Teaching Mrs. Dalloway: A Scaffolded Approach to Using Woolf’s Classic Text in AP Literature Classes
Teaching Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway can feel as daunting as navigating life, London, and social pressures was for Clarissa, Septimus, Peter, and Rezia! However, with careful scaffolding and strategic instruction, this modernist masterpiece becomes not only accessible but also deeply engaging for modern high school students. Here’s how I structure my unit to ensure student success with and enjoyment of this complex text.
Begin with Differentiated Context Readings
The key to student engagement with this text (and any other, really) lies in thoughtful preparation. Before diving into the novel, I provide students with leveled context readings that introduce Woolf, Modernism, and key themes. These readings, tailored to various ability levels, ensure that every student enters the text with confidence. This kind of frontloading is very important if you want the kids to be able to get into the text, not give up, and feel empowered as they read. With my leveled readings, students learn about Modernist techniques, historical context, Woolf’s innovative style, and more. This foundation proves invaluable as they encounter stream-of-consciousness narration and complex temporal shifts, among other difficulties of the text. They will stick with it better if they have the background knowledge to feel more centered in the text!
Guide Student Reading with Purposeful Questions
In my class, reading questions typically serve as our compass through a novel’s intricate narrative & pattern of literary elements. High school students typically need some guidance in terms of what to focus on or what to look into more deeply. It is OKAY to help them with that instead of always expecting them to figure everything out themselves. You can give them freedom to explore, ask their own questions, and guide discussion themselves (which is important!), but that doesn’t mean you don’t need reading questions or a study guide as a jumping off point or grounding measure for class activities and discussion! So, how do you make the questions? Rather than focusing solely on plot, my questions typically seek to encourage students to explore themes that resonate with their lives. For Mrs. Dalloway, this includes identity formation, social pressure, mental health, human connection, and more. For instance, when discussing Septimus Warren Smith’s struggles, students naturally connect his post-war trauma to contemporary discussions about mental health and societal support systems. Find my questions (plus 2 anticipation activities) here!
Regular Reading Checks for Comprehension and Analysis
To ensure steady progress and hold students accountable for the reading (yes, this is still very important even with AP® Lit students), I implement strategic reading checks throughout the unit. These assessments combine straightforward comprehension questions with passage-based responses, typically taking 20-30 minutes of class time. The passage analysis component is particularly crucial – students must develop mini-theses and support them with textual evidence, building essential analytical skills while demonstrating their understanding of the text. It’s also a nice way to steal a little time to practice Q2 essay skills for the AP® Literature exam in May!
Deeper Engagement Through Writing
Many of my units end with a timed & a typed essay (in the interest of preparing students for the AP® exam & for college writing). We focus on literary analysis & the use of evidence to support our claims. My Mrs. Dalloway unit culminates in essay assignments that challenge students to engage deeply with the text’s complexities. Prompts explore various aspects of the texts: English society’s rigid expectations, the nature of human connection, Woolf’s revolutionary narrative techniques, the role of memory in shaping identity, and more. I find that students particularly connect with topics examining individual identity versus societal pressures, though the variety of options allows all kids to find something that speaks to them, intentionally pulling from themes that remain startlingly relevant to our students’ own experiences. Grab my prompts (including requirements/directions) here!
Why This Approach Works
This scaffolded methodology succeeds because it:
- Provides necessary background knowledge through differentiated instruction
- Makes complex modernist techniques accessible through guided analysis
- Connects historical themes to contemporary issues
- Builds analytical skills progressively through structured assessments & carefully scaffolded reading questions/study guides
- Encourages personal connection while maintaining rigorous academic standards
The entire unit typically spans two weeks of focused reading and discussion, with additional time for writing (usually one more week or so). The initial context work requires 60-90 minutes but pays dividends in student comprehension and engagement throughout the unit.
Remember, teaching Mrs. Dalloway isn’t about rushing to cover content – it’s about helping students discover the timeless relevance of Woolf’s insights into human nature, social pressure, and the search for meaning. When properly supported, students will experience, discuss, and carry the lessons of this novel forward into their lives!
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