How to Teach a Light Academia Curriculum (Without Only Teaching the Classics)
I’m willing to bet that most English teachers are into the light academia aesthetic. Who of us doesn’t want to roam around Oxford on a sunlit afternoon and explore libraries with spiral staircases to our heart’s content? The problem is that when we think about bringing those vibes into the classroom, what we immediately think of teaching is the classics. You know—worn paperbacks with tiny font, lots of white men contemplating life and writing it all down in long-winded sentences. And while there’s nothing wrong with those books, I think we’re missing something if we stop there.
Light academia isn’t really about the canon. It’s about curiosity. It's about longing and beauty and intellectual aliveness. It’s aesthetic, yes—but it's also about the desire to understand yourself and the world. It implies a search for beauty through literature. And that doesn’t require a single “classic” novel if you don’t want it to.
So here’s how to bring that vibe into your literature classroom—with newer texts, multimedia, and projects that still feel thoughtful, reflective, and so light academia.
What Makes a Curriculum “Light Academia”?
Before we get into the books, let’s talk about the vibe.
Light academia in the classroom is tasteful fairy lights and fresh flowers. It's handwritten notes, botanical sketches, and asking big questions. It’s nostalgia, idealism, and finding beauty in the details.
Thematically, we’re talking about:
Memory and identity
The beauty of language and nature
Intellectual curiosity
Belonging, longing, and reflection
Coming-of-age stories that feel timeless
And in a high school classroom, we can tap into all of that without assigning a single 19th-century novel (unless we want to).
Four Books That Nail the Vibe (Without Being the Canon)
These pair well with poetry, podcast episodes, and projects for a full experience.
1. World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
✨ Themes: nature, memory, wonder, identity
This book is perfect for slowing down and noticing the world. It invites students to reflect on their own relationships to place, culture, and self—through the lens of strange, beautiful animals and plants. I have a full unit for this book coming out soon. I love teaching it to second semester seniors!
Pair with:
Poetry: Ross Gay’s Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, Ada Limón’s “Instructions on Not Giving Up”
Podcast: Poetry Unbound – “I’m going back to Minnesota where sadness makes sense” (and if you want a full Poetry Unbound mini unit that includes this poem and a podcast project, I’ve got one)
Creative project: Create your own “cabinet of wonders” — a personal essay or collage inspired by one element of the natural world
Vibe: windows open, sunlight on desks, soft instrumental playlist in the background
2. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
✨ Themes: voice, resistance, identity, love
Told in verse, this novel is fast to read but deep to discuss. It’s about growing up, questioning inherited beliefs, and learning to speak your truth through poetry.
Pair with:
Poetry: Button Poetry performances, Acevedo’s slam poems
Podcast: VS with Danez Smith & Franny Choi
Creative project: Students write and perform their own spoken word poems or create a “life in verse” portfolio
Vibe: open mic classroom day, string lights, big feelings
3. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
✨ Themes: love, trauma, queerness, language, immigrant identity
Yes, it’s dense and lyrical and full of feeling. But it’s beautiful and especially poignant for juniors and seniors. Maybe take an excerpt if you don’t feel like doing the full novel!
Pair with:
Poetry: Ocean Vuong’s poetry, Chen Chen, Natalie Diaz
Podcast: Vuong interviews on Between the Covers or The Ezra Klein Show
Creative project: Epistolary writing project or personal lyric essay
Vibe: journaling days, mood lighting, quiet self-reflection
4. If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
✨ Themes: race, love, loss, fragility of life
A short novel with a soft tone and devastating ending. This one hits hard. There’s space here for deep reflection and real conversation.
Pair with:
Poetry: Lucille Clifton’s “won’t you celebrate with me,” Jericho Brown’s “The Tradition”
Podcast: Code Switch episode on interracial relationships or Poetry Unbound on Aracelis Girmay
Creative project: Visual storytelling of a fleeting moment or letter to a lost love
Vibe: rain outside the windows, lo-fi beats, watercolor illustrations of emotions
Projects That Feel Light Academia (Without Needing a Whole Unit)
You can build the vibe even with short activities. A few of my favorites:
Blackout poetry from nonfiction or political speeches
Zine-making around a theme like “nostalgia” or “the body”
Book soundtrack project — students make a playlist for a novel and write analysis of tone/mood
Object studies — write about a beloved item as if it’s in a museum
Literary letters between characters in different books
Aesthetic annotations — students annotate poems or short stories using color and design to reflect emotion
Fan Fiction Writing — students analyze whatever you’ve taught using creative fan fiction story prompts to get into the text. I have some free, no prep ideas here if you want to get started.
These are great for end-of-unit assessments or in-between projects when you want something meaningful, but not a whole essay.
Don’t Forget the Atmosphere
The vibe matters! Even if you’re in a windowless room with overhead fluorescents, you can still make your classroom feel reflective and inviting.
Try:
Playing cello covers or film scores during reading time
Hanging handwritten quotes or monthly poem displays
Starting class with an “intellectual warmup” question like, “What’s a memory you return to again and again?”
Having quiet journaling time once a week
Lighting a (battery-operated) candle before reading aloud
It’s small touches, but they help students feel like they’re part of something thoughtful and beautiful—and that matters.
Final Thoughts
A light academia classroom doesn’t need to be built on dusty books and Latin quotes (unless you’re into that). You can give students the same sense of depth and wonder with contemporary literature, multimedia texts, and creative expression. It’s not about being fancy—it’s about being awake.
And honestly? That’s what I want my students to feel. Not just “I finished the book,” but “I saw myself in it,” or “I thought about something in a new way.” That’s the heart of this aesthetic. The softness. The seeking. The story.
Want more ideas like this? I’ve got a freebie with creative projects you can use with any novel and some gorgeous literary element posters that match the vibe perfectly.
Which of these ideas are you going to try first?