Considers 1 student's responses to literature assigned to a 10th-grade English class in the midwest. Asks if students can be expected to "decontextualize" their personal responses to literary texts. Questions the viability of such decontextualized readings. (HB)

Describes the pros and cons of using written essay examinations. Reviews the history of the basic arguments for and against essay exams. Considers essay exams as forms of writing, in relation to portfolio assessment, and as reliable instruments of assessment. Advocates the use of timed, impromptu essay exams. (HB)

Provides a complete text of David Bartholomae's speech on the debate with compositionist Peter Elbow regarding the pros and cons of teaching either academic discourse or personal writing modes to undergraduates. (HB)

Provides a complete text of Peter Elbow's speech on the debate with compositionist David Bartholomae regarding the pros and cons of teaching either academic discourse or personal writing modes to undergraduates. (HB)

Presents a fictional tale of how one elderly and prudish English teacher was disconcerted by adolescent sexuality, to the extent that she could not cope and was forced into early retirement. (HB)

Gives advice for first-year English teachers. Recounts the difficult circumstances under which one teacher was placed in the classroom unawares. Emphasizes the importance of mentors and mentoring activities. (HB)

Describes how one teacher taught methods of research to student writers with a view to producing persuasive arguments for the public good. Advocates using social issues as a stimulus for student writing activities. (HB)

Describes how one English teacher developed an approach to teaching writing that was based on asking students to write memoirs or personal narratives. Presents an amalgam of letters written to a newspaper and to three co-authors of an article published in "The Chronicle of Higher Education" regarding the use of personal writing in freshman…

Discusses concerns about literature and composition in the English curriculum. Looks at the traditional place of literature in the curriculum since the 1960s. Discusses the increased emphasis on writing instruction and the need to include nonprint media in the curriculum. (SR)

Gives an account of how one English teacher circumvented a principal's decision against purchasing a controversial novel, S. E. Hinton's "The Outsiders." Describes a teacher's power to close the class door and read a forbidden book aloud, chapter by chapter, to the students. (HB)

Provides suggestions for studying the gay and lesbian subtexts that exist in numerous literary works often taught in high schools. Argues that teachers can benefit from discussing these issues. Shows how Tennessee Williams's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was taught in such a context. (HB)

Argues that female students, especially those in cultures expecting women to be humble and nonassertive, often need a special venue for developing their writing voices. Describes a teaching method for writing instructors that encourages females to develop their voices and audience awareness. (HB)

Presents one teacher's experience of organizing and producing a high school theatrical group specializing in performances for younger children. Describes recruitment of students, writing the script, rehearsals, performances, and student feedback. Argues that such an undertaking is English education at its best.(HB)

Reviews and critiques a recent pedagogical book entitled "Exploring Texts: The Role of Discussion and Writing in the Teaching and Learning of Literature." Considers how this book might prove useful for secondary English teachers. Provides citation and detailed analysis of the book. (HB)

Sketches the history of the literature canon and suggests that the past teaches the present. Argues that English teachers must attempt to become much more inclusive in the literature being taught in high schools. (HB)