It seems as if at no other time in the distant past has there been so much media coverage of bullies and bullying behavior within the schools. Has it always been present in some form? More than likely. Should it be brought to national attention? Absolutely. No one, student or not, deserves to feel unsafe, threatened, or invisible, whether it be at…

Tells the story of three high school students whose violent, confrontational behavior proved inveterate despite the meting out of various conventional punishments such as in-school suspension. Posits that some students may be untreatable through the disciplinary apparatus available to school administrators. (TB)

Recounts a teacher's poignant attempt to reach a troubled student who shows only cynical disdain for classroom activities and meets friendly overtures with a cold, unemotional stare. Concludes that teachers cannot reach all students and sometimes have to let some go. (TB)

Explores how journal writing in a free form--without consideration of grammar, punctuation, or other mechanics and without the guidance of an assigned topic--may lead to trusting relationships with teachers and students' increased understanding of their own needs and motives. Suggests that behavior of troubled students improves as a result of this…

Presents an essay describing the rude misbehavior of two sets of high school students in two distinct cultures: white prep school boys whose transgressions are written off as harmless, and urban African-American and Asian-American students whose off-putting behavior gets no such exemption. Suggests that this misbehavior and the reaction to it turn…

Relates the interactions between an English teacher and a "problem student," showing how each learned to bend toward the other. (RL)

Reviews 11 new young adult novels. Suggests that too many works in this genre glamorize adolescent problems instead of dealing realistically with them. (RBW)

Shows how troubled students who usually act tough and indifferent open up and become interested in learning and willing to show their weaknesses in an in-school suspension environment. Argues that such students need increased skills and a safe environment, movement toward creativity and compassion, and movement away from thoughts of survival. (TB)

Describes five young adult novels that may help young adult males shape their identities in positive ways by showing the consequences of bad male behavior. Describes briefly 10 more new or overlooked young adult books worth reading. (RS)

How can we prepare and encourage new teachers to take on the challenge of changing traditional views of literacy education? Teacher educator William Kist shares a first-year teacher's story of incorporating new literacies within an eighth-grade alternative classroom.

Provides comments from five teachers in response to an article in the same issue of "English Journal" concerning a teacher's handling of a rebellious high school student. (MG)

Describes how one teacher dealt with a rebellious sophomore Honors English student and how they learned to listen to each other. (MG)