Bringing Art to the English Classroom

As I mentioned in my earlier post, About Me, I believe that art should have a place in the English classroom. English can be a little bit of a bore to the average high school student. So why not spice up the subject and the classroom with art projects? I remember in my 12th grade British Literature class my teacher assigned an extra credit assignment for Beowulf. Students were to make their interpretation of Grendel's torn off arm. It was fun watching my fellow students present their "arms" and then after that the display that my teacher rigged to the ceiling of the classroom (She had tired the Grendel Arms to it!). I believe that projects like that among others would bring the stories out of the printed pages so that students could both understand the subject better and have more fun in a normally bland class.
Art is not the only thing to spice up a boring day reading the textbook! I also believe in bringing drama to the classroom. What brings Shakespeare to life better than an impromptu play not only read out loud but acted out in front of the class? It not only makes the class fun but brings a better understanding to hard to read and harder to understand literature!