Worldview Writing Workshop
Literature
Worldview
Grammar
Composition
Helping educators and students deep-dive into literature, worldviews, and composition writing.
Because of limited interest, I am no longer posting, but I hope you will find that my archived posts are helpful. Thank you for visiting!
Welcome
What is worldview...
...and why does it matter?
Literature is the great influencer. Most of the timeless novels and short stories that we study in high school and introductory college classes are not merely selling plot and characterization--they are also selling ideas, the beliefs and perspectives that the author has about the world, society, human nature. Will our students naively buy all that the writer is selling or will they be able to thoughtfully sift the ideas? Discerning readers learn to recognize underlying philosophies so they can fully appreciate the beauty of the piece, yet remain true to their own developing (or emerging) beliefs. Please allow me to help!
If you are an educator in a secular environment, I can help guide you and your students through the likes of naturalism, Marxism, feminism, and existentialism in many of the classic titles we teach, allowing students to recognize the key tenets of these philosophies as they develop their own systems of belief. If you are an educator or home-school parent in a Christian environment, I can help guide you and your students through the major philosophies plus compare and contrast those ideas to the biblical worldview that your students are honing.
My Story
Hello! I'm veteran college and high school instructor, Shawn Hassen. I’m grateful you’re here, and I am excited to share my passion for teaching literature and writing! Here’s how it began . . .
On my first day as a graduate assistant thirty-two years ago, the English department chair handed me a stack of textbooks, a sample syllabus, and a gradebook. Wide-eyed, I asked, “What do I do?” Heading down the hall toward his own class, he tossed back over his shoulder, “Oh, you know. It’s teaching. You’ll figure it out. Just do it.”
Somehow, I did it. And I loved it.
Fast forward. My M.A. had allowed me the flexibility to teach college courses while my son was a toddler, but by 2002 my husband and I found ourselves attending an extraordinary church that just happened to have an English opening in their high school. I asked skeptically, “How do you—can you—teach Steinbeck and Hemingway in a Christian school?” The principal handed me a stack of textbooks, and his answer was all too familiar!
Somehow, I did it. And I loved it.
I taught 9-12 Language Arts, including AP Lit and dual enrollment (Comps I and II and American Lit). My church provided a uniquely intellectual environment that school faculty were expected to immerse themselves in. I soaked in extraordinary teaching from pastors and school administrators, from reading and studying on my own, and from attending conferences—and I was on fire to share all that I was learning with my students and my colleagues. In addition to heading up the English department, I soon served on the school’s leadership team as Instructional Specialist, routinely observing instructors, offering feedback to help them perfect their craft, and presenting workshops on worldview.
After twenty-five years in the classroom, I was called to help my parents as they battled a significant health crisis. Even though I necessarily left the classroom, I never left my love for the classroom. I continued to develop worldview material and high school lesson plans. And my dream is to share what I have learned along the way with a larger audience—you—secondary educators, post-secondary instructors, leaders of book groups, home school parents, students.
Whether you are a follower of Christ or not, you are likely checking out this blog because of the common goal we all
share—better educating our students. I am honored, and I hope the Worldview Writing Workshop becomes a trusted source for you in teaching literature, worldview, and writing.
Free Resources Worldview Writing Workshop
I am grateful for the many colleagues, parents, and students I have labored alongside . . .
I had the privilege of working with Shawn for over ten years. She is uniquely gifted in the classroom, a master teacher who is by far one of the best I have encountered in my 35 years as an educator. Her knowledge of her subject matter is unmatched. She has an extraordinary ability to analyze a piece of literature – to examine its literary elements, draw critical insights from the text, and evaluate the worldview perspective from which it is written.
-Sheila James, Curriculum Specialist
Mrs. Hassen’s dedication, love of literature, and love of Christ enriched my children. There’s no other way to put it. It was many a night we stayed late at the dinner table because one of our kids wanted to discuss Of Mice and Men or Hamlet or Pride and Prejudice with us. Grappling with big ideas made them better students, thinkers, people. I’m so proud of who they’ve become. And I thank Mrs. Hassen for helping us lovingly press and guide them.
–JoAnn Gardner
Shawn led the teachers at my high school through months of weekly, in-person professional development. Her concise and clear lessons on worldview and teaching strategies have done more to shape who I am as a teacher today than any educational class I ever sat in during my college years. Since then, I’ve become an instructional specialist. I’m still using my notes from Shawn’s lectures to help our teachers – especially our English teachers – understand how to identify the worldview of a particular novel and compare it to a Biblical understanding of the world.
-Jacquelyn Eckart, Instructional Specialist