The personal essay remains pervasive in high school classrooms, but many curriculum leaders have shifted to stressing the importance of evidence-based, argumentative writing. Some teachers have rightfully lamented this shift, noting that the evidence-based turn in writing instruction comes at the expense of student voice and expression. Students…

Time and opportunity to discover truths are essential in education. Discovery takes repetition and trial and error. Discovery crosses intellectual and disciplinary boundaries as well. What is learned through the diverse experiences of one's academic and individual lives will pollinate each other if there is room left for discovery. The tyranny of…

An English teacher describes his use of advocacy project for writing instruction and its ironies in the classroom. He asserts that such projects meet the instructor's educational aims while helping students recognize their place in a democratic society with the ability to influence institutional change.

Encourages teachers of English to use dramatic activity as a means for studying the emotional qualities so abundant in literature. (RB)

All students enrolled in media courses gained in creativity. (JH)

Individualizing takes much more time and energy than classroom teaching--and is worth it.

Various risks involved in teaching Standard English and the role that a dialect could play while teaching it more effectively are discussed. Some of the general principles and specific strategies are given for respecting the language of students' homes while helping them gain a mastery in Standard English and participate in the democratic…

Points out weaknesses in research studies purporting to show that there is no transfer value to the teaching of grammar; presents 21 pointers to aid in establishing a good grammar program. (DD)

Instruction can be fitted to the needs of individual students without great cost.

A report from the Educational Resources Information Center at the National Council of Teachers of English; includes ERIC abstracts of documents pertinent to this topic. (RD)

Thirty-five English educators identify three priority areas: (1) pedagogy, including class size, occupational conditions, and the dropout rate; (2) teacher issues, including teacher motivation, teacher training, and administrative relations; and (3) curriculum issues, including grammar and repetition in textbooks. (JG)

Considers the ramifications of four basic issues that must be resolved in K-12 literary education programs. Points out that teachers of literature need to join current efforts to seek quality in the English curriculum by examining again the content of their programs as well as the methods used to teach. (EL)

A desirable approach and sequence for the presentation of rhetorical principles to students of junior high school age is outlined. Principles of invention, logical ordering, strategy, and style are discussed with special reference to writing models, developing skills of observation, audience consideration, and precise diction. Specific objectives…