"Research for the Classroom" publishes mini-studies of ELA classroom practices and suggests ways in which high school and middle school English teachers may study the effectiveness of their pedagogy. The author of this mini-study notes that it takes around six minutes per day of instructional time for students to remember most of the…

Although it is possible to cite general trends about the concerns of beginning teachers, each beginner will have specific needs and questions. Clearly, mentoring matters, and mentors are especially helpful when they recognize and attend to the beginners' specific needs. Here, Erinn Bentley describes a "Wish List" she developed as a…

In the years since 2008, when the "Success with ELLs" column started, these authors have seen many changes to the educational landscape, not dealing specifically with ELLs, but having implications for their education. Probably, the most significant change has been the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which have no…

When asked by a principal to design a workshop for ELA and ESL teachers on addressing new ESL regulations, the author suggested that they offer professional development that might inspire teachers to try new practices that could help their students grow as writers. The author decided to devote a workshop not to rules and regulations, but to…

Communicating effectively is a skill that must be taught and practiced--and the act of listening is a large part of this skill. According to the "International Journal of Listening," listening skills are imperative to reading comprehension and are valuable enough for "38 out of the 51 government entities to include listening skills as part of…

This article describes an instructional lesson the author developed to help students use parody to read and write original poetry. The author begins this article with an introduction to parody and a rationale for using it as an instructional strategy. Then, he describes materials and procedures he used and he shares samples of student writing. He…

In spring of 2010, three high school teachers and their students paired with a college teacher and her advanced writing class to collaborate on oral history research and writing. While many people think of oral history as "just stories," the authors introduce it to students as a rigorous method for documenting historical events, cultural…

One of the most exciting moments for early-career teachers is seeing their classroom for the first time. When the author accepted a position at her high school alma mater, she began planning the learning environment and atmosphere that she wanted to create for students. She was dismayed when she learned that she had to move to a different room…

In this article, the author offers a user-friendly approach to semiotics that engages students in critical examination of the popular culture they are already immersed in. She defines semiotics as "the study of signs" and explains how asking students to analyze cultural objects and practices from ordinary life and popular culture can engage their…

If emerging teachers are going to be something more than technicians, they need to reflect on their instructional worldviews, the mission of schools, and their role as autonomous professionals. In this article, the author shows how three pedagogical "moves" she made as a holistic mentor helped her student teachers forge and voice…

Novice teachers often find themselves isolated; they are often assigned students with the most difficult challenges, with no mentor, and without professional learning to further develop the skills they began to acquire as student teachers. It is important to disrupt the institutionalized isolation of the novice teacher (Darling-Hammond and Sclan;…

Secondary English teachers are charged with helping all students to read, write, and understand English in its many forms and functions. However, students' language can be as diverse as the literature teachers bring to the classroom. Not all students come to the classroom with the skills to write standardized English; even fewer students come with…

The four authors of this article have each at different times over a ten-year period helped develop versions of the Online Writing Partnership between future English teachers learning to teach writing and high school students learning to write better. The authors have been striving to help future English teachers learn how to help high school…

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the first edition of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets--an excellent moment to focus on them, as well as on those written by others before and after 1609. Because these authors share an enthusiasm for poetry in general and the sonnet in particular, they want to encourage teachers to include…

After 20 years in the classroom, the author recently returned to graduate school. It wasn't by choice. It was to prove to the "powers that be" at the college where she adjuncts that she is "current" on issues of basic writing. Her master's degree, earned decades before, was insufficient. She was a reluctant student, to say the least; having taught…