Gives advice for the beginning teacher by narrating the experiences of one teacher's childhood and explaining how these experiences shaped the teacher's professional outlook. Concentrates on one of the teacher's memories of how reading Nancy Drew stories brought her back to her childhood. (HB)

Argues that students must be taught specific techniques for adapting their prose through increasing the level of language. Suggests one technique of analyzing the choices of subjects and verbs in sentences that can help students produce more intelligent and powerful writing. (HB)

Describes the techniques and strategies suggested by practicing poets for teaching poetry. Discusses specifically what teachers should not do when studying poetry with students. Advocates teaching contemporary American poets, and provides a list of some of the best. (HB)

Shows how one teacher incorporated poetry more broadly into the English curriculum. Gives 12 practical suggestions for getting students more involved in poetry. (HB)

Provides an account of how one teacher taught poetry by first focusing on what students knew about a poem and then moving to what they were surprised by and, thus, to what they did not know. Outlines how such a method was carried out in the classroom with Marge Piercy's poem, "Councils." (HB)

Describes the way one teacher connected young adult novels with poetry. Provides extensive suggestions for teachers interested in such connections. Includes a listing of possible titles to be connected. (HB)

Describes one teacher's theory of the use of argument in the English curriculum, particularly its importance in developing democratic classrooms. Defines the multiple functions of argument in society. Advocates developing argumentative skills among students, particularly in a wide variety of forms and discourses. (HB)

Describes why college English teachers should consider offering a literature elective in mystery fiction. Argues that mysteries are growing in popularity and in academic respectability. Provides methods and activities for use in courses designed around mystery literature. (HB)

Lists and describes three manuals that provide rationales for the use of frequently challenged books. Presents an index to the rationales concerning specific titles covered in the manuals. (HB)

Presents an annotated bibliography of 17 texts and sources (published 1980 and 1992) which can provide a basic foundation in the field of media studies for language arts teachers with a limited background in the field. (HB)

Argues for the use of film in the teaching of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" because the play was meant to be seen and heard and not just read. Outlines a method of teaching the play by which students select a scene and perform it. Gives an example of a successful student performance. (HB)

Argues for the consideration of food and gastronomy in the teaching of English in high schools. Provides methods of teaching writing in conjunction with student response to eating. (HB)

Examines four factors contributing to the polarization in the current debates concerning the literary canon. Investigates how two groups of teachers approach the study of literature not as an impasse but as a dialectical interchange. Argues that the four factors informing canon debates need not be resolved. (HB)

Presents methods and strategies for using gay literature in the English classroom, focusing on the experience of using Harvey Fierstein's play, "Torch Song Trilogy." Provides details about how the text was introduced and used in the classroom. (HB)

Describes the healthy discussions currently being undertaken concerning the teaching of grammar by English teachers. Argues for a variety of effective ways of teaching grammar. Gives attention to psycholinguistic models of grammar. (HB)