues . Students explore topics , write on them , and discuss them with peers . Topics have ranged from gun control and foreign policy , to collegiate athletics and genetic modification .
During these exercises , they address how to identify fact versus opinion and differences between news sources .
“ In a time when ‘ fake news ’ is a common idiom , it is critical for us to address with young people how to find truth and dispel fallacy , regardless of your politics . We look at the world and linguistics through the lens of the Gospel , avoiding the easiness and laziness of labeling , and stepping into the complexity of Jesus ’ perspectives ,” Knox says .
The course focuses on language , identifying patterns in prose , and understanding rhetoric as the code in which we experience everything . Partnering with MTSU ’ s summer reading program , students read Hillbilly Elegy by J . D . Vance . In the fall , the class attended MTSU ’ s convocation to hear Vance speak . Not only did the class get to meet him , but also , junior Francesca Moore , a winner of the program ’ s essay contest , had a one-on-one sit-down with Vance . The opportunity to see and meet an author makes a book feel different , just as knowing and connecting with an audience adds weight , power , and importance to a message . These concepts extend far beyond reading comprehension .
This year ’ s class will participate in the same program , reading and meeting the author of Just Mercy , Bryan Stevenson ( who holds the most-viewed Ted Talk in the world ).
Knox also utilizes non-traditional forms of analysis , such as podcast projects , in order to maximize engagement while also maintaining workload . For example , students studied Hamlet in tandem with a series of choice plays , including The Crucible , All My Sons , Streetcar Named Desire , and Doubt , analyzing and connecting themes in their own group podcasts .
An integral curricular strategy for both Knox and
Jernigan is student-led reading and writing . They have found that allowing students more ownership over what they read and write leads to higher quality work and engagement .
Knox says , “ Work becomes better when a student really owns it . Authorship breeds ownership . That healthy pressure for your own work to be excellent enhances vulnerability , and you end up giving part of yourself to other people . It trains kids to be courageous .”
Both AP courses speak clearly to the school ’ s higher goals : to seek truth , think critically , wage war on cynicism , interact with others graciously , advocate thoughts with confidence , empathy , and humility , and consider people to be full of complexity and possibility .
14 Purple & Gold / September 2018