Every year the author and his colleagues take their grade 12 English students to see four plays at one of Canada's major theaters. Chatting about the series on the last day of class, his students asked him if he had seen "the blue glow from the back row." Laughing at his bewilderment, they told him that during the performances so many…

Describes a twelfth grade English course designed to meet the needs of students entering the community after high school. (DD)

Describes a group writing assignment in which high school seniors voice their most common concerns in an open letter to their parents. (KEH)

Details a twelfth grade English class which looked at literature, films, and their connections. Notes how the class eventually broke down the distinction between serious texts available to study in school and the popular texts found outside of school. Concludes that this process of reading and remembering a group of heterogeneous texts provides a…

Describes how the "Iliad" can be taught effectively as a soap opera. (MM)

Concludes that high school teachers are performing the task of teaching composition satisfactorily. (RB)

Describes one high school English teacher's experiment with assigning stories instead of analytical essays. Argues for retelling and storytelling as a valuable resource in the high school curriculum. (RAE)

Describes a successful paper exchange program between eighth-grade students and high school seniors. States that the peer evaluations created audience awareness and motivated students' writing efforts. (MM)

Presents a model for working with students at risk, helping them develop critical thinking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Includes cooperation of the local community relations officer for the police department. (RAE)