Nazis v. Glocks: The Place of English?

This paper examines the place of English through two classroom episodes, exploring the tension between curricular compliance and disruptive classroom talk. It considers how English can reproduce authorised knowledge while also creating space for students to question, contest and transform it. Drawing on lessons on Lord of the Flies and A Raisin in the Sun, it examines how students’ unexpected questions can challenge the boundaries of legitimate knowledge within English. The paper argues that when classroom talk is allowed to disrupt the expected trajectory of a lesson, it can create opportunities for inquiry, contestation and collective meaning-making, challenging the reproduction of authorised interpretations.