The world our students are entering is changing faster than ever. As educators, we are charged with preparing them not just with content knowledge, but with the skills, mindsets, and competencies that will help them thrive in a variety of contexts. Across the country, states have developed their own Portraits of a Graduate to define the attributes students need to succeed beyond school. Leadership teams and professional learning communities are actively seeking ways to make these competencies accessible and actionable for both teaching and learning in the classroom. The Portrait of a Graduate provides a powerful framework for this work and English Language Arts classrooms are a natural home for its application.

Through the study of canonical literature, students can explore identity, examine society, test perspectives, and reflect on their own place in the world. But we have to go beyond the book. We must use each reading experience as an invitation to cultivate the learner within, to nurture thinkers, speakers, problem finders, solvers, and citizens.

And while this post is anchored in the six attributes of New York State’s Portrait of a Graduate, it’s worth noting that most states have now developed their own version of a graduate profile. These frameworks share a common purpose: to define the skills and dispositions students need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. They are more than aspirations, they are blueprints for transforming teaching and learning in meaningful ways.

Below, I’ve included a brief definition of each of the six NYS Portrait of a Graduate attributes for shared understanding. Then, I’ll share how four canonical texts: Lord of the Flies, The Catcher in the Rye, The Tempest, and The Sun Also Rises can serve as rich springboards for activating each component through learning experiences that resonate beyond the classroom. Keep in mind that educators can adapt the literary works featured here to align with the canonical texts and curriculum already in place in their own schools or districts.

Quick Guide to NYS Portrait of a Graduate Components

• Academically Prepared: Demonstrates a strong foundation in NYS Learning Standards and has the knowledge/skills for success in college, career, and life.
  
• Creative Innovator: Uses curiosity, imagination, and flexible thinking to solve problems and adapt to changing circumstances.
  
• Critical Thinker: Analyzes information, evaluates evidence, and makes connections to understand complex issues.
  
• Effective Communicator: Expresses ideas clearly in writing, speaking, and media; listens actively to others.
  
• Global Citizen: Acts ethically in local/global contexts, using civic knowledge to contribute to a diverse and democratic society.
  
• Reflective and Future-Focused: Engages in self-reflection, sets goals, and makes decisions with social-emotional awareness.
  

1. Lord of the Flies – William Golding

Summary: A group of boys stranded on an island descend into chaos, revealing the tension between civilization and savagery.

Canonical Status: A foundational work in modern literature, widely studied for its psychological and allegorical depth.

Portrait of a Graduate Component Focus: Critical Thinker | Global Citizen | Reflective and Future-Focused

• Socratic Seminars: Use essential questions like “What happens to civilization without shared values?” to engage students in close reading, textual evidence gathering, and peer discussion.
  
• Debate: Students take on the perspectives of Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and Simon in a structured classroom debate on leadership and ethics.
  
• Real-World Connection: Research a current event involving power or conflict (e.g., youth activism, government collapse) and create a multimedia presentation comparing it to themes in the novel.
  
• Reflective Journal: After major plot points, students pause to reflect on how fear, power, or peer pressure can influence decision-making—connecting to their own lives and growth.
  

2. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger

Summary: Narrated by the introspective and alienated teenager Holden Caulfield, this novel captures the challenges of adolescence, identity, and belonging in postwar America.
Canonical Status: A widely taught and frequently debated American novel, celebrated for its authentic voice and enduring exploration of youth and mental health.

Portrait of a Graduate Component Focus: Reflective and Future-Focused | Effective Communicator | Critical Thinker

• Personal Reflection Journals: Students explore themes of identity, isolation, and authenticity by responding to prompts related to Holden’s experiences.
  
• Literary Analysis: Students analyze Holden’s narrative voice, discussing how tone, language, and point of view influence reliability and reader connection.
  
• Socratic Seminar: Centered around questions like “What does it mean to grow up?” or “Is Holden protecting innocence or resisting reality?”
  
• Creative Writing: Students write their own first-person narrative using stylistic features modeled after Salinger’s voice.
  

3. The Tempest – William Shakespeare

Summary: A sorcerer stranded on an island manipulates events through magic in this tale of betrayal, colonization, and ultimately, forgiveness.
Canonical Status: One of Shakespeare’s final and most symbolic plays long held as a cornerstone of the Western literary canon.

Portrait of a Graduate Component Focus: Academically Prepared | Effective Communicator | Global Citizen

• Performance-Based Assessment: Students rehearse and perform a selected scene, focusing on tone, diction, and rhetorical choices. Reflect: What is Prospero’s real source of power?
  
• Literary Essay: Develop a thesis on the role of forgiveness and colonization in the play using textual evidence and scholarly criticism.
  
• Visual Annotation: Use visual thinking routines (e.g., See-Think-Wonder) to unpack complex metaphors or soliloquies and share insights in a gallery walk.
  
• Intercultural Connection: Compare Caliban’s portrayal with indigenous voices from postcolonial texts. Discuss: How do we amplify marginalized voices?
  

4. The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway

Summary: A group of American and British expatriates travel through Europe in the aftermath of WWI, struggling with love, identity, and existential despair.

Canonical Status: A defining novel of the “Lost Generation,” known for Hemingway’s minimalist style and its themes of disillusionment and masculinity.

Portrait of a Graduate Component Focus: Reflective and Future-Focused | Creative Innovator | Critical Thinker

SEL Reflection Circles: Facilitate a discussion about the characters’ emotional journeys. Ask students: How do we process grief, change, and disconnection? What keeps us grounded?

Character Autobiography: Write a first-person reflective narrative from Jake’s or Brett’s perspective, exploring emotional resilience and identity after trauma.

Theme Mapping: Track motifs of disillusionment, masculinity, and escapism across the novel. Create visual mind maps to illustrate how these evolve.

Cross-Genre Writing: Compose a modern version of the novel as a podcast, diary, or screenplay, encouraging innovation and adaptation.

Moving Forward

If we want our students to thrive, not just in our classrooms, but in the world, they need more than standards. They need skills. They need vision. They need experiences that push them to think, feel, create, and connect.

The Portrait of a Graduate is not an add-on. It’s a mindset. And English classrooms, filled with canonical texts that stretch across time and place, are ideal spaces to bring that mindset to life.

Most states now recognize this. Across the country, Portraits of a Graduate are serving as blueprints, not just for what students need to know, but for who they need to become. When we align our instruction with these portraits, we create learning that transcends tests and textbooks.

Let’s give students the tools to read deeply and live thoughtfully. Because while the world is changing fast, one thing remains true: our students are capable of shaping it with the right opportunities, stories, and support.