Describes one teacher's habit of bending the rules with relation to issues of English curriculum and testing. Describes teaching as being often a subversive activity. (HB)

Explains how an English teacher settled into an unproductive, formulaic approach to teaching writing and how he reformed himself and his teaching through a discovery of the processes involved in writing. Describes exercises and notebooks that furthered his new "process" approach to teaching writing. (TB)

Describe the experiences of a writing teacher as she completed a biography-writing assignment along with her students. Notes that teachers can gain insights into (and an understanding of writing they assign) by doing the assignments along with their students. Notes that many students, even reluctant writers, produced memorable biographies of…

As teaching argumentative and persuasive writing returns to the classroom, so does the question of how to do so effectively. Process writing reforms over the past 30 years have sought to change the ways writing is taught from drill and practice in grammar exercises to a focus more on continuous writing and revision. Arguing from an ecological…

Notes that students often distrust the discussion method of instruction. Outlines three strategies along with examples designed to empower, engage, and instruct students utilizing the discussion method including the dramatic moment; validation of student expression; and integration of reading, writing, and talking. (MJP)

Recommends the use of student-written sociological short stories as an alternative to traditional term papers. Describes how students choose a topic and use sociological theories and research to outline a plot, characters, dialogue, and settings. Includes excerpts from student stories and recommendations on student evaluation. (CFR)

Maintains that California teachers are now responsible for preparing students for the new California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) test. Discusses the multiple choice, written response, primary source, and essay writing sections of the test. Provides suggestions for scoring essays and having students evaluate each other's writing. (CFR)