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Step 1
Decide what the course will emphasize. College literature courses are usually broken up into genres and time periods. With so much great literature and a very short quarter or semester, it is important to have some sort of overall focus.
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Step 2
Do your research. Do not select only famous writers. Find out who or what types of literature influenced well-known authors and include some of these lesser-known authors into the curriculum.
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Step 3
Keep your syllabus reasonable. It would be great if your students had time to read a novel every other day for your class, but remember that students often have at least three other classes, jobs or family commitments.
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Step 4
Select a format for discussing the literature. If you want to have an open discussion about the literature, find pieces that promote natural discussion. If you want to lecture, use texts that contain new and unfamiliar components that require explanation.
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Step 5
Read all of the materials and texts you want to use first. Make sure that there are no surprises in the literature that you do not want to address in class. As you are reading, think about how the piece will fit into the class, or if it is better suited in a different time or place.
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Step 6
Anticipate questions, comments and concerns that your students may have for each piece of literature. You want to select a text that you will be knowledgeable and authoritative on while teaching. You do not have to always have an answer, but you should be able to address most of the questions that arise.
