Instructional materials are essential tools in the English language arts classroom. They allow students to interact with words, images, and ideas in ways that develop their abilities in multiple literacies such as reading, listening, viewing, thinking, speaking, writing, and technology. Because selection policies should reflect local interests and…

This article presents the author's critique of Jennifer A. Rich's essay titled "How Do We See What We See? Pedagogical Lacunae and Their Pitfalls in the Classroom." Rather than adopting the classic "how I solved a problem" narrative, Rich relentlessly focuses on her questions and problems--their contexts, their complexity, other questions to which…

I have been an English teacher for 38 (gulp!) years. For over 20 of those I have taught "English methods" courses in initial teacher education programs. As the retirement light glows increasingly brighter at the end of my career pathway, I reflect on three aspects of teaching English that have been--and remain--the cornerstones of my…

High school teacher Sheldon S. Kohn probes the conflicting dynamics that occur for educators who try to provide students with appropriate tools for thinking and living in a postmodernist, intellectual world, yet who must teach in antiquated school systems that support modernist philosophies and hierarchical practices. Kohn imagines students and…

The consideration of questions of morality and ethics, of right and wrong is not confined to churches and mosques and synagogues; it also exists outside religious frameworks, notably in the schools and in teaching. In this article, the author extends the exploration of ethics into the classroom where virtually all acts of writing, language, and…

In this "At Last" essay, Susan Lytle addresses issues of teacher research, work that is shaped by and that shapes the complexity of teachers' knowledge and learning, and is based on the accumulation of robust and meaningful experiences leading to classroom expertise. Assuring her readers that teacher research is alive and well, even in the current…

In this article, the author argues for the necessity of civic literacy and responsibility, of educating students for citizenship. He urges educators to consider the visionary thoughts of James Moffett and others on spiritualizing teaching and learning--in particular, the idea of "serving ourselves through serving our communities and redefining…

The issue of teacher quality has emerged with special force recently; between 2000 and 2005, at least 15 reports addressing teacher quality from a public policy perspective have been produced (Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2005). The National Research Council has been charged by the U.S. Congress to do a national study of teacher preparation programs to…

"With the NLS--they can see how everything is important if we want our English to be good and it's helped me to see it that way too. Before, we just used to see it all separately. This way is much better" (Rebecca Graham, Year 4 English specialist after Final Block Placement). This quote was collected in the final stage of a study involving…

In this article, I examine the role of teacher racial identity on teaching strategy and the treatment of race in classroom discussions. I explicate how the pattern of minimizing the negative racial comments made to English language learners played out in participants' teaching and how it is reflective of socially constructed notions of race and…

The study of the history of the English language can help students become aware of major issues in several academic fields, including history, literature, political science, anthropology, communication, economics, the Arts, and, of course, languages and linguistics. Even though instructors may not have an especially broad background in the…

Shows how dwelling on a great poem will continually deepen one's sense of delight. (EL)

Leila Christenbury is well known as a writer and researcher in English Education: her classic book "Making the Journey," [ED437654] now in its third edition, has been a guide to countless middle and high school language arts teachers. In her new book, this veteran teacher and teacher educator reveals what did and---more surprisingly---did not…

Discusses the quality and value to students of recent Broadway plays. Noting that dramatic output is limited in size and content, recommends the use of an international English-language repertory for the education of young students. Cites British, Australian, Canadian, Caribbean, African and South African authors. (JG)

Enumerates ways in which material recorded directly from the radio (interviews, sports commentaries, etc.) and TV ("People's Court") can be used in high school to teach a wide range of English skills. (NKA)