Identifying theoretical and practical approaches to incorporate one of the 21st century’s most popular artists into the classroom, Teaching with Taylor allows instructors to channel existing passion about and interest in Taylor Swift. This educational text offers readers theoretical approaches, pedagogical justifications, and practical models for incorporating Taylor Swift into their pedagogy across the curriculum and across various levels of instruction. The intention is to take advantage of existing knowledge and excitement students (and many instructors) have about Swift as an artist, public figure, and source of constant media coverage, and use those factors to explore Swift as an incredibly useful, versatile subject of study for modern pedagogy. The volume is divided into several sections focusing on: 1) theoretical approaches to teaching with Swift globally; 2) teaching with Swift in an English studies context; 3) grappling with racial and cultural identities in a Swift pedagogical context; 4) teaching with Swift in curricula/departments across disciplines as varied as Spanish, religion, and gender studies; and 5) shorter, praxis-focused essays that detail specific Swift-focused assignments ranging from classroom activities to longer-form and more in-depth student work. This collection offers a compilation of thoughtful, theoretically informed, and practical approaches to teaching concepts as far-ranging as lyrical analysis, narrative medicine, public theology, cultural integration vs. cultural appropriation, the rhetoric of conspiracy theories, media savvy, karmic feminism, and much more.
