English Journal - Volume 102, Issue 5, 2013

Editor Ken Lindblom talks about change in educationand introduces the articles in this issue.

Members of the Secondary Section Steering Committee comment on topics of importance to English language arts educators.

Mathematical language is distinct from everyday language, and English language arts teachers could team with mathematics teachers to provide specialized support to students transitioning to more formal mathematical reading and writing.

“Speaking My Mind” invites readers to speak out about controversial issues relevant to the teaching of English language arts.

Follow their yearlong journey as students visit college writing centers, interview experts, prepare proposals, and establish their own high school writing center.

Students should be encouraged to explore authentic writing genres, but if those genres are not designed with a rich enough purpose and audience, the authenticity may be “latent” and not “functional.”

Are students in dual-credit writing courses missing something they would have gotten in a traditional high school writing course?

Historical research, interviews, deep reflection, and live presentation: this ten-chapter assignment fulfills Common Core State Standards as it engages students.

Hip-hop and rap have built an aesthetic and cultural relevancy that deserves its own high school course. Lauren Leigh Kelly teaches one now.

Native American and non–Native American students can develop a richer understanding of US literary and cultural history by studying Native American themes.

Interrupting the enjoyment of reading with prediction, annotation, vocabulary study, and other add-ons may distract proficient readers from the very kinds of reading we want them to do.

With its focus on classics, the Common Core State Standards may reduce attention to YA literature. Connors uses a Peanuts comic strip to demonstrate the literariness of seemingly less- sophisticated texts.

S. E. Hinton, Walter Dean Myers, Erin Gruwell, Chris Crutcher, and many other popular YA authors describe in their own words what their teachers did for them.

“Mentoring Matters” focuses on effective ways to support new English teachers and student teachers.

“Research for the Classroom” publishes mini-studies of ELA classroom practices and suggests ways in which high school and middle school English teachers may study the effectiveness of their pedagogy.

“Teaching Young Adult Literature” describes innovative methods for engaging students in reading, writing, and discussing contemporary and classic literary texts written for adolescents.

“Success with ELLs” suggests effective approaches to teaching English language learners in ways that can be of benefit to all students in mainstream middle and high school English classes.