ENGL 4417/5417: Teaching English in High Schools

East Tennessee State University

Dr. Phyllis Thompson

 

                                                                

Office: 213 Burleson Hall                                                                                                                   

Office Hours:  TR 9:45-11:15, 3:30-4:30, F 11-12noon, & by appointment                       

TEL: 439.5997; E: thompsop@etsu.edu

 

 

Course Description:

English 4417/4517: Teaching English in High Schools presents methods of teaching secondary English.  Its aim is to provide experiences leading to the creation of a dynamic classroom for effective teaching through focusing on issues in the field as well as current theories about the teaching of writing, literature, and language.  This course is geared toward individuals interested in becoming secondary English teachers.  As we investigate the practical and the theoretical issues related to English Language Arts pedagogy, we will practice the different activities that teachers can do in secondary classes and, and very importantly, interrogate why those activities are of value and how they help students learn.  In fact, metacognition, i.e., thinking about how we think, is an integral and crucial component of this class.  We will analyze the thinking that teenage learners perform as well as our own processes of cognition.  We will consider issues related to contemporary English Language Arts instruction. What are the content standards and how do they relate to good teaching?  How can we help students improve their reading comprehension?  How can we inspire students to become lifelong lovers of literature and reading?  How can we help students become better writers?  How do we scaffold in order to maximize student learning?  How do we become skilled and effective writers of curriculum?  These are some of the questions we will address during the semester.  This class provides an opportunity to begin making the transition from student to teacher.  By the end of the course, you should be able to articulate your ideas about what an effective teacher is and what an effective teacher does; you should also be able to articulate who you are as a teacher in a formal statement of teaching philosophy.  English 4417/5417 is an Oral Intensive designated course.

 

Required Texts:

 

Burke, Jim.  Teacher's Essential Guide Series: Classroom Management  Scholastic Teaching Resources (Theory an (January 1, 2008) ISBN-10: 043993446X, ISBN-13: 978-0439934466

Carter, James Bucky.  Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels: Page by Page, Panel by Panel.  National Council of Teachers of English (April 3, 2007) ISBN-10: 0814103928, ISBN-13: 978-0814103920

Golden, John.  Reading in the Dark: Using Film as a Tool in the English Classroom. National Council of Teachers of English (September 2001) ISBN-10: 0814138721, ISBN-13: 978-0814138724

Golub, Jeffrey.  Activities for an Interactive Classroom.   National Council of Teachers of English (August 1994) ISBN-10: 0814100465, ISBN-13: 978-0814100462

Jago, Carol.  Papers Papers Papers Heinemann (July 27, 2005)  ISBN-10: 0325008280, ISBN-13: 978-0325008288

Somers, Albert B.  Teaching Poetry in High School  National Council of Teachers of English (August 1999)  ISBN-10: 0814152899, ISBN-13: 978-0814152898.

Tovani, Cris. I Read It, But I Don’t Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers.  Stenhouse Publishers (October 2000) ISBN-10: 157110089X, ISBN-13: 978-1571100894

Novel of your choice and 10 poems of your choice.

 

Learning Objectives:

 

Candidates will identify content standards and explain how they relate to effective teaching.

 

Candidates will implement Mississippi Standards, Competencies, and Objectives for the English Language Arts.

 

Candidates will articulate an informed perspective on issues of professional concern.

 

Candidates will expand their exposure to literature, which crosses lines of culture, race, ethnicity, religion, class, sexual orientation, age, gender, and genre, and investigate resources to identify authors, teaching tools, and current scholarship.

 

Candidates will understand the diversity of student learner types and the relevance of cultural influences to learning styles.

 

Candidates will research for and respond critically to primary and secondary source materials.

 

Candidates will learn about and practice strategies that involve adolescents in reading, comprehending, and responding to literature.

Candidates will learn about and practice strategies that involve adolescents in writing as process.

 

Candidates will design an effective literature lesson (with assessment instrument), which draws on a range of enrichment materials that will engage students in active and authentic learning.

 

Candidates will design an effective writing lesson (with assessment instrument), which draws on a range of enrichment materials that will engage students in active and authentic learning.

 

Candidates will create a learning environment that is sensitive to the needs of different learner types and fosters respect for individual differences along lines of race, religion, ethnicity, culture, gender, and sexual orientation.

 

Candidates will use technology to enhance instruction.

 

Candidates will define education and develop a personal philosophy for teaching literature.

 

Candidates will identify philosophical beliefs that underscore pedagogical practices.

 

Candidates will test their assumptions and skills about teaching through teaching a mini lesson and/or a full lesson and reflect in writing on the strengths and weaknesses as well as validity/lack of validity and effectiveness/ineffectiveness of those assumptions and those skills.

 

Candidates will reflect on the effectiveness of their individual lesson plans and overall unit plans (taking into consideration issues including, but not limited to, assessment and evaluation, diversity, student learner types, and classroom management) and make suggestions about ways in which lessons and/or units could be improved.

 

Course Requirements:

Introductions                                                                 5%

The Art of Listening                                                      5%

Statement of Teaching Philosophy                         10%

Teaching Strategies that Work                                 10%

Mini-Lesson                                                                 10%

Teaching Demonstration                                           20%

        Lesson Plan

        Teaching

        Reflection

Unit Plan                                                                       40%

        Rationale

        Course Syllabus

        Schedule

        Daily Plans (poem, novel, film or graphic novel, writing, technology)

        Associated Handouts

        Assessments with Rubrics

        Book Set                               

 

Grading Scale:           

A- - A (3.75-4.00) = 93-100

B- - B+ (2.75-3.74) = 85-92

C- - C+ (1.75-2.74) = 75-84

D- - D+ (0.75-1.74) = 65-74

F (Below .75) = 00-64

 

Breakdown of Grading Scale:

A     96-100

A-    93-95

B+   91-92

        B     87-90

        B-    85-86

        C+   82-84

        C     78-81

        C-    75-77

        D+   72-74

        D     68-71

        D-    65-67

        F      64 and below

 

 

THE POLICY PAGE: EXECTATIONS, ADVICE, & GENERAL ACADEMIC ETIQUETTE

 

Please Note: I encourage you to open yourself to new ideas, read all materials assigned for this course, and participate actively in class discussions; however, some texts may contain potentially offensive language, images, and/or ideas.  If, at any time, you become uncomfortable and feel you need to excuse yourself, you may do so. 

 

Attendance: My attendance policy is simple: you have two absences, which you may take at any time; however, for each absence over the second one, your daily grade (short writings) will be dropped one letter grade.  If you are tardy, please note that it is your responsibility to see that I have marked you present for that class period.  Do this immediately after the class period.  I will not make corrections to my roster after I leave the classroom. If tardiness becomes habitual, I reserve the right to refuse changing my roster.  Bear in mind that class attendance affects the quality of one’s work in a course and, ultimately, the quality of one’s college degree.  The English Department does not distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absences and, therefore, has established a maximum allowable number of absences: no more than six absences on MW and TR schedule.  Students exceeding this limit will receive an F or a W if within the University policy on dropping a course.

 

Project Guidelines: Unless otherwise noted, all assignments (homework and essays) should be computer-printed, titled, paginated, and stapled/paper clipped.  The font should be Arial, Courier, or Times New Roman, 10 or 12-point; text should be double-spaced.  Final drafts should be proofread thoroughly.  Projects are due at the beginning of class on the designated date unless otherwise stipulated.  Printer problems and other technical difficulties are not acceptable excuses for failure to hand in a paper on time. To avoid such common problems, print out and proofread the final draft of your paper well before the time the paper is due. Absence on the day a paper is due is not an acceptable excuse; however, if you have a legitimate reason for being unable to turn in a paper on the due date, please raise your concerns in advance of that date.  I will consider making accommodations for students whose requests come in a week prior to a scheduled deadline.  After that time, the deadline is not negotiable.  Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and proper MLA documentation all count.  I will provide handouts on the specific requirements of each assignment during class.

 

Late Work: If you must be absent from class, please obtain class notes/assignments from another student before the next class.  Absence is not an excuse for late work.  Late homework (i.e., short writing assignments, discussion starters, and reflection cards) is not accepted for a grade.  If you must be absent and want credit for your homework, be sure that I have the actual assignment in my hands before class begins.  I will accept homework directly from you, via e-submission, or delivered by a friend as long as I have it in my hands before the class period begins.  In-class graded assignments, workshops, and group work cannot be made up.  If you are absent, you will receive a 0 for those assignments.  Major projects (teaching demonstrations, annotated bibliographies, and field guides) will be taken up at the beginning of the class period on which they are due.  Projects that come in after that time will be considered late and docked one letter grade per class day. 

 

Plagiarism: Plagiarism will not be tolerated and its consequences are serious.  Proven willful plagiarism will result in failure in the course and may include dismissal from the university.  The MLA Handbook defines plagiarism as repeating “as your own someone else's sentences, more or less verbatim. . . .  Other forms of plagiarism include repeating someone else's particularly apt phrase without appropriate acknowledgment, paraphrasing another person's argument as your own, and presenting another's line of thinking . . . as though it were your own” (MLA Handbook 597-600).  We will discuss plagiarism during class.  If you have additional questions, please see me, refer to your Harbrace Handbook (597-600), The MLA Handbook, and/or consult with the WCC. If you use someone else’s ideas, be sure to cite your sources accurately and distinguish his or her thoughts from your own. If you use someone else’s words, be sure to place them in quotation marks and cite your sources. See the most recent edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers for guidance on citing sources and other technical matters.

 

Office of Disability Services: East Tennessee State University recognizes its responsibility for creating an institutional climate in which students with disabilities can thrive. If you have a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I would urge you to contact the Office of Disability Services at 439-8346 or stop by their offices at the Culp Center (Suite A, Lower Level) as soon as possible to discuss your particular needs. The staff will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. This will ensure that you are properly registered for services.  All information and documentation of disability is confidential. The information in this syllabus is available in alternative forms upon request.

 

Writing Center: ETSU's Writing and Communication Center (WCC) is available to assist students who would like additional help with their writing.  The tutors in the WCC operate on a first-come, first-served basis and offer one-to-one consultations about written work at every stage of the writing process.  The Writing and Communication Center is located in 409 Warf-Pickle.  The phone number is 439.8202. 

 

Conferencing: Working directly with me is an important part of this course.  I encourage you to drop by to discuss your ideas, your reading, your writing, or even the day's weather.  My door is open.

 

Professional Classroom Etiquette:

1.     Arrive on time and prepared for class.  Punctuality will be your obligation as a teacher, begin preparing for this professional responsibility now.  We all know that when students are tardy, the class discussion is disrupted.  Tardiness is also detrimental to your success as a student since you miss the opening moments of the class experience, announcements, changes to the syllabus, distribution of handouts, etc.

2.     Please do not leave class early unless we have discussed this in advance of the class meeting.  Personal business should be completed before or after class time.

3.     Please do not text message during my class.  Enough said.

4.     Be respectful of classmates and professor.  Practice sharing verbal space.  Practice active listening.  Avoid interrupting others while they are speaking.  Avoid talking with your neighbor while others are speaking.  You will want others to extend this courtesy to you when you have the floor.

5.     You may bring a coffee or cold drink into the classroom; however, you may not eat in this class unless the class as a whole decides to make a particular class period a “Wunch” class, i.e., a working lunch, and there is enough food for everyone.

6.     Participate actively.

 

 

Electronic Sources:

The ALAN Review—the journal for The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) covers YA literature, teaching, trends and current research.  http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/ (see list of articles and go to “findarticles.com” for articles from 2005-2007)

 

The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy is the only literacy journal published exclusively for teachers of older learners. Each issue offers practical, classroom-tested ideas grounded in research and theory. Whether you work with new, struggling, or skilled, readers, you’ll find something of interest in JAAL.

http://www.reading.org/publications/journals/jaal/index.html

Literature Resource Center (LRC) provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of more than 120,000 authors from every age and literary discipline.  http://go.galegroup.com/ps/?&u=tel_a_etsul&p=LitRC&v=2.1&authCount=1

Pedagogy— Pedagogy is an innovative journal that aims to build a new discourse around teaching in English studies. Reversing the long history of marginalization of teaching and the scholarship produced around it, it offers a forum for critical reflection and spirited debate. The journal publishes articles by senior scholars as well as more junior members of the profession, featuring voices from many subdisciplines and institutions. Pedagogy promises to stimulate new and exciting developments for undergraduate and graduate instruction in English studies.  (available through Project Muse)

 

Reading Online—a journal of K-12 practice and research published by the International Reading Association.  http://www.readingonline.org/

 

Tennessee Department of Education—English Language Arts Content Standards. 

http://www.tennessee.gov/education/ci/cistandards2001/la/cilaprog912.htm

VOYA—Voice of Youth Advocates or VOYA is the library magazine serving those who serve young adults, and I recommend that you check it out, especially for its neat book  reviewing code.  This bimonthly journal addresses librarians, educators, and other professionals who work with young adults and is the only magazine devoted exclusively to the informational needs of teenagers.  VOYA’s  mission is "to identify the social myths that keep us from serving young people and replace them with knowledge."  http://www.voya.com/

YALSA—Young Adult Library Services Association, which archives their booklists for Best YA fiction, Best YA fiction for reluctant readers, Best YA graphic novels, and more.  http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/quickpicks/

Related Sites:

PET (Project for Effective Teaching) Resources: bibliography of pedagogy resources aimed to help the new teacher in his or her craft. Maintained by Williams College for its new faculty.

50 Alternatives to Lecture suggestive list of instructional options; from Teaching, Learning and Technology at SUNY

USC Pedagogy Resources

Teaching Goals Inventory The Center for Teaching at The University of Iowa is pleased to bring the Teaching Goals Inventory to you online.

Teaching Bibliography from the Center for Teaching and Learning at Cornell University

Electronic Archive for teaching the American Literatures The Electronic Archives are created and maintained by the Center for Electronic Projects in American Culture Studies (CEPACS) at Georgetown University's American Studies Program.

NCTE homepage National Council of Teachers of English

Teaching Literature Bibliography Linked from the syllabus of a (far more structured) Teaching Literature class by Prof. Byron Hawk at George Mason University

Teaching Temperaments:

On learning Styles: From the Georgia State Master Teacher Program, this site offers information on how temperaments inform different learning styles and strategies for adopting teaching methods to meet these different styles.

Jungian Typology test: an online test from a site entitled Humanmetrics.

Kiersey Temperament Sorter: Commercial website that provides updates Kiersey's Please Understand Me, including "A Modern Guide to Temperaments."

There are numerous resources available, but the list above will get you started.  Now, go out and explore!

 

References

 

Abelmann, Charles, et al.  “When Accountability Knocks, Will Anyone Answer?”  Consortium for Policy Research in Education, 1999.

 

Allen, Janet.  It's Never Too Late: Leading Adolescents to Lifelong Literacy.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1995.

 

Appleman, Deborah.   Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents.  Eds. Dorothy S. Strickland and Celia Ganishi.  New York: Teachers College Press, 2000.

 

Briars, Diane J., and Lauren B. Resnick.  “Standards, Assessment--and What Else?  The Essential Elements of Standards-Based School Improvement.” : Center for the Study of Evaluation, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing, 2000.  http://www.cse.ucla.edu/CRESST/Reports/TECH528.pdf

 

Bruner, Jerome.   Acts of Meaning.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1990.

 

Bryk, Anthony S., Valerie E. Lee, and Peter B. Holland.   Catholic Schools and the Common Good.  Cambridge, MA:  Harvard University Press, 1993.

Burke, Jim. The English Teacher’s Companion: A Complete Guide to Classroom, Curriculum, and the Profession.  2^nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003.

 

Burke, Jim.  Illuminating Texts: How to Teach Students to Read the World.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2001.

 

Burke, Jim.  Reading Reminders: Tool, Tips, and Techniques.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000.

 

Christenbury, Leila. “Questioning.”  Making the Journey: Being and Becoming a Teacher of English Language Arts. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1994.

 

Claggett, Fran.  A Measure of Success: From Assignment to Assessment in English Language Arts.  Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1996.

 

Coalition of Essential Schools:  http://www.essentialschools.org/aboutus/aboutus.html

 

Echevarria, Jona, and Anne Graves.  Sheltered Content Instruction: Teaching English-Language Learners with Diverse Abilities.  New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2002.

 

Graph of professor and employer opinions of graduates' grammatical skill:  http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/angles_graph.cfm?issue_type=education&id=276&graph=pcc12.gif

 

Hewitt, Geof.  A Protfolio Primer: Teaching, Collecting, and Assessing Student Writing.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1995.

 

Hillocks, George Jr., and Michael W. Smith. "Grammar and Usage." Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts. Ed. James Flood, Julie M.Jensen, Diane Lapp, and James R. Squire. New York: Maxwell Macmillan, 1991.

 

Hillocks, George.   Research on Written Composition: New Directions for Teaching.  New York, N.Y.: National Conference on Research in English, 1986.

 

Hillocks, George.  Teaching Writing as Reflective Practice.  New York: Teachers College Press, 1995.

 

Jago, Carol.  Cohesive Writing: Why Concept Is Not Enough.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002.

 

"Just for Fun: The Amazing and Incredible, Only-Slightly-Laughable Politically Unassailable, PoMo English Title Generator."  http://www.brysons.net/generator.html

 

Johannessen, Larry R. “Teaching Thinking and Writing for a New Century.” English Journal 90.6 (2001): 38-46.

 

Kahn, Elizabeth A., Carolyn Calhoun Walter, and Larry R. Johannessen.   Writing about Literature.  Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 1984.

 

Keene, Ellin Oliver, and Susan Zimmerman.  Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1997.

 

Kresty, Barbara, Susan O'Leary, and Dale Wortley.  You Can Make a Difference: A Teacher's Guide to Political Action.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998.

 

Langer, Judith A.   Envisioning Literature:  Literary Understanding and Literature Instruction.  New York: Teachers College Press, 1995.

 

Langer, Judith A. “Excellence in English in Middle and High School:  How Teachers' Professional Lives Support Student Achievement.” American Educational Research Journal 37.2 (2000): 397-439.

 

Langer, Judith A. “Succeeding against the Odds in English.” English Journal 97.1 (2001): 37-42.

 

Levine, Mel.  A Mind at a Time.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 2002.

 

Madaus, George, and Marguerite Clarke.  The Adverse Impact of High Stakes Testing on Minority Students:  Evidence From 100 Years Of Test Data.  Presented at the High Stakes K-12 Testing Conference, Teachers College, New York, 1998. http://www.law.harvard.edu/civilrights/conferences/testing98/drafts/madaus2.html

 

NCTE standards:  http://www.ncte.org/standards/standards.shtml

 

Newmann, Fred M., R. A. Rutter, and M. S. Smith. “Organizational factors that affect school sense of efficacy, community, and expectations.” Sociology of Education 62 (1989): 221-238.

 

Olson, Carol Booth.  The Reading/Writing Connection: Strategies for Teaching and Learning in the Secondary Classroom.  New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2002.

 

Orrill, Chandra Hawley.  “Learning Objects to Support Inquiry-Based, Online Learning.” The Instructional Use of Learning Objects.  Ed. D. A. Wiley.  Bloomington, IN: Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 2001. http://www.aect.org/announcements/objects.html

 

Rhodes, Lynn K., and Curt Dudley-Marling.  Readers with a Difference: A Holistic Approach to Teaching Learning Disabled and Remedial Students.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1988.

 

Routman, Regie.  Literacy at the Crossroads: Critical Talk About Reading, Writing, and Other Teaching Dilemmas.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996.

 

Sadowski, Michael. “Are High-Stakes Tests Worth the Wager?” Harvard Education Letter, 2000.  http://www.edletter.org/past/issues/2000-so/tests.shtml

 

Schein, Edgar H.   Organizational Culture and Leadership.  Eds. Warren Bennis, Richard O. Mason and Ian I. Mitroff.  2nd ed.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass, 1992.

 

Scholes, Robert.  The Protocols of Reading.  New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 1989.

 

Shrofel, Salina, and Meredith Rogers Cherland. “Two teachers theorize about practice: the politics of "doing" Macbeth.” Theory into Practice 37.2 (1998): 229-237.

 

Smagorinsky, Peter, Tom McCann, and Stephen Kern.   Explorations:  Introductory Activities for Literature and Composition, 7-12.  Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 1987.

 

Smagorinsky, Peter, and Steven Gevinson.   Fostering the Reader's Response:  Rethinking the Literature Curriculum, Grades 7-12.  Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour, 1989.

 

Spandel, Vicki, and Richard J. Stiggins.  Creating Writers: Linking Writing Assessment and Instruction.  New York: Longman, 1997.

 

Spandel, Vicki.  Creating Writing Through 6-Trait Writing Assessment and Instruction.  New York: Addison-Wesley Longman, 2001.

 

Strickland, Kathleen, and James Strickland.  Reflections on Assessment.  Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1998.

 

Thomas, P. L. “Standards, Standards Everywhere, and Not a Spot to Think.” English Journal 91.1 (2001): 63-67.

 

Tovani, Cris.  I Read It, But I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers.  Portland, ME: Stenhouse, 2000.

 

Tucker, Marc S., and Judy B. Codding.  Standards for Our Schools: How to Set Them, Measure Them, and Reach Them.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.

 

Vygotsky, L. S.   Mind in Society:  The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.

 

Weaver, Constance. Grammar for Teachers: Perspectives and Definitions. Urbana: NCTE, 1979.

 

Weaver, Constance. Lessons to Share on Teaching Grammar in Context. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1998.

 

Weaver, Constance.  Teaching Grammar in Context.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996.

 

Wiggins, Grant.  Educative Assessment.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.

 

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D.  Action Strategies for Deepening Comprehension: Theory and Practice.  New York: Scholastic, 2002.

 

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D.  "You Gotta BE the Book": Teaching Engaged and Reflective Reading with Adolescents.  New York: Teachers College Press, 1997.

 

Zemelman, Steven, and Harvey Daniels.  Community of Writers: Teaching Writing in the Junior and Senior High School.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1988.

 

Zmuda, Alison, and Mary Tomaino.  The Competent Classroom: Aligning High School Curriculum, Standards, and Assessment.  New York: Teachers College Press, 2001.