Discussion Questions for A Study of Shattered Spells
- Over the course of the story, we meet a variety of different teachers who model different approaches to educating students. What do you think makes someone a good teacher?
- Do any of the teachers in this book remind you of teachers you’ve had in real life?
- Emil is a complicated character. Were there points where you felt sympathy for him? At what moment did your opinion of him shift the most?
- Bren argues at one point that teachers should prioritize changing hearts over punishing offenders. What do you think of this claim? Is there any truth to Bren’s ideals?
- Bren’s response to Emil’s crimes is to punish Meliya instead of him. Are there instances in the real world where you’ve observed institutions protect powerful individuals at the expense of their victims?
- After Meliya’s Compelling, Kalina has to make a variety of hard decisions, particularly in whether she should stay at Chintor after Bren protected Emil. Do you think she makes the right choices? What might you have done in her shoes?
- Kalina frequently breaks school rules to protect students. What are the boundaries of a teacher’s responsibility? When (if ever) is it right for a teacher to go against institutional policies?
- Bren and Kalina regularly clash over the story about what it looks like to show grace. When do you think we should show grace to others?
- How do you think Kalina changes over the course of the story?
- Could Emil have been redeemed? Do you think he was ever close to changing, or was he just leading Kalina on?
