One Class to Rule Them All: Why This Teacher Loves the Lord of the Rings Class

Story by Davis Haynie

This trimester Mr. Forbes is teaching a Lord of The Rings class where students get to explore Tolkien’s world and learn how fantasy teaches real-life lessons, effectively blending projects, discussions, and reading.

The Lord of the Rings is a lengthy adventure story providing connections to those who read it, allowing students to dig in and have fun discussing the story.

“This class always turns out to be my favorite because it is full of students who genuinely want to be there, providing a path to dive deeper into the themes and passages due to the passion of everyone present,”  teacher Mr. Forbes said.

Mr. Forbes explains how the students’ passion for reading and discussing the Lord of the Rings really shapes the class and makes it an overall great time, but the class isn’t just a great time, it also inspires and connects to students as they grow older.

“I love making connections between students and the stories they read, and this is one of the best books to help inspire students during their formative years as they discover who they are and their place in the world,” Forbes said. “I hope each student walks away with a better understanding of what it means to be heroic and a true friend.”

With the lessons learned, students have been able to stay on top of their reading pretty well, while also having a fun environment to learn, discuss, and share a mutual excitement for the book club-like class. 

Posters in Mr. Forbes classroom showing illustrations based off of The Lord of the Rings

“Students have done a great job staying on top of the class. I feel the excitement to spend a class period discussing the book each day.” Mr. Forbes said. “It is definitely my favorite class to teach, not just because I get to geek out over my favorite story, but because I am among peers who feel the same way as I do.”