English Journal - Volume 107, Issue 5, 2018

The tension between teachers’ desires to instill independence in students, and students’ desires for teachers to provide answers, is a complex one. This article explores a lesson that, with virtually no guidance from the teacher, enhances student independence, engagement, and insight.

The polarization in American culture illustrated in deteriorating public discourse has been front and center since the 2016 election season, but these tensions have been brewing longer. Writing exchanges between different schools can be part of the solution to the problems facing students.

Teacher lack of knowledge outside British and American literature is a major obstacle in teaching World Literature. This article offers the experiences of three teachers teaching the Bhagavad Gita and suggests ways to overcome lack of teacher knowledge when reading crossculturally.

While the value and importance of helping adolescents learn the art of public speaking is clear, it can be a difficult subject to teach. This article shows how public speaking skills can be interwoven with poetry analysis by participating in the Poetry Out Loud program.

This piece explores historic trends in the standardization of English education. Beginning with the advent of NCTE in 1912 and continuing through the subsequent century, the article traces how English Journal has documented educators’ approaches and attitudes concerning standardization.

This article raises the reality of English as a naturally variant and fluid language inseparable from culture. The author addresses the tensions teachers face in the classroom when they make decisions about how African American students should use their language.

Teachers can often point to indelible educational moments that influenced them in their journey to become literacy teachers. Teachers can help their students to such experiences that lead them to discover intellectual passions and further their growth and development as language users.

The authors examine writing process using the concept of “unfinished” from a groundbreaking art exhibit in 2016. With references to art, music, composition theory, and student examples, they discuss how teaching writing as “unfinished” can deepen student learning, including an authentic culminating exam.

Throughout a unit of study about survival, students and their teacher engaged in individualized learning. Discussions of teacher-dictated curriculum versus student-driven learning, design of the unit, and students’ and teacher’s experiences and takeaways from the unit are included.