Upcoming Institutes

The High School Canon: Then and Now (Summer 2025 Webinar Series)

On July 7 and 8, 2025, Humanities Texas will hold a webinar series for English language arts teachers exploring the history of the changes and continuity in the canon of most commonly assigned books since the 1960s and past and contemporary approaches to teaching classic texts.

Schedule and Curriculum

This two-part series will take place via Zoom from 1:00–3:00 pm CT on Monday and Tuesday, July 7 and 8. Attending both sessions is encouraged but not required.

Content will be aligned with the TEKS. Topics to be addressed include the changes and continuity in the canon of most commonly-assigned books since the 1960s and past and contemporary approaches to teaching classic texts.

• July 7: “Then”: The high school canon is not just a product of cultural decisions but of a period when literature was the heart of the English language arts curriculum. In this webinar, participants will examine primary and secondary documents from the mid-twentieth century to examine what English education—and the high school canon—looked like in this period. Participants will collectively brainstorm which values and learning objectives from the past deserve recovery in classrooms.
• July 8: “Now”: Teachers are assigning many of the same books as a generation ago, but English language arts has changed. In this webinar, participants will look at contemporary strategies for teaching the longstanding #1 book in the high school canon, Romeo and Juliet, that are designed to engage today’s students. By comparing these strategies to how teachers have taught the play in the past, participants will reflect on how goals have changed and what might be recovered from the past.

Like all Humanities Texas teacher programs, the program will emphasize close interaction with scholars, the examination of texts, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities.

Faculty

Jonna Perrillo (The University of Texas at El Paso), Andrew Newman (Stony Brook University), Rebecca Guerrero (El Paso Independent School District) will lead the webinar series.

Eligibility

The webinar series is open to secondary-level English language arts teachers in Texas schools. 

Cost, Attendance, and CPE Credit

The online program is free to teachers and their schools. Participants will receive CPE credit and a wealth of curricular materials for each session in the series. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to attend both sessions. CPE hours will be based on Zoom attendance and adjusted if a participant misses any portion of the program. In order to attend the webinars and receive CPE credit, you must be a registered participant. 

How to Apply

Complete the online application for "The High School Cannon: Then and Now" webinar series. By submitting an application, you are signing up to receive information about and access to both webinars. Please apply as soon as possible, as registration will occur on a rolling basis.

Sponsors

The webinar series is made possible with major funding from the State of Texas with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.