University of Houston, College of Education assistant professor Laura Turchi

Laura Turchi, assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (CUIN) specializing in English Language Arts, recently co-authored a book with Shakespeare scholar Ayanna Thompson (English professor, George Washington University).  Teaching Shakespeare with Purpose: A Student-Centered Approach was recently published by Bloomsbury/Arden Shakespeare.

“This book offers pedagogical content knowledge,” said Turchi, “not just instructional strategies, nor just literary theory, but an extended account for combining the specific content of Shakespeare’s plays and steps for leading students to insightful and articulate ownership of these texts.”

George Washington University English professor Ayanna Thompson

The book includes chapters on 21^st century learners, the work it takes to get these learners to be independent and critical readers, and instructional strategies for analytical and creative work in the Shakespeare plays. “We include studies of gender, race, status, history, and other sources of identity that students can discover through active approaches to Shakespeare (where students are up on their feet exploring the language for themselves),” said Turchi. “We argue that there are many reasons to love Shakespeare, but the reason that anyone should teach the plays is because students need to gain an independent facility with complex text.”

Years of research on secondary school English classrooms and years in teacher preparation have led Turchi to her pedagogical focus on how teachers can strategically deploy their disciplinary knowledge, especially to create and sustain student engagement. For Thompson, years of research on critical approaches to Shakespeare have led to her pedagogical focus on how to teach Shakespeare and contemporary culture. Turchi stresses “our partnership is fantastic! We have written several journal articles and book chapters together in addition to this new release.”

"Thinking and writing with Laura Turchi, I became a smarter scholar, writer, and teacher,” said Thompson.  “Teaching Shakespeare with Purpose was an ambitious collaboration, which I hope will inspire others to reach across colleges and schools to push their research areas.”

At the University of Houston, College of Education (UH COE), this book is now a foundation for further research in partnership with secondary English Language Arts teachers and their students. “I was awarded a COE FRSGA (a faculty research seed grant) and as a result have six expert Shakespeare teachers (graduates of the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Teaching Shakespeare Institute) who are sharing their classroom practices with me,” said Turchi. “We are using video capture to discuss how a 16^th century text helps 21^st century students think about identity and culture.”

On the back cover of the book, Peggy O’Brien, Director of Education at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC, included this quote: “Never before have a celebrated Shakespeare scholar and a distinguished teacher of teachers teamed up to take such a thoughtful, deep dive into so many aspects of teaching Shakespeare. Teaching Shakespeare with Purpose stands to benefit teachers everywhere.”  

“We are excited that Dr. Turchi has co-authored a book on the interpretation of Shakespeare’s complex text,” said CUIN chair Jennifer Chauvot.  “She has successfully involved faculty and students in her research and pedagogical content knowledge of the subject which contributes to the university’s Tier One status, and helps to improve our programs”

Turchi is also partnering with Fort Bend ISD to examine a pilot program where teachers are using a new technology platform called WordPlay Shakespeare. “Two current CUIN Ph.D. students, Kayla Logan and Natalia Bondar, who are excellent English Language Arts teachers themselves, are working with me on this research,” said Turchi.

Working with Dr. Turchi has allowed Logan to explore both the benefits and the challenges of combining reading comprehension with technology in the secondary classroom. “Teachers face an urgent challenge to engage students while also pushing them to achieve critical reading and thinking skills,” said Logan. “Uniting Shakespeare’s works with online visual and textual components is an exciting way to do that! This work is extremely important to me as a teacher and as a researcher.”

Turchi, along with CUIN professor, Dr. Cheryl Craig are also currently proposing an AERA-supported research conference on ways that qualitative research methodologies can help to make the case for active and engaged Shakespeare pedagogy.