New Books in Literary Studies Carlo Rotella, "What Can I Get Out of This?: Teaching and Learning in a Classroom Full of Skeptics" (U California Press, 2025)
Nov 18, 2025
Carlo Rotella, Professor of English at Boston College and author, takes listeners into the world of skeptical first-year students learning literature. He shares how their initial doubts about 'return on investment' shift to profound insights as they engage with challenging texts. Rotella discusses innovative teaching methods, the impact of the pandemic on classroom dynamics, and how literary analysis fosters critical life skills. He emphasizes the enduring value of face-to-face discussions in building community and analytical thinking.
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Make Speaking A First-Week Requirement
- Require early and regular participation so students become comfortable speaking in class.
- Prompt students to speak in the first two weeks and model turn-taking to prevent long-term silence.
Use Pauses And Written Prompts To Include Quiet Students
- Vary question formats and use short written pauses to draw quieter students in.
- Send private invitations and offer to call on students first to break the silence mechanically.
Theme + Linguistic Variety Sharpens Skills
- Choose a thematic syllabus that invites personal relevance, like misfits for freshmen finding themselves.
- Expose students to diverse diction to sharpen pattern-recognition across styles.
