A few years ago the author conducted a survey of a representative cross-section of a junior class to gather information about how students define success. The responses were categorized by gender and academic level and it was found found that every group defined success primarily as getting the grades necessary for admission to college. The…

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…

This article discusses how reading for their own purposes affected struggling teens. It shares the authors' story, which demonstrates the importance and power of focusing on students' purposes, as highlighted in Standard 12, a standard not often addressed or assessed, but one that matters to students and teachers alike. The authors describe how a…

Emphasizing the deficiencies of standardized assessments in measuring what counts for learners, the author highlights the complexity of assessment as well as the significance of the teacher-student relationship in learning.

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…

After teaching in rural North Carolina for about six years, the author was on the verge of giving up on teaching Shakespeare to her students. Although they seemed to enjoy the action and the drama of Shakespeare's plays, the lack of connection between the students and the language and culture of the plays interfered with her ability to generate a…

Novice teachers often find themselves isolated; they are often assigned students with the most difficult challenges, with no mentor, and without professional learning to further develop the skills they began to acquire as student teachers. It is important to disrupt the institutionalized isolation of the novice teacher (Darling-Hammond and Sclan;…

Keeping literature classrooms vibrant, energized, and current can require supreme pedagogical effort, especially in light of students' sometimes pointed disinterest in traditional and/or canonical texts. Integrating local authors into a standard curriculum can be an effective strategy for invigorating students' interest in literature and helping…

In a one-week voluntary summer course, students aged twelve to seventeen eagerly take ownership of their composing processes, learning to connect terms such as focus and point of view to the visual and verbal acts of photography and writing. High school teacher Mike Stracco grapples with how to channel the vitality of his summer course into…

Provides a curriculum unit using the novel "Fahrenheit 451" to provide student-centered activities based on solid pedagogical methodology. Emphasizes value-centered analysis of the novel, comparison of alternative arguments, and integration of cooperative learning activities. (PRA)

Offers a classroom lab approach for motivating students to read and for helping them to achieve higher levels of reading skill and enjoyment. (PRA)

The teacher's task is to plan for alternatives. (JH)

Contains a bibliography of reference books and a checklist of suggestions that focus on professional growth and on the creation of a more student-centered approach to the teaching of English in the 80s. (DD)

Describes the projects (an encounter session, drama, and a student-developed film) planned by a class in a course on mythology. (MM)