It all began with an article from The New York Times titled “The Community College / ‘Real College’ Divide.” The article was part of an assessment tool being used by the community college for whom I was an Adjunct English Instructor that fall semester of 2016; the Assessment Coordinator was asking all teachers of Composition I … Continue reading Seriously, What’s the Difference? by Jeanette Lukowski
A Few Confessions of an English Teacher by Alexandra Glynn
Preparing for classes rouses up the guilt again. I teach writing, but I don’t do what I tell my students to do. I plagiarize, in a sense, all the time. I don’t read articles; I skim them enough to make them seem read. And when I write, I really don’t consider any of the items … Continue reading A Few Confessions of an English Teacher by Alexandra Glynn
Listening to the Silence: Addressing Anxiety Disorders in Our Schools by Abby Rosen
As teachers, we ask a lot of our students. We demand not only respect for our authority, but curiosity, effort, and perseverance in the face of failure and humiliation. They also ask a lot of us: content mastery, understanding, and the ability to constantly adapt to new challenges. Usually, students rise to our expectations with … Continue reading Listening to the Silence: Addressing Anxiety Disorders in Our Schools by Abby Rosen
Beauty and the Beast Triptych: Piece 1–“Beauty and the Beastess” by Melanie Magaña
Please read the Introduction first. Then continue reading each piece in order. Click on the following titles to be magically transported to each piece of the triptych. 2. "Beast's Beauty" 3. "Beauty's Beginning" 1. BEAUTY AND THE BEASTESS The Curse Once upon a time there lived a princess. Naturally … Continue reading Beauty and the Beast Triptych: Piece 1–“Beauty and the Beastess” by Melanie Magaña
Beauty and the Beast Triptych: Piece 2– “Beast’s Beauty” by Melanie Magaña
Please read the Introduction first. Then continue reading each piece in order. Click on the following titles to be magically transported to each piece of the triptych. "Beauty and the Beastess" 3. "Beauty's Beginning" 2. BEAST'S BEAUTY Tale Once upon a time, there was an extremely handsome … Continue reading Beauty and the Beast Triptych: Piece 2– “Beast’s Beauty” by Melanie Magaña
Beauty and the Beast Triptych: Piece 3–“Beauty’s Beginning” by Melanie Magaña
Please read the Introduction first. Then continue reading each piece in order. Click on the following titles to be magically transported to each piece of the triptych. "Beauty and the Beastess" 2. "Beast's Beauty" 3. BEAUTY'S BEGINNING Crappy Ending “Once upon a time…” That’s … Continue reading Beauty and the Beast Triptych: Piece 3–“Beauty’s Beginning” by Melanie Magaña
Beauty and the Beast Triptych: Re-imagining Stereotypes and Gender Roles by Melanie Magaña
[Ed. Note: At the end of this Introduction, readers are directed by links to the three pieces comprising the triptych.] Introduction I’ve had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the story of Beauty and the Beast ever since the Disney movie put it on my radar. On the one hand: dancing teacups! Catchy tunes! Bookworm … Continue reading Beauty and the Beast Triptych: Re-imagining Stereotypes and Gender Roles by Melanie Magaña
Addressing Racial Injustice Through Allyship: Teaching to See by Using Poetry by Sharon Rudnicki
(Note: The editors have chosen to partially redact a form of the n-word that appears when quoting Kendrick Lamar's lyrics.) Introduction In 2016, America was treated to two excellent television series that focus on the life of O.J. Simpson, FX’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson and ESPN’s O.J.: Made in … Continue reading Addressing Racial Injustice Through Allyship: Teaching to See by Using Poetry by Sharon Rudnicki
Closing the Door on Standardized Test Preparation and Opening the Door to Next Generation Literacy by Vicky Giouroukakis & Maureen Connolly
Introduction “I want to facilitate learning that helps students be the best versions of themselves.” “I teach to inspire a new generation of book lovers!” “I teach to change lives!” “I teach to show students how BRILLIANT they can be!” These are the words of four … Continue reading Closing the Door on Standardized Test Preparation and Opening the Door to Next Generation Literacy by Vicky Giouroukakis & Maureen Connolly
Writing is Elemen‘tree’: A Visual, Auditory, and Tactile Framework for Navigating the Writing Process by Lyndi Maxwell
Abstract This article describes how teachers can use manipulatives, visual aids, and poetry to help students navigate a process-approach writer’s workshop. The workshop is presented as being analogous to how a squirrel navigates an oak tree, as the squirrel represents the writer, each part of the oak tree represents a stage of the writing process, … Continue reading Writing is Elemen‘tree’: A Visual, Auditory, and Tactile Framework for Navigating the Writing Process by Lyndi Maxwell
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