Suggests that by studying and writing dime novels, students can develop their understanding of literary history and gain skill in working with such literary concepts as theme, plot, setting, and characterization. (MM)

A teacher discovers that the practice of collecting samples of her students' compositions motivates their writing and yields other instructional assets. (RD)

Suggestions on how to make English classes a positive part of the tragic experience of students reacting to the death of a classmate. (RL)

Contains nine excerpts from articles submitted to "English Journal" by veteran teachers. Offers practical tips and stories. Gives advice and encouragement to veteran teachers. (TB)

Reports on a study of seven experienced secondary school writing teachers in Victoria, Australia. Focuses on how their own writing or lack of writing affects their teaching practices and effectiveness. Finds that the issue of becoming an effective writing teacher is more complex than the seemingly straightforward prescription that writing teachers…

Provides comments from five teachers in response to an article in the same issue of "English Journal" concerning a teacher's handling of a rebellious high school student. (MG)

Suggests that one way for English teachers to have students explore relationships between literature and science is to have them read and write about fiction with scientific themes. Outlines units that create chances for students to bring together the literary arts and the sciences into one classroom. (MG)

Argues for three levels of solutions to today's problems with violence in the schools: (1) crisis management, including surveillance and close supervision; (2) mediation, through which third parties referee disputes; and (3) the English curriculum, which cultivates many different ways of questioning, valuing, seeing. (TB)

Reports on a research project for which an American literature high school class was observed every day for a semester. Presents a framework for understanding teacher responses to student writing, consisting of five orientations toward that writing: interpretive, social, cognitive/emotive, evaluative, and pedagogical. (TB)

Describes a research paper project for high school students that requires them to incorporate source information into a conversational letter. Builds topic around an imaginary class reunion aboard an ocean liner. Notes that the students internalize the assignment, find a practical reason for using reference books, and actually enjoy the research.…

Describes a writing assignment in which students collected oral histories from Vietnam veterans in their community, edited the transcripts of their interviews, prepared manuscripts for a booklet of ten interviews, and composed cover letters for the final product. Notes positive effects of both the revision work and the primary research. (JG)

Looks at the experience of a "Foreign Expert," assigned to teach English composition and literature in China. Explores the "meanings" of reading and writing following a tradition of Chinese scholarship that holds to the belief that language is meaning. (JK)