Engage Your English, Social Studies and History Students in Critical Thinking and Literary Analysis
The Real Education of TJ Crowley is an essential resource for English classrooms, perfectly aligned with the 2023 Kansas English Language Arts Standards. This award-winning novel offers rich, engaging material for teaching reading, writing, speaking, and listening, while exploring timely themes of race, privilege, and personal growth.
TJ Crowley is required reading in Dr. Michael Birzer’s Racial Profiling course, where listing to the audio drama fosters helpful discussions between future police officers and social workers in the critical issues of racial equity and how we see others.
Why Teach TJ Crowley in English Class?
This novel’s first-person narrative and authentic language provide students with opportunities to analyze character development and thematic complexity. Through the lens of TJ’s personal journey, students will grapple with narrative structure, tone, and the impact of language—all while fostering empathy and critical reflection.
Key ELA Standards the novel supports include:
Analyzing complex themes like systemic racism and empathy (RL.6-12).
Exploring language choices and their impact on narrative and meaning (RL.6-12.4, RL.6-12.5).
Writing personal reflections and analytical essays on privilege and social justice (W.6-12.1, W.6-12.3).
Engaging in meaningful discussions on character growth and the historical context of the story (SL.6-12.1).
How TJ Crowley Supports Critical Conversations
Set in 1968, a year of seismic racial change, the novel uses historically accurate language to reflect the prejudices of the era, providing a powerful opportunity for students to explore how language shapes bias. Teachers can guide students through difficult discussions, showing how TJ’s understanding of racial slurs and his ignorance transforms over the course of the novel. This is a crucial conversation for today’s readers who live in a world where race and identity are continually debated.
Enhancing Student Engagement with the Full-Cast Audio Drama
The full-cast audio drama is an ideal complement for English classes, especially for auditory learners. The diverse voices bring characters to life, helping students explore the tone, emotion, and dialogue more deeply. Whether they’re analyzing a specific scene or reflecting on the story as a whole, students will gain a richer understanding of how voice acting enhances the narrative’s meaning.
The award-winning audio drama features an outstanding cast, including Dani Martineck, Dion Graham, Tavia Gilbert, Johnny Heller, Shayna Small, Michael Crouch, Kirby Heyborne, Ari Fliakos, Kevin R. Free, Graham Halstead, Thérèse Plummer, Brittany Pressley, Peter Berkrot, John Wright, and Sheila Brown Kinnard.
A Resource for Social Studies and History Classes Too
Beyond its value in English classrooms, The Real Education of TJ Crowley meets Kansas History and Social Studies Standards, making it a cross-disciplinary resource. Teachers can use the novel to explore key historical moments like the Fair Housing Act of 1968, school integration, and how government policies shaped race relations during that period. This book gives students the chance to see history through personal experiences, promoting empathy and deeper understanding of systemic racism.
A team of national experts developed the free Educator Guide.
Bring TJ Crowley to Your Classroom
The Real Education of TJ Crowley is a must-have resource for English teachers looking to tackle complex themes with sensitivity and nuance. By using this novel, you can foster critical conversations on race and identity, while meeting key state standards in reading, writing, and critical analysis.
Free Educator Guide
The Educator Guide offers ready-made discussion questions, writing prompts, and lesson plans, developed by a team of experts in both English and social studies education. This guide provides the tools you need to introduce literary analysis while addressing historical context and racial justice.
Explore additional resources and purchase the book.
Click here to hear the full-cast audio drama and bring this powerful story to life in your classroom.
Questions? Contact us for more info on these topics, inquire about volume discounts for classroom sets, or schedule a presentation by Grant Overstake for your English or Social Studies classes.