Teaching in the Crosshairs: A Study of Literary Censorship and Self-Censorship in Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms

Curriculum control and literature suppression in ELA classrooms is nothing new. But the current climate has increased the struggle to balance academic freedom with external forces looking to restrict teachers’ autonomy. As censorship efforts grow, a subtler yet equally troubling trend is emerging: teacher self-censorship. This session will explore how and why educators are limiting their own choices in the classroom and what we can do about it.