In this article, the English teacher educator authors explore the parallel journeys of their students and themselves that resulted from asking preservice teachers in their methods courses to participate in an assignment specifically crafted to examine the instructors' practice to cultivate reflection on the students' future practices. The authors…

As teachers of writing, the authors know that choices matter: the more choices they can give their students, the better their writing will be--and the better writers they'll become. Many teachers design their courses as writing workshops, so that students make choices about the genres they compose in. They structure writing assignments so that…

Structured opportunities for reflective writing allow students to polish their writings and to reflect actively on their written creations, while encouraging clearer and more honest writing products. In addition, the use of reflective writing can transform students as they begin to incorporate metacognition, or thinking about their thinking, into…

As an educator, the author learned that her job was not simply to teach the fundamental concepts of literature and writing, but also to teach students the fundamentals of conversation and collaboration. In this article, the author shares her experience in using traditional, teacher-centered methods to inspire spirited conversations among students…