Asserts that the notion of national literature is no longer tenable. Suggests teaching both undergraduates and graduate students the history of the English discipline so that they may understand what determined its present configurations. Suggests introducing students to a variety of theories, methods, and controversies of the field. (PRA)

Discusses the idea of national literature, contemporary problems with its definition, and its history. Discusses various models of national literature. (PRA)

Provides an account of how one English teacher fosters awareness of the metaphorical nature of language and the sensory experience of poetry. Shows how the poem "Mnemonic" by Li-Young Lee can be used to instruct students concerning how poetry speaks to the memories of the reader. (HB)

Describes how one English teacher developed a replacement for the traditional literature exam: student exhibitions. Defines these exhibitions as student presentations over course material in which expertise and close reading are demonstrated. Advocates allowing students the opportunity to teach class materials. (HB)

Considers the current debates regarding the teaching of reading. Outlines the general failure to understand the nature of literacy, the complexity of educational issues, and the lack of public language for discussing such issues. Provides an accessible explanation of current reading methods for parents. (HB)

Provides an account of how one poet would like to have her poems taught in the English classroom. (HB)

Unpacks some of the problematic features of "objectives" as they are used within public school districts. Weaves together what has been learned from working directly with teachers with the historical origins of the professional practice of writing curriculum objectives. Discusses a language arts committee that was unable to produce a finished list…

Provides an account of the importance of story poems in the English classroom. Describes how one teacher wove the teaching of poems, stories, and writing into a single coherent unit of study. Argues that bringing these diverse materials together is a useful method of literary study. (HB)

Jane Austen's novels are particularly appropriate for adolescents. These classics deal with topics of high interest to young people. Austen grapples with the question of what the individual owes to society and what he or she is obliged to tolerate in the way of strictures on behavior. Article proposes that Austen's novels should be more widely…

Examines the relationship between past ways of understanding what it has meant to teach and learn in English classrooms and the present movement toward change. Argues that the central purpose of working in relation to the past is to guard against participating in a 'presentism' that denies the past. (NH)

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)

Discusses the difference in treatment of children's literature by three different disciplines--English, library science, and education. (EL)

Describes the variety of meanings given to the word "grammar," and focuses on differences between descriptive and prescriptive uses of the term. Considers the usefulness of grammar instruction, and argues for its inclusion in school curricula. Emphasizes the utility and applicability of grammar within all the social sciences and humanities. (KH)

Discusses problems with teaching English and advocates teachng descriptive grammar and linguistics, teaching the best use of language available, emphasizing vocabulary instruction, and selecting excellent poetry to study. (EL)

Four teachers comment on (1) the humanities as works of art, (2) ways to use multimedia programs in emphasizing the humanities, (3) the lifelong influence of one humanities course, and (4) the need to concentrate on each separate humanities discipline in teaching an interdisciplinary course. (EL)