Describes how one teacher continued to teach after becoming pregnant, even though this was against school policy. Reminds teachers that Henry Thoreau claimed it is moral to disobey an immoral law. (HB)

Describes the methods by which one teacher breaks the rules in the writing classroom. Claims that bending procedures often makes students more likely to reason for themselves, find their own voices, and respond as thinkers and creators. (HB)

Describes how the writing lives of professional authors can provide excellent models of writing for both teachers and students. Shows how different writers use very different processes in producing their texts. Considers how writers choose topics for writing and how they utilize childhood and teenage memories. (HB)

Introduces an interchange that considers the increasing use of the authorial "I" in scholarly writing. Provides a "give and take" critique of an article on the topic by James Raymond published in a previous issue of the same journal. Presents Raymond's response. (HB)

Describes how English teachers can utilize the concepts and techniques of "interpreters theatre," or theater of the mind, to help students become more engaged in literary texts. Explains basic procedures of this technique and gives sample scripts from actual classroom usage. (HB)

Presents various ways to use quotations in the classroom to stimulate student thinking and introduce new curriculum topics. Suggests that students can construct posters or journals of their favorite quotations, or even create their own proverbial phrases and generalizations. (MDM)

Describes the problem readers have in spending quality time in works of literature. Advocates trying to "dwell" in literature, rather than simply "touring" it. Shows how spending time in texts enhances an understanding and appreciation of the work. (HB)

Describes how teachers might invite their students to become more creative and riskier in their own poetry by examining cartoons in Gary Larsen's series, "The Far Side." Claims that the finished products were often authentic and daring. Includes eight examples of students' poems. (HB)

Responds to the Pacesetter English program by nominating it for the 1995 National Council of Teachers of English's "Doublespeak" Award. Criticizes the Pacesetter program as faulty and a "mind-numbing manipulation of teachers, texts, and students." (HB)

Gives an overview of how curriculum design might best be undertaken. Provides unconventional suggestions for developing curriculum. (HB)

Gives suggestions for fostering critical thinking skills among English students. Summarizes the views and theories of several educators, all of whom participated in a critical thinking conference in Boston in the summer of 1994. (HB)

Discusses the career and achievement of the British writer Matthew Arnold. Focuses on Arnold's status as a symbol of conservatism in the current culture wars. Argues for a recuperation of a true representation of Arnold's achievement. Illustrates the dangers of misrepresenting major literary figures invoked in cultural disputes. (HB)

Discusses a fundamental desire of many literature teachers: "teaching out," meaning the hope of imparting to students the fact that words and forms and images have a peculiar power to explain and move. Describes a variety of possible ways by which English teachers might succeed at "teaching out," including community education…

Introduces the topic of student-centered pedagogy as it relates to the college composition classroom. Describes current theories of how to adapt collaborative learning models to the classroom. (HB)

Analyzes in some detail a number of censorship cases affected by the 1988 United States Supreme Court case, Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. Considers how principals have been affected by the ruling in their relation to the issue of censorship. Presents ideas about how administrators should deal with the issue. (HB)