When asked by a principal to design a workshop for ELA and ESL teachers on addressing new ESL regulations, the author suggested that they offer professional development that might inspire teachers to try new practices that could help their students grow as writers. The author decided to devote a workshop not to rules and regulations, but to…

In this article, the author shares her experience and the lessons learned in teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for a decade. After thousands of lessons, uncountable revisions to those lessons, numerous hours of professional development, access to dozens of talented colleagues, and an abundance of thoughts and insights from…

The idea of joining a conversation through reading and writing is not new; in his 1941 book "The Philosophy of Literary Form: Studies in Symbolic Action," Kenneth Burke suggests that the acts of reading and writing are like entering a parlor where others are already conversing. The author explores the place of professional debate within NCTE and…

The Conference on English Education (CEE) Executive Board authorizes the creation of commissions that focus on a particular area of interest of discussion and action for the field. Commissions meet at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention to plan and promote their activities aligned with English language arts teacher…

Presents high school teachers' recommendations for books about the history and use of the English language. (MM)

The idea for a professional development book group emerged from the authors ongoing conversations with colleagues about how teachers can gain the understanding necessary not only to foster and support gender variant and transgender students, but also incorporate these experiences into their curriculum in a meaningful way. In this article, the…

Describes a teacher's experiences during a sabbatical year in Germany. Reports that, after being a student for a year, the teacher felt a new bond with her students. Notes that learning a new language gave the teacher a new understanding of what learning involves. (RS)

Illustrates ways in which becoming a reader of young adult literature enriched the author's life by making her a better teacher, allowing more connections to students, increasing student involvement, broadening her view of literature in general, connecting her with a rich network of professionals, and putting her back in touch with a part of…