A movement is taking place in school districts and classrooms as teachers are embracing engaged learning environments in which they are listening to the often-silenced voices of their students. This article chronicles moments from the journeys of four learners who represent a range of experiences and perspectives on re-envisioning the work done in…

"Transcendentalism" refers to philosophical, religious, and literary beliefs held by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Amos Bronson Alcott, and other writers in New England during the 1830s and 1840s. Emerson believed in the significance of one's intuition and individuality. He expresses these beliefs in his…

This reoccurring column describes innovative methods for engaging students in reading, writing, and discussing contemporary and classic literary texts written for adolescents. As this column comes to a close, rather than try to cram in a few "last minute" suggestions, the author decided he would instead let some young adult literature…

Much of the research writing done in high school and college lacks the personal and social component that is integral to student engagement. This author suggests that the research paper take the form of a national column that is authored by students, giving them authority and a sense of empowerment.

This article recounts significant moments from online interviews these authors conducted with Young Adult (YA) authors concerning the teachers who left a lasting impression on them and assisted them in finding their voice and unique writing abilities. S. E. Hinton, Walter Dean Myers, Erin Gruwell, Chris Crutcher, and other popular YA authors…

Grounded in the three-part literary concept of the narrator, the narratee, and the implied reader, this article provides teachers and students with a heuristic for -- uncovering, attending to, and critiquing assumptions about youth found in the first-person narrative form that predominates in young adult literature.

When it comes to morality in young adult (YA) literature, one often hears from parents, educators, or members of community groups who are challenging a book's moral content, yet there is not an opportunity to hear from the authors themselves. Educators see the value of YA literature in the classroom as a medium for not only academic growth but for…

Writers know writing. They have acquired knowledge that enables them to successfully practice the art and craft of writing. The authors believe that writers can provide guidance that will help teachers and students learn writer's craft. In a unique format, the authors reference more than 30 well-known writers to raise issues about composition and…

Teachers put much effort into selecting books and planning literature activities that will engage their students. On reflection, the author recognized a need to give students more freedom to choose what to read. Research shows that "when students were provided opportunities to select which text(s) they would read for a given topic or unit,…

Textbooks and grammar worksheets do not adequately convey to students how readers or listeners are shaped by the language of the writer. The best way to help students understand the emphasis of a dash or another device is to see one used during a suspenseful moment in a dramatic selection. It is up to the teacher to select dramatic works that…

Students seem to believe that novels appear whole cloth; the writer just types away, channeling the muse in the attic. Poetry is pure inspiration--one has the gift or one does not. Students need to know that writing is hard work, and that the blank page stares down every good writer, even authors whose books have won critical acclaim and graced…

While the United States is deeply involved in the Middle East, most Americans, including students, lack knowledge about the region. Yet from Afghanistan to Palestine, from Morocco to Iraq, there is a vibrant and exciting literature by living authors that can bring the diverse experiences and perspectives of this vital part of the world to classes.…

In this article, the author highlights outstanding literature written for young adults that contains LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) themes, or contains LGBTQ characters. One of the most critically hailed books with LGBTQ characters from 2007 was Perry Moore's debut novel, "Hero" (Hyperion). This book won the Lambda…

In this article, two students share their experiences and recommendations on writing. They talk about when and how has a teacher or an assignment made them feel most like a real author.

In this article, the author offers an appreciation of the writers and their books that have shaped her teaching and thinking. Her face-to-face encounters with these books prompted her to question her own beliefs about literacy, about authority, about language, about writing, about literature. She was surrounded by the living animations of the…