Abstract
When undertaking a journey through various literary texts, as I often do in my classes, I encounter real and fictional teachers who share their teaching experiences. Without delving into how they are portrayed, I aim to listen to what they specifically convey about acknowledging one's own ignorance and embracing the mystery of the other -key elements for literature classes to become a space for encounter. Tracing the initial interactions among class participants, especially their glances, until they are reaching the radical encounter that eludes verbal expression, I advocate for a practice rooted in the willingness to speak to, characterized by a spirit of exchange and attentive listening, as opposed to the prevalent practice of speaking at, which is focused on explanation. At its core, this approach seeks to enable each individual to discover the literary work that speaks to them most directly.
Keywords:
Teaching; ignorance; encounter; literature; classroom.