Louise Rosenblatt's transactional theory of reader response has been widely accepted as a means of resisting the hegemony of New Criticism. This article argues that Rosenblatt and the New Critics were pioneers of parallel, rather than opposing, pedagogical traditions, shaped by the shared influence of I. A. Richards and John Dewey. The article…

In this article, we describe the promise of professional development for teachers by considering the following questions: (1) What do teachers who work in urban public schools see as the intended purposes of professional development, and what do they identify as their needs? (2) Can a move from professional development as absent of what teachers…

This article explores Foucault's counterintuitive views on intellectuals and activism through conceptual arguments, teacher inquiry, and qualitative data to create space to consider alternative approaches to political action in teacher education. After contrasting CEE's political action agenda with Foucault's critical project, I outline my early…

Within the field of writing teacher education, scholars and practitioners agree that effective writing instructors (at both the P--12 and postsecondary levels) are not simply cognizant of composition pedagogies, rhetorical theories, and their students' unique learning needs. Effective writing instructors also regularly…

This article explores one element of collaborative practice: the integration of English language learner-focused instruction and discussion in a secondary English methods course. Drawing on the authors' expertise, they examine revisions made to a secondary English methods course to better address the academic and individual needs of diverse…

In "Letters to a Young Teacher," Jonathan Kozol (2007) describes the need for teachers to "speak out as witnesses to the injustices they see each day in public schools" (p. 93). Sometimes beginning teachers need help learning to see injustices, as well as in making sense of the sociopolitical systems of which schooling is a part. Or, as in the…

For the "Extending the Conversation" section in this issue, the authors invited English educators from the United States and abroad to reflect on the state of English education in their countries. All five contributors have interacted through their participation in the NCTE Annual Convention, the CEE summer summits, the International…

Teacher-written editorial columns in local newspapers can challenge the broad, simplistic conceptions of the profession that have been encouraged by contemporary politics and that obscure the real work of teachers. The publication of such columns written by a diverse group of teachers in the West Texas Writing Project has proved an important tool…

The history between Cheektowaga Central and the University at Buffalo illustrates the benefits of forming long-term collaborative relationships between teacher education programs and local schools. In 1998, the author was approached by Suzanne Miller regarding the possibility of Meg Callahan, then a doctoral student at the University at Buffalo,…

Valerie Kinloch describes how the literacy narratives around place-making by Phillip, an African American teenager who resides in this historic community, demonstrate complexities of confronting power, struggle, and identity within an out-of-school community that is rapidly becoming gentrified. (Contains 3 notes.)

Reports on a survey of 52 teacher education programs to determine how English and language arts teachers are being prepared. Notes what teacher educators rank as the top requirements in knowledge, abilities, and attitudes of teachers, as well as the status of the general English teacher education program. (RL)

High school English Department chairmen should be put in charge of English teacher preservice training. (JH)

Lists and discusses over twenty instructional films useful in college teacher preparation courses and Inservice teacher education. (RB)

This article examines how secondary English teachers serving as preservice mentors developed pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of literature discussions by participating in a cross-institutional teacher educator network. The joint creation of dialogic space in the English Educators' Network provided a context where mentor teachers expanded their…

Reports on the responses to questionnaires sent to instructors of both the general secondary level methods course and the more specific English methods course in an attempt to identify possible overlap between the two courses. (HOD)