A Symphony of Possibilities

A Symphony of Possibilities explores arts-based pedagogies for secondary teachers of English language arts. Drama, music, poetry, public art, and visual art are explored in detail by experts in their fields sharing proven methods of instruction with secondary students and teachers.



In an educational environment that privileges scripted curricula and intensive preparation for high-stakes tests, the arts offer a more hands-on approach to learning and problem solving, challenging students to approach course material in personal and interactive ways. In A Symphony of Possibilities, experts in their fields explore in detail arts-based pedagogies for secondary teachers of English language arts, focusing on drama, music, poetry, public art, and visual art and sharing proven methods of instruction. Through the arts, we see teachers and researchers who explore and expand on comprehension, memory, issues of identity, and culturally relevant pedagogies, and we see students excited by their active learning. Editors Katherine J. Macro and Michelle Zoss and their contributors provide creative approaches that help teachers accommodate the diversity of their students and their needs, as well as move their students into innovative and thoughtful learning spaces. This book goes a long way toward answering the question, What is the role of the arts for English teachers?