A high school teacher describes her transformed approach to teaching writing and offers specific assignments that help students think outside their five-paragraph-essay box. She changed the way she taught the eight-standard students after she found that they had mastered their five-graph essay formula but had lost their voice and style of writing.

Two secondary classroom teachers and teacher educators in the English education program share their beliefs about and experiences with teaching writing. They discuss the importance of writing with a sense of purpose, of keeping one's audience in mind and of considering the role of the teachers to get the students fired up.

High school teacher Susan Arpajian Jolley emphasizes experience and understanding by using the related novels "Wide Sargasso Sea" and "Jane Eyre" to help her students travel into unfamiliar cultural territory. "Wide Sargasso Sea" relates to Caribbean history and culture, feminism, race relations, colonialism, and…

The ways in which the teachers take the rejection of their favorite work of literature personally are mentioned. A high school teacher relates what happened when she taught the novel she credits with turning her into an English teacher.

Describes the results of a secondary school English teacher's decision to apply for the National Endowment's summer seminars, from reassessment of her own academic history to joining with other teachers in an intensely intellectual experience. (MM)

Presents arguments for and against a policy requiring all English teachers to "publish or perish." (RL)

A participant in the Oklahoma Writing Project shares ideas about writing instruction. (RL)

Offers brief descriptions from seven secondary school teachers describing a workshop or inservice activity that has been particularly valuable for their teaching, including a Shakespeare seminar, a Socratic teaching seminar, English-as-a-second language courses, a new teacher induction program, a program on the "Brody paragraph" method, and the…

A high school teacher transformed her classroom environment by creating space to learn with the students in a research project. The inquiry-based learning engaged the students' attention by showing how pertinent it is to their lives, increasing their confidence, critical thinking and also changed the way the students saw themselves.

Various studies revealed the ineffectiveness of direct grammar instruction to produce better writers. However, a high school teacher finds that explaining grammar rules provides students with tools for building complex thoughts and expressing themselves more elaborately.

Having been raised by liberal parents who had emphasized friendship and respect between people of all races, the author had often felt the desire to be a part of the continuing movement toward true equality. She viewed education as the key to reaching socioeconomic and political freedom, and she wanted to be a part of promoting that ultimate tool…

Through sharing critical episodes, the author reminds people of the importance of relationships and personal reflection in the development of teachers. The important early lessons from Mrs. Hanks, Charles, Dusty, and Twyla are the ones that have influenced the author the most, the ones that have inspired her to work at being a better teacher, the…

A veteran teacher with over 35 years experience, the author reflects on the events of September 11, 2001, and how the events of that day demonstrated that teachers fulfill many shifting roles in their students' lives. Here, he shares his own feelings of profound sadness for all the victims on that day, and discusses how the roles of teachers often…

Responds to seven objections English teachers make when they consider the serious study of television in their classrooms. (DD)

Calls for more caring public school teachers with expertise in their fields, increased parent involvement, and stronger emphasis on moral and ethical responsibilities. (DD)