There is a seductive "commonsense" logic to two opinion pieces that have appeared over the last two years in the "Speaking My Mind" section of "English Journal": (1) Byung-In Seo's "Defending the Five-Paragraph Essay," which appeared in the November 2007 issue; and (2) Kerri Smith's "In Defense of the Five-Paragraph Essay," which appeared in March…

Describes an informal experiment designed to explore the relationship between drawing and writing, and the meaning held in the drawings. Finds that drawing should not be relegated only to small children, but should be used to help older students explore their thoughts and feelings as well. (PRA)

Discusses the composing processes of speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL), and suggests teaching strategies to be used with ESL writers. (MM)

Suggests that through commenting on their own papers, students gradually develop a sense of an imagined external audience and of themselves as writer and audience. (MM)

A review of the writings of a former "English Journal" editor shows a maturing growth in his conception of the composing process and reveals him to be the percursor of many present composition practices. (Author)

Outlines research done by teachers on writing apprehension and concludes that teachers are natural researchers because they continually pose questions about the nature of their students and the effectiveness of their teaching. (SRT)

Suggests that educators fundamentally change the way they teach grammar. Offers the author's experience with some curious success with students taking on grammar as part of their writing process, and gives some ideas about starting the teaching of grammar in a radically different place and as a radical agent. Speaks against using student writing…

Argues that educators need to be familiar with US educational history in order to distinguish between what is merely recent and what is genuinely new in English instruction. (MM)

Describes a fiction writing workshop with Sir Angus Wilson, an inspiring teacher and author, who showed other teachers how to shift class attention from product to process to person. (MM)

Talks about how the author came to be a feminist and a writer. Discusses the domestic settings within which she grew up, her writing processes, how her interests and concerns influence her writing, why she chooses to give women priority in her writing world, and the importance of bearing witness to the world with one's own story. (SR)

Examines materials available from ERIC that are designed to familiarize teachers with computer software. (MM)

Assesses students' responses to and production of story conventions in detective or mystery stories and explores students' responses to literature as potential connections between comprehending and composing text. (MM)

Describes interactive computer software programs that develop prewriting, word processing, and revising skills. (MM)