Standard histories of NCTE attribute the organization's beginnings in 1911 to rebellious teachers who opposed college entrance requirements imposed upon them by elite colleges and universities. This narrative offers an appealing account of NCTE's history. In this article, however, the author pursues a different line of historical inquiry by…

In scouring the earliest editions of "English Journal," one of the most fascinating details one uncovers is that the issues facing Shakespeare teachers today are similar to those issues that faced Shakespeare teachers 100 years ago. The earliest contributors to "English Journal" were far more in line with contemporary educational scholars than one…

In this article, the author reflects on on his role in preparing English teachers. Leading into his twelfth year concerned with the art and science of teaching English, he wondered what exactly he could say or do to help them stick their toes in some uncertain waters. What could he say of an educational context bent on holding people--different by…

The daily demands of teaching leave little time for English teachers to contemplate the history of the profession. However, as they celebrate the centennial anniversaries of both the founding of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 1911 and the first publication of "English Journal" in 1912, they are presented with a prime…

In this article, the authors look at James Moffett's influence on "English Journal". With the 1968 publication of his companion volumes--"Teaching the Universe of Discourse," which provided the theoretical underpinnings of his practice-oriented, and "A Student-Centered Language Arts Curriculum"--James Moffett (1929-96) became a major influence on…

The author began teaching in 1959, so he has been in the profession for half of the National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE) first 100 years. In this article, the author details the work of NCTE in his lifetime and forecasts needs for the second century. For the author, NCTE means: celebration of successes and collegiality; conversations…

Entering into a century of conversations from "English Journal," the authors read, and reread, the words of many mentors, colleagues, and friends, discovering some voices they did not know and rediscovering many voices they did. In surveying "English Journal", the authors highlight voices from the past, of the present, and for the future to offer…

The past 100 years of "English Journal" have positioned students and teachers in a variety of ways. As the authors embarked on exploring issues in the constructions of students in "EJ", they found that some concerns that teachers raised about English and English education resonated in their own classrooms and experiences as students and teachers.…

Learning its history has been one of the great pleasures of working on the centennial of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), a project the author began in 2003 that is now almost finished. This centennial, of course, is not the only time NCTE has looked backwards to its history. A case in point is the 1960 golden anniversary,…

Those who are involved in the current Common Core Standards should buckle up for a rocky ride. Some of the same issues that churned within the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) during the standards movement of the 1990s (1989-1997) are here once again. The author's buckle is pulled tight, having already had his standards report…

Reviews the general classes of biographies written about Shakespeare and suggests that no simple connection between his work and his life can be drawn. (MM)