Blending Old Loves and New Rhythms

When I returned to teaching Macbeth, I knew I didn’t want it to feel like just another dusty Shakespeare unit. I wanted it to breathe.

That’s where my old loves and new rhythms have met. From my years as an English teacher and my experience having a Master’s degree in Literary Studies, I brought forward a love of analysis and structure. From my homeschooling journey, I brought Charlotte Mason’s philosophy—narration (the art of telling back), copywork (an organic way to learn language usage and to more intimately know an author), and reading living books (books written by an author with passion and depth, drawing the reader into ideas rather than simply conveying dry facts). The two together have been electric.

Next week my students will narrate Act 1, Scenes 4–7 by acting out a tableaux—freeze frames that capture a moment from the play (yes, inspired by a disastrous but delightful tableau scene in The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place). Other weeks, they’ll write or orally share narrations, scaffolding their way into deeper literary analysis.

Technology has a place too! I use Google Classroom not just for assignments, but as a hub where I can connect the arts to our study—listening to Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain while reading Act I, or analyzing Henry Fuseli’s eerie Macbeth painting to spark discussion. These crossovers help students see Shakespeare as part of a larger cultural conversation, not just a play in isolation.

That desire for life and accessibility was sparked for me this summer when we read A Midsummer Night’s Dream through Sarah Mackenzie’s Read-Aloud Revival. The way she draws students of all ages into Shakespeare with imagination and delight shaped how I’m approaching Macbeth this year. It inspired me to design lessons that invite play, creativity, and wonder into the classroom, rather than reducing the text to worksheets or dry analysis.

It’s messy and beautiful all at once. And it feels like what Shakespeare himself might have wanted: not lifeless reading and analysis, but a play that comes alive in many voices.

🌿 Living Awake

Let’s approach these prompts step by step, the way we might unpack a line of Shakespeare together:

1. Start simple. Recall a practice or habit from your past that still brings you joy. Where might it fit into your life now?

2. Add a layer. Think about how blending old loves with new rhythms has shaped you—whether through technology, art, or family traditions. What does that mixture awaken in you?

3. Take it further. Experiment with weaving something cross-disciplinary into your week: pair a book with a piece of music, or a story with a painting. Notice what fresh connections come alive.