The 2012-2013 school year represents a pivotal juncture for DC Public Schools. Last spring, Mayor Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson introduced "A Capital Commitment," their ambitious plan to dramatically accelerate student achievement in the district over the next five years by providing all of their students with a safe, academically…

The 2012-2013 school year represents a pivotal juncture for DC Public Schools. Last spring, Mayor Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson introduced "A Capital Commitment," their ambitious plan to dramatically accelerate student achievement in the district over the next five years by providing all of their students with a safe, academically…

Addresses three concerns regarding beginning secondary English teachers: the shock of entering the real world of public schools; specific ways that postsecondary English departments can ease that transition; and weaknesses the new teachers often bring with them. (RS)

Presents a provisional framework for the STELLA (Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia), which identifies broad dimensions of teaching together with groupings of related attributes derived from teachers' narratives. (RS)

Describes attempts to invite new teachers to explore, extend, and even transform their beliefs about multicultural education in the context of language arts and literacy. Shares examples of activities completed by two groups of beginning teachers. (RS)

Discusses the "Teaching Ideas" column in "English Journal" in terms of the way these articles work and how they might be re-envisioned. Claims the importance of the particular teaching situation must be emphasized to give a better understanding of the diversity, individuality, and attention to context that teaching English…

Explores the issue of generic versus subject-specific standards in terms of their role in teachers' professional development. Suggests generic and subject-specific standards share a symbiotic relationship. Outlines a basis for a "third wave": some teachers may find at a particular stage in their career that generic standards are more…

Considers that how educators see themselves as teachers of English depends on many things: culture, gender, and experiences. Notes that the metaphors constructed to describe their teaching lives arise from the teachers they have known, from their knowledge of pedagogy, and from their relationships to literature, language, and writing. (SG)

Discusses the author's reactions to a questionnaire about assumptions and practices that define "English education." Lists the author's preferred texts, important figures, and ideas for college courses. Defines English education as an applied area of study that draws together knowledge and techniques, theory and content from areas such as…

Explores the professional and intellectual tensions in teaching English in recent times, focusing on Victoria, Australia. Argues that in the past few years all English teachers have been obliged to resist pressures toward reductive versions of literacy. Illustrates some specific literacy practices in secondary English classrooms which seek to…

Addresses what standards for English teachers should be and how they should work. Questions the value of the standards movement as it is playing out in the United States, especially as a vehicle for school reform. Suggests ways of positioning standards within a different rhetoric. (RS)

Examines broad issues in creating standards for Australian English teachers by exploring the relevance of the Early Adolescent/English Language Arts (EA/ELA) Standards to the situation in Australia. Outlines methodology and presents findings from a study of 15 exemplary classroom teachers who considered the transferability of the United States…

Reports what experienced English teachers believed were the shared characteristics of the reluctant writers they had encountered. Suggests some strategies that may help engage reluctant writers. Shows that reluctant writers have a variety of beliefs about writing and themselves as writers. Suggests that stronger and more direct interventions…

Presents the question, posed by two future English teachers, of how they can continue to cherish the learning process as well as their excitement and passion for English teaching as they enter the profession. Presents a response by a veteran English teacher. (SR)

Looks at what has been happening to the notion of being a "good" English teacher during a period when increasingly this has become a political and professional issue in England. Outlines the pattern of change for English teachers in England, including positive and negative outcomes of the last few years. Indicates what might be learned…