Introduction to English Education
This course offers an introduction to the responsibilities, aspirations, and professional knowledge of secondary English language arts teachers.
The course will include students: reflecting on their own experiences learning to read and write, learning about the teaching of writing, teaching each other, developing thematic literature curriculum, studying and presenting about current professional issues in teaching English, considering the role of generative AI such as ChatGPT in English teaching, observing and interviewing secondary English teachers, attending a professional English teacher conference, learning about the program and requirements for teacher certification, developing their own teacher website and online portfolio, and reflecting on the decision to pursue a career as an English teacher. (See Course Goals.)
Professional Involvement
A requirement of the class is to attend at least one full day of an English teacher conference. This semester the ideal conference to attend is the Michigan Council of the Teachers of English (MCTE) Conference themed "Beyond a Seat at the Table" and held on Friday, October 11 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing. Register before Sept 13 and the cost for students is $60; after Sept 13 the cost is $75. (Teachers pay $155 or $175.) Must register by Oct 8.
Attending the MCTE conference also gives you a 1-year membership in MCTE. Future English teachers may also want to join NCTE, and/or MRA and read regularly the English Journal or Voices from the Middle.
Teachers need to be informed what is happening in their local communities and around the world. Future teachers in this class are expected to read from a variety of news sources and are invited to bring education related issues to our class for discussion. WMU provides a free NYT subscription. The Guardian is also a good news source, and accessable for free.
I recommend future teachers join GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network and other teacher organizations.
Course Success
Since the class is discussion-based, attendance and preparation are essential to your own learning and to the learning of your classmates. Missing any classes will affect your learning. Missing 3 classes or more may lower your grade and missing 5 classes may lead to failing. Study my philosophy regarding discussion, preparation, participation, attendance, grading, and learning -- and consider your own philosophy!
Your final course grade will be an average of grades for the major assignments, listed and weighted below. At the hour scheduled for the final exam students will turn in a take home exam/essay and evaluate and discuss the course.
This course will follow WMU policies regarding academic honesty.
My office is 723 Sprau Tower, 387-2605. Office hours are before class and by appointment. You can always reach me via email.
Romano, Tom. Clearing the Way: Working With Teenage Writers. (Heinemann, 1987) Christensen, Linda. Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching About Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word. SECOND EDITION. (Rethinking Schools, 2017)
One YA Cli-Fi Youth Engagement Novel, read in literature Circles. Options: Two Degrees, If Not Us, Code Blue, and Green Rising.
Major Assignments
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Attend an English Teacher Conference (10%) Literacy Autobiography (15%) Due: 9/11 Teaching Teachers (15%) Due: 9/25-10/9 Professional Issue Presentation (10%) Due: 10/23 Artifical Intelligence Teaching Idea (10%) Due: 10/30 Observation / Interview (15%) Due: 11/4 Teaching Cli-Fi Ideas (10%) Due: 10/30 Thematic Curriculum Concept (15%) Due: 11/25 Teaching Website / Online Portfolio (10%) Due: 12/12 |
Electronic Syllabus
Aug 28: Introductions
Sep 4: Literacy Autobiography
1. Read carefully through the entire on-line syllabus. Bring any questions about the syllabus and assignments to class.
2. Join our class phone message system, Remind. From your phone text "@83a33f" to this number "81010".
3. Register for, put on your calendar, and make necessary arrangements for attending the Michigan Council of the Teachers of English (MCTE) Conference.
4. Bring 5 pages rough draft of your literacy autobiography to class.
Sep 9: Literacy Autobiography Continued
1. Bring at least 12 pages of rough drafts -- and at least 3 different genre "experiments" -- from your literacy autobiography to class.
Sep 11: Plan Teaching Reading, Writing, & Rising Up
1. Literacy Autobiography DUE
Sep 16: English Teacher Narrative: Clearing the Way
1. Read: Chapters 1-4 of Clearing the Way
Sep 18: English Teacher Narrative: Clearing the Way
1. Read: Chapters 5-7 of Clearing the Way
Sep 23: English Teacher Narrative: Clearing the Way
1. Finish: Clearing the Way
Sep 25: Teaching Teachers: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Chap 2
Sep 30: Teaching Teachers: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Chap 3
Oct 2: Teaching Teachers: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Chap 4
Oct 7: Teaching Teachers: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Chap 5
Oct 9: Teaching Teachers: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Chap 7
Oct 11: Friday MCTE Conference
Oct 14: Prepare Professional Issue Presentations
Oct 16-18: Fall Break
Oct 21: English Teacher Observation & Interview Planning
Oct 23: Professional Issue Presentations
Due: Professional Issue Presentation
Oct 28: Teaching with AI
1. Get started with the Artificial Intelligence and the Teaching of Writing and Thinking Assignment.
Oct 30: Teaching with AI Continued
1. Report to the class on an AI assignment you develped and what you learned.
Nov 4: Thematic Approaches: Climate Change Example Topic
1. Read: From Teaching Climate Change (Chap 1 & Chap 2)
2. Read: Allen's recent article, "Opening the Conversation about Climate Refugees"
Nov 6: Teaching YA Cli-Fi Literature Circles
1. Read half of your YA Cli-Fi novel and prepare to discuss with your literature circle.
Nov 11: Teaching YA Cli-Fi Literature Circles
1. Keep Reading of your YA Cli-Fi novel.
2. Find non-fiction materials, websites, video clips and/or other resources you could teach with your cli-fi novel.
Nov 13:Teaching YA Cli-Fi Literature Circles
1. Finish your YA Cli-Fi novel.
2. Develop ideas for teaching a climate crisis unit in a secondary English class drawing on your cli-fi novel and other materials.
3. Be ready to share your ideas with your literature circle.
Nov 18: Class Activites and Lesson Planning
1. Turn in a couple paragraph analysis of what you of your climate teaching ideas and give yourself a grade.
2.Read about class activities: Interactive Classroom Activities, Document Activity Tools, Digital Texts and Online Archives, Invisible TheaterBoal Forum Theater & Invisible Theater, search by keyword for lesson ideas at Read, Write, Think (resource for English teachers created by NCTE and ILA).
2. Study Allen's Lesson Plan Format and the links from that page.
Nov 20: Teacher Panel
Nov 21-24: NCTE Conference in Boston
Nov 25: Advisor Panel
1. Due: Thematic Curriculum Concept
2. Learn about requirements and advising in the College of Education.
3. Read about required state certification tests including the Professional Readiness Exam (PRE) and the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC Subject Area).
4. Learn about advising and course requirements for the English Major and Minor in Secondary Education.
Nov 27-29: Thanksgiving Break
Dec 2: Teaching Website / Online Portfolio
Dec 4: Teaching Website / Online Portfolio Continued
Dec 9-12: Finals Week
Dec 12 2:45-4:45 Final Exam Hour: Present Teaching Website