Episode 41: Plays to Teach in Your High School English Classroom

Reading plays in high school English is a rite of passage. Who doesn’t read Romeo and Juliet when they’re a freshman in high school? (Apparently, Kate’s husband. He says he read no Shakespeare in high school. WHAT? Did he even go to school?)

As a teacher, deciding which plays to teach is a rite of passage all its own. Will you stick to the classics or branch out and try something new? Will you transform your classroom into a mini-theater and have students perform scenes? Will you have students read parts or will you show the pretty faithful film adaptation? It’s not easy and where you’re at in your career, how much you enjoy student performances, and quite frankly how large your classroom is, will all contribute to the decisions you make.

In this episode, inspired by Kate’s 5th grade son’s newfound love of Shakespeare, we talk about the plays we enjoyed teaching (and one we felt a little meh about) and what we liked to focus on in our approach to them.

Plays to Teach in High School

In general, we’ve found lots of success in our selection of plays to teach. They’re short, accessible, and engaging. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the thought of teaching another novel, consider adding in a play instead.

Related Content

In this episode, we mention our discussion of the novels we love (and hate) to teach. Check it out here.