Key English Education Journals

There are multiple journals available to English teachers. These publications offer a wide variety of resources and support.

for APA Journal citation, click here.

English Leadership Quarterly

English Leadership Quarterly is a peer-reviewed journal that is published by the Conference on English Leadership 4 times per year. This journal's short articles are intended for departmental chairpersons, school administrators, supervisors, and other individuals in positions of leadership within a school. As the journal's name implies, this publication is written for individuals who find themselves making some of the most complicated and significant decisions within education today. As a result, the articles within this journal tend to focus on important and significant issues that influence the entire community of English and the Language Arts from grades K - 12. Each issue of the versatile English Leadership Quarterly focuses on an individual theme, such as: Leadership and Literacy, Integrating Technology, Leadership and Professional Development, Journal Writing, Alternative Assessment, Young Adult Literature in Today's Classrooms, and Teachers as Researchers. Although the articles cover a wide range of topics, this journal is a valuable resource for the individuals who make informed decisions that establish positions on controversial topics like curriculum, assessment, content taught in classrooms, global society, student literacy and creativity, cultural integration, scheduling, and revising writing instruction for the 21st century. Despite this focus on leadership and individuals with power, articles such as "What New English Teachers Need to Know," by Marshall A. George, occasionally appear in the journal (volume 22, no. 2). The articles sometimes also feature sample quizzes, relevant book and software reviews, informal accounts and reflections, seminar and continuing education information, sample rubrics, and essay prompts. Recent editors of the journal include Susan L. Groenke, Lisa Scherff, Bonita L. Wilcox, and Henry Kiernan. The journal sometimes includes a "call for manuscripts" that asks readers to submit their articles to be considered for publication in future issues. This practice of reader submission seems to both guarantee a steady flow of fresh perspectives and limit the number of regular contributors to the journal.

For subscriptions and more information on current issues of English Leadership Quarterly, through NCTE's official website, click here.

To access available back issues of English Leadership Quarterly on the Education Resource Information Center, or "ERIC," click here.

English Journal

English Journal is NCTE's official peer-reviewed journal. Intended for middle and high school English and Language Arts educators, the journal is useful for everyone from department chairpersons to first year teachers. This publication offers individually themed issues with articles that voice many different perspectives. Issues focus on themes that range from integrating technology into the classroom to teaching Shakespeare through performing plays, visiting youtube, and analyzing experimental film adaptations. Major themes within the journal include integrating entertainment with the classroom, using popular young adult literature as classroom texts, incorporating technology and mass media into the English classroom, and the unique challenges of ELL students. The contributing authors are often well versed in young adult literature and popular culture. As a result, the majority of articles are novel and thought-provoking. English Journal Volume 98, Number 6, represents the usual progressive and creative ideas that can be found in the English Journal. Adam's "Engaging 21st Century Adolescents: Video Games in the Reading Classroom" argues that adolescents with difficulties in English can benefit from combining reading text out loud with playing video games because they are immersed in a popular form of entertainment as they work. "Naming Tropes and Schemes in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Books," by regular contributors Don and Alleen Nilsen, explores the potential for learning when rhetorical devices are introduced to students through the popular young adult book series as a classroom text. Lisa Arter's "Celebrating Multiple Literacy's with Harry Potter" is another article that offers ideas on how English teachers can use texts that are popular with adolescents to "hook" students into learning. "Turn It On and Turn It Up: Incorporating Music Videos in the ELA Classroom," an article by Luke Rodesiler, encourages English teachers to combine technology and entertainment by playing music videos to generate thought and social commentary, introduce literary devices, and serve as an interesting prompt for student writing assignments. DelliCarpini's "Success with ELLs: Summertime and the Living is Easy -- Retaining English Skills in Summer" incorporates ideas similar to the articles already mentioned in her strategy to keep ELL students engaged and honing their skills during their time away from the classroom. Like English Leadership Quarterly, the English Journal prints a call for manuscripts that ensures a fresh supply of contributors to each issue. Aside from resources such as the articles mentioned, the journal features original poems, short stories, editorial letters, and career development information. Recent editors for the journal include Ken Lindblom and Louann Reid.

For subscriptions and more information on current issues of English Journal, through the

NCTE's official website, click here.

To access available articles from back issues of English Journal on the Education Resource Information Center, or "ERIC," click here.

Classroom Notes Plus

Classroom Notes Plus is a quarterly journal for English teachers that is published by the National Council of Teachers of English. While English Journal contains articles that range from practical suggestions for the classroom to philosophical debates on what should and should not be included within the intended curriculum of a school, this journal mainly publishes original teaching strategies and ideas so readers can familiarize themselves with useful classroom practices. In addition to unpublished ideas, Classroom Notes Plus also prints lesson plans and teaching strategies that are specific adaptations of well-known approaches to English instruction. Many readers might view these revisions and adaptations as a way to generate new approaches to old and tired exercises; no lesson plan will work in every classroom because every classroom is different. In this respect, the journal is very practical and offers a little something for everyone from the theatre teacher in New York City to the creative writing instructor in a small town in Louisiana. The journal has some fairly interesting ideas that should engage students, including articles such as "Sharing Responses to Literature via Exit Slips" (Barb Wagner: August, 2005); "Using Double-Entry Journals to Create Student Ownership of a Text" (C. Lynn Jacobs: October 2006); "Responding to Books through Posters" (Ann Grabowski: August, 2003); and "Meaningful English: Motivating Language Learners (as Well as English Speakers) through Poetry Writing" (Ingrid Wendt: April, 2007). Felice A. Kaufmann, who is acknowledged as the journal's "Project Coordinator," leads the production team which includes Editorial Assistant Jessica Creed and Design Coordinator Joellen Bryant. Classroom Notes Plus always urges readers to send in their own work through a "Call for Submissions" that appears on the inside cover of every issue. Although this publication is diverse, each issue covers new teaching strategies, classroom solutions, and Internet resources.

For subscriptions and more information on current issues of Classroom Notes Plus, through the NCTE's official website, click here.

To access available articles from back issues of Classroom Notes Plus on the Education Resource Information Center, or "ERIC," click here.

Current Issues in Education

Current Issues in Education is an academic, peer-reviewed journal that is published through the College of Education at Arizona State University. Current issues and archives of this journal are available online through the College website. Although this journal is not entirely limited to English teaching, it is very valuable for the English teacher because it offers the reader much more than lesson plans and new strategies. While I have already reviewed three journals that focus on how to make the secondary education classroom better, Current Issues in Education broadens the focus towards large issues. While this journal is open to any teacher, many of the articles address the specific challenges that the recent flood of ELL students into schools present to teachers. This multi-cultural focus qualifies this journal as being especially interesting and valuable to English teachers with ELL students in secondary schools across the country. In addition, many articles discuss the conditions that many ELL students and immigrants might have been struggling with before they moved to America, offering an important look into their lives that teachers can use to help them master the English language and gain a sense of confidence in their studies. In addition to documenting the worlds that ELL students often come from, the journal places emphasis on violence in the public school system, developments and trends in pre-service teacher education, racial stereotypes that plague African-American and Hispanic students, developing technology and how it can be used in the classroom, and gender/equality issues in the classroom. This journal offers a very unique and beneficial way for English teachers to gain perspective and further develop their sense of a worldly and educated approach to their profession. Despite the fact that this journal is a valuable and rare chance to read about educational issues from around the entire globe, the website that offers readers access to this publication is very simple and intuitive. The website offers current issues and journal archives, sometimes making public announcements about popular conferences and professional development opportunities available to teachers of English and ELL students. The editors of this journal include Katy Elizabeth Hisrich, Jeffrey I. Johnson, Krista Adams, and Yun Teng. The journal consists of different reader-submitted articles. Each issue of Current Issues in Education includes articles by current Arizona State University doctoral students and Katy Elizabeth Hisrich, the journal's senior editor and layout supervisor.

For subscriptions, current issues, and archives of Current Issues in Education, offered through Arizona State University's official website, click here.

College Composition and Communication

is a journal published through The Conference on College Composition and Communication, and is accessed through the National Council for Teachers of English. This journal is published primarily for college professors and instructors, but secondary school English teachers will find this publication very useful if they are at all concerned with exposing their students to the types of standards they will expect to see in college level writing. English AP teachers, creative writing teachers, and English teachers who wish to be the best at what they do will all find something of value within this publication. The journal discusses ideas and advancements in the theories concerning the ways we write, the purpose of writing compositions, and the history of literature. In addition, this journal offers a wealth of information about education and English pedagogy, the history of various cultures and then writers these cultures have produced, and the struggles of populations that have migrated to and established themselves in the United States. While English teachers will find this information useful, the journal would also be an excellent resource for AP students to use a research material for essays and research papers. Aside from all of the information the journal offers to teachers about their profession, each issue of the journal includes several essays that can be read for pure enjoyment purposes. Students will also benefit from this aspect of the journal as well, including aspiring writers that wish to be exposed to college-level writing in order to further prepare themselves for the type of material they will be exposed to at a four year university. Major areas of focus include the history and pedagogy of English composition, theories and guides to grammar and writing, cultural literacy, and the struggles of minorities in American education and scholarship. Editors of College Composition and Communication include Deborah H. Holdstein, Howard Tinberg, and Robert Brown. Aside from scholarly articles, the journal includes guides to writing, style guides, overviews of current issues in education, review essays, and discussions of recent scholarly work and theories. The journal is open to any contributor through an online submission system.

For subscriptions, current issues, and archives of College Composition and Communication, offered through The Conference on College Composition and Communication's official website, click here.

Major Issues within English Education

There are several current topics of debate within the world of English and The Language Arts:

1) English teachers currently find themselves at the focus of the debate concerning technology in the classroom and the difference between paper and Internet-based resources. While technology such as the Internet is changing every classroom, English and Language Arts teachers find themselves struggling between the practicality, wide availability, and convenience of Internet reference sources, such as Wikipedia, and traditional research articles that can only be found through the library. This debate is forcing students and teachers to determine which sources of reference are more reliable, better - researched, and fit to include in a traditional research paper or essay. I feel as if this topic is hotly debated because students are naturally going to show interest in media and resource tools that relate to the technology they use on an everyday basis. With so much information available to them, the struggle to separate the reliable from the unreliable is a very real problem for teachers in our world today.

2) In the United States, English teachers are challenged to broaden their source material and include films, music, pop culture, and other mediums to address today's student and place him or her in the correct context. Many educators are adopting the idea that the analytical skills we have traditionally used on classic works of literature can just as easily be applied to contemporary music and film: genres that today's students view as interesting and important. Some teachers are pushing for a radical change in the typical curriculum of Shakespeare and Milton for an edgier approach to poetry and literature that includes Hip-Hop Artists, film directors, and comic books. However, some teachers reject this change to varying degrees of intensity, feeling as if the established material that is already in the cannon will better serve student goals and needs. I believe that this debate has come to the forefront in the world of education because of the technology and connectivity that we live with. Even 20 years ago, the thought if the Internet was a far-off dream. Today, we are surrounded by mass-media messages and information in a way that we never have had to deal with before. Students today are growing up in a digital world, and the battle between "old school" practices of books and paper and "new school" approaches that embrace and prepare students for this world is evident in schools everywhere.

3) The question of what is relevant to students, as well as potential "real world" applications for the material that is covered in the typical English classroom, is a current topic that is interesting in the context of SOL's and National Standards. There is a very real effort to put standards into place for accountability reasons, but at the same time there is a debate over what we are teaching students and if they will be able to apply this knowledge to real world use. I believe that this is a current debate because of the focus on standards and college preparation in America. As more students feel the need to attend college to be marketable employees, questions about what schools do to equip students to face their futures will become more important to teachers, parents and the community.

4) There is a growing concern over the ability for our public schools to meet the needs of ELL students. Although the United States has no official language, students from all over the world are often expected to learn American English at a very rapid rate when they enter the United States public school system. SOL's and other standards hinge on the idea that students will have mastered the aspects of English needed for their particular grade level. The public school system is not always equipped to handle the growing need for ELL students to have access to the individual attention and instruction they need to succeed in school. I believe that this problem is a clear indicator of the amount of ELL students moving to the United States from other countries and hoping to find success and fulfillment in the school system. As America moves towards being a country with an even more racially-diverse population, public schools must accept the situation and adapt to meet the needs of students who desire an equal educational opportunity.

Specialized Professional Associations - State Level

The primary specialized professional association for Virginia English teachers is The Virginia Association of Teachers of English Language Arts, or VATE. The Association is the official state affiliate for The National Council for Teachers of English. This organization is open to all English teachers within the state of Virginia, as well as any individual who is interested in advancing the English curriculum within Virginia's schools. The organization's doors are open to private and public school teachers, college professors, parents, and any individual who is interested in joining. In this sense, the organization offers a unique opportunity for members to exposes themselves to many different perspectives and resources. Above all, The Virginia Association of Teachers of English Language Arts aims to create a sense of camaraderie and professional spirit among English teachers and other individuals, emphasizing that teaching is a profession that is both highly skilled and very demanding. The association also exists to serve as a pipeline for information and resources to Virginia's teachers by keeping communications lines open that allow members to share lesson ideas, discuss current issues in education, and provide support for members when they need it. Members receive both the Virginia English Bulletin and The Needle's Eye, two publications that provide an overview of current VATE efforts to enhance the English curriculum in Virginia and offer professional writings that are valuable to English educators. VATE's yearly membership dues total $25 ($15 for students). Potential members must download and submit an application to the Executive Secretary of the Organization.

The Virginia Association of Teachers of English Language Arts Website is available here.

Membership forms for The Virginia Association of Teachers of English Language Arts are available here.

Teaching English: Key Texts

Innumerable books and collections of essays on curriculum, theory, research, methods, careers, statistics, activities, concepts, and learning styles are available to readers. Some of these texts form the basis for decisions that teachers, administrators, and researchers make everyday. While there are many texts about education that offer enlightening perspectives and useful information, the very best texts are works that also interest the reader and enrich the teaching profession with positive viewpoints, engaging writing, and personal character that engages the reader. In the spirit of the NCTE standards, the best texts that contribute to the ongoing discussion of education do not claim to be absolute. Books that carry a sense of responsibility and urgency accept the idea that refining education is a constant process that requires a sense of equality and optimistic determination.

Stern, B. S., & Kysilka, M. J. (Ed.). (2008). Contemporary Readings in Curriculum. London: Sage Publications.

I consider this a critical book for any secondary school teacher. Although I feel as if the book works extreemly good with English, the main ideas can be applied to any particular field. This book offers 40 essays on curriculum, with individual emphasis placed on such topics as the dangers of over relying on standardized tests, the potential benefits of the "slow school movement," the history of prominently black schools struggling to generate funding and support, integration, and the importance of athletics and extra curricular activities in today's school systems. Each essay is carefully researched and offers multiple insights into some of the lesser-know and rarely discussed corners of the education world, as well as problems that seem to0 far-reaching and permanently fixated to our culture to remedy.

The most beneficial aspect of this book is that the many essays are varied and colorful. While there are fewer strategies, review games, and lesson plan templates, themes such as the need for equality, the urgent necessity to foster student creativity, the importance of preparing students to become global citizens, and the idea that curriculum is everything that is taught - directly and indirectly - within the classroom easily encourage even the most pessimistic of readers to take on a more positive perspective.

This text is available here.

Spandel, V. (2004). Creating Writers Through Six Trait Writing Assessment and Instruction. (4th ed.). New York: Allyn & Bacon.

Unlike Contemporary Readings in Curriculum, this guide to teaching students how to write both professionally and creatively is practical, direct and designed to be used during instruction. Although the "how" of writing is addressed, Spandel also discusses the "why" of writing through the philosophy behind using words to express thoughts and share information. Spandel's approach to writing consists of 6 focus points: voice, ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. This approach is a very practical type of differentiation in itself, allowing students to work on weak areas and remain proud of the points they feel come naturally to them. Spandel offers suggestions for using this book with ELL learners and other students that can potential have difficulty with writing. Throughout the book, Spandel emphasizes editing, peer editing, working in groups, differing perspectives and opinions, and the importance of writing and rewriting: viewing writing as a process. The book is full of charts, example rubrics, and tables that are easily transferred to the classroom. The task of writing is often a daunting and intimidating challenge to many students, but Spandel abandons the old-fashioned approach of "Introduction, Thesis, Supporting Point, and Supporting Point" to focus on the details that make writing rich, interesting, clear, and professional.

The direct and sensible approach this book takes towards writing makes it a very unique resource that many students will enthusiastically gravitate towards. Spandel's ideas can be used to address any number of SOL's, from the persuasive essay to creative poetry. While many writing resource texts seem to have failed to evolve along with the student's needs, challenges, and interests, Spandel is recommended to teachers because her text has the potential to make writing fun.

This text is available here.

Beers, K. (2002). When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do: A Guide For Teachers 6 - 12. New York: Heinemann.

This book is a practical guide for helping adolescents who have difficulty reading. Although the book is especially valuable to me as an English subject text, the guide can be used in conjunction with any subject that requires reading, such as History and Social Studies. Beers discusses different approaches that could help struggling students with vocabulary, fluency, word recognition, comprehension, interpreting different texts, and other aspects of reading. Some texts focus on reading as a skill closely associated with the English classroom. While this is obviously true, Beers acknowledges the real importance of reading and recognizes that a student must read well to succeed in both the classroom and everyday life. The ideas within this book can appear simple at first: the importance of sounding out words and "rereading" a text for more complete understanding. However, it is just that simple and novel appeal that makes these strategies easy for students and helps them build confidence with reading. The book is written from the perspective of a professional who has actually tried, revised, modified, and tried again to apply simple strategies - such as "think alouds" and "say somethings" - in a real classroom environment.

This text is especially useful to secondary school teachers because it builds basic skills and focuses a great deal on the importance of helping students gain confidence in their abilities. The text also emphasizes the importance of deriving meaning from a text before a student reads, while they read, and after they read with strategies such as "if - then" charts. The text does not scare away students with complex and intimidating worksheets, and this is one of the book's greatest strengths.

This text is available here.

Donelson, K.L. & Nilsen, A.P. (2008). Literature for Today's Young Adults (8th ed.). New York: Allyn & Bacon.

This popular book has been through many editions since its original publication, continuing to evolve and stay close in touch with the current pulse of culture, art, and society. Instead of offering lists of suggested books for young readers, this text instead focuses on ways to evaluate almost every type of text imaginable and encourage adolescents to become life-long readers. This text is especially important to me because I fully support the belief that all students should have a high degree of choice when it comes to the books they read in school; everyone has unique taste in books. This text celebrates the fact that different students will be interested in different books in a world where many teachers force students to read and feign appreciation for "the classics."

This text is practical for the secondary school teacher because it gives them an edge when dealing with adolescent literature of all genres, including some "under the radar" genres such as horror, science fiction, and mystery. The book provides valuable criteria for evaluating all sorts of contemporary books and poems, as well as suggestions for ways to incorporate these texts into the classroom. The text also provides coverage of controversies surrounding popular novels for young adults. This is an especially valuable resource because teachers can learn of any potential problems they might encounter when assigning a book or poem. The text provides excerpts from many authors, giving teachers a preview of their work so they can find new and potentially exciting texts for their classrooms. The text also interviews several authors, giving teachers a platform with which they can evaluate an author's work and decide if their work should be incorporated into the curriculum. This text is similar to Contemporary Readings in Curriculum because it does not shy away from controversy and is very fun and engaging to read. This text will help a teacher feel fully connected with adolescent literature and empower him or her to make informed decisions in the classroom that can help turn students into lifelong readers.

This text is available here.

Weaver, C. (1996). Teaching Grammar in Context. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook.

This text is very different from the typical grammar books that are usually found throughout high school classrooms. Even at the college level, many grammar books consist of nothing more than a few lines of instruction and countless "drill and kill" exercises. Many students, myself included, find these type of grammar books boring, unhelpful, and pointless. Teaching Grammar in Context breaks this mold, and the result is a book that makes this usually dreaded and notoriously difficult subject seem easier to understand and more enjoyable to work with. The most important aspect of this book is that it really places grammar in the context of writing. Weaver explains to the reader why everyday grammar rules are important, what practicing the rules of grammar can do for a writer, and why grammar should not be taught as an isolated subject. Teaching Grammar in Context discusses the history of grammar and some of the ways it has traditionally been taught in the classroom. For example, many teachers may assign grammar worksheets one day and a personal, informal essay the next. However, this book emphasizes the importance of connecting concepts such as these so that students can understand how grammar works outside of the worksheets and "drill and kill" exercises. Weaver succeeds in presenting to her readers an answer to the main question students usually have about grammar: "why do we have to do this?" Each grammatical concept is presented with a firm rationale that fully explains why this concept is significant and how it relates to the English language. Through placing grammar in its proper context, readers forget they are studying grammar because they are engaged in actually using it properly in a wide variety of lessons, mini-lessons, essay assignments, group assignments, and games.

I do not remember having to study grammar in high school to any great extent. What little grammar I studied did not stay with me throughout the years, and I know that if I use grammar properly it is because I am a native English speaker. I feel as if my position is not an uncommon one, and this is largely due to the fact that I was only subject to the occasional grammar worksheet during throughout all of my years in public school. This text is especially valuable to the secondary school teacher because it makes applying and understanding the concepts of grammar very easy for the reader and takes much of the angst and fear away from the subject. This text assists the teacher in making sure that students learn, understand, apply, and retain grammar so they will communicate effectively, interestingly, and correctly.

This text is available here.

Professional Development Opportunities - State and National Levels

The NCTE, VATE, and Virginia Department of Education focus their efforts on more than the creation, publication, and implementation of standards. Each body, both state and national, offers a variety of professional development opportunities for teachers at any grade level.

Many areas and resources available through the NCTE website require a membership. A NCTE membership includes many benefits, including online discussions, peer-to-peer advice and communication, access to related journals and other publications, the right to vote in matters that come before the council, discounts on books available through the NCTE website, access to technology fairs and conventions, and a wide variety of information and access to various seminars, motivational speeches, and lesson ideas.

NCTE membership includes benefits and resources that are geared towards beginning teachers as well as experienced educators who require help. The Professional Pathways Development Program, while valuable to seasoned teachers as well, offers informative web seminars, podcasts, lesson plans, classroom videos, perspectives on ELL students, and support from the NCTE.

The NCTE holds a convention each year. This year's convention will be the 99th annual gathering, and will be held in Philadelphia, PA. This convention is held to expose members to professional seminars, speakers, strategies, and materials that can aid in their professional lives. The convention also gives members an opportunity to share best practices and other information with one another.

When NCTE's extensive history, influence, and significance is taken into consideration, the institution can be viewed as more than a source for resources, news, and convention information. New teachers, faced with a challenging and often seemingly insurmountable profession, are often overwhelmed with the profession they have entered. Knowing that an established organization is willing to help can make a difference with both a new teacher's professional perspective and future out look.

The Virginia Association of Teachers of English offers many opportunities for beginning English teachers. The Associations website offers numerous online resources and reference materials. These resources are divided up into sections containing links for Elementary, Middle, and High School - College teachers. The VATE teacher resource page offers link to numerous electronic free text databases, SOL mastery and study materials, explanations concerning Virginia's current educational policies, access to the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE, and SAT preparation materials. The website also offers many resources for students, intending for teachers to use these to enhance their classrooms. Student links include poetry games, interactive reading websites, programs that allow students to create and produce their own plays, vocabulary games, various quizzes, online writing labs, guides to grammar, creative writing prompts, and much more. The association's website also offers a "Great Teaching Ideas" archive that includes many lesson ideas and strategies that are available for teachers to download in .pdf format and use in their classrooms.

Aside from games, online resources, lesson materials, ideas, and inspiration, the association also provides a certain degree of legal backing to English teachers. Every professional like to know that he or she is not alone in their efforts, and VATE provides an infrastructure of legal advice and help to members who require it. The association is strongly against censorship of it's members, urging any teacher who feels as if he or she has been a victim of censorship to contact the organization for help. SLATE, or the Support for Learning and Teaching of English, offers breakdowns of current NCTE policy and legislation for members. The association has recently voted to request that the Commonwealth of Virginia delay the implementation of the new English SOL's until the concerns and questions of their members are addressed, proving that the association serves as a voice for teachers across the state that are concerned with the regulations and requirements of the Department of Education. Links to teaching job opportunities and resources for information on continuing teacher education are provided through the website, as well as various grant and award funds that are available for both exemplary English teachers and students. Finally, the Virginia Association of Teachers of English holds conferences to ensure that teachers are constantly exposed to cutting edge theories and materials and foster the sense of professional integrity and camaraderie that comes along with professional associations.

This October VATE will hold its 49th annual conference, celebrating its 96th year as an organization, in Williamsburg, Virginia. The annual VATE conference is a chance for members to gather from all over the state and share ideas, share inspiration, and grow as professionals. More information can be found at the VATE official website.

The Virginia Department of Education website also offers opportunities for perseverance and beginning teachers alike. The website updates information regarding training, workshops, conferences, online tutorials, continuing education, historical information, pertinent statistics, policy information, incentives, news, initiatives, and job postings. Although the site reads and feels much more formal and exists as the central hub for every aspect of education in Virginia, the benefits and information detailed at this site are valuable to any individual involved or concerned with the current state of Virginia's educational system.

Virginia State Standards for English (SOL's)

Although teachers use the NCTE's published National standards as guideposts, the Department of Education of the state of Virginia independently publishes and implements a unique set of expectations called the Standard's of Learning (SOL's) to further clarify the objectives, themes, and skills that are to be taught in Virginia's classrooms. Unlike the relatively brief set of National Standards previously discussed, the SOL's establish individualized expectations for learners for every stage of public school from kindergarden through a student's senior year of high school. Although fresh and more challenging goals are presented as the student progresses from one grade to the next, the standards for each grade incorporate some similar themes and objectives.

The state of Virginia encourages students, parents, teachers, and all interested parties to familiarize themselves with the Standards of Learning, which are available for download in a variety of formats here.

The SOL's are structured in a succinct and intuitive manner. The overall expectations, goals, themes, and major areas of focus for each grade level are explained in an introductory paragraph that summarizes the respective grade's outlook. The individual standards for each grade are divided by themes and concepts. The English Standard of Learning labeled as "9.1" - the first standard for secondary schools - falls under the heading of "oral language," and is accompanied by a variety of other expectations. Other larger themes within the standards include "reading analysis," "writing," and "research." As the standards guide a student towards forward to graduation, their individual requirements build on the previously mastered challenges and grow in complexity and breadth. For some subjects, such as English and the related arts, the following individual standards are comprised of a number representing the grade level (9 representing a freshman in high school), a period, and a secondary number which represents the individual standard. For instance, the first standard for a freshman English course would appear as "9.1." Lastly, detailed statements are provided for each combination of numbers that describe specific skills and concepts that should be mastered by the student. The Standards emphasize research and communication skills, group work, mass media messages, presentation skills, informational sources, persuasive writing, poetry and creative writing analysis, and many other topics that will help the student in post-secondary school life.

Although the NCTE Standards for English and the Language Arts total only 12 individual standards, they are generally broader guideposts that refrain from over-specifying the expectations of the council. The Standards of Learning, however, are comprised of more detailed expectations that are written in a more exact manner. The Standards of Learning actually state that a "student will be able to" complete a certain task, demonstrate a skill, or master a concept. However, it is important to note several factors: no specific texts are forced upon teachers to use and the Standards retain a high potential for instructors to integrate a wide variety of multi-media sources, such as films, into their classrooms.

While the NCTE's contributions to the ongoing discussion of expectations and challenges seems brief when compared to the lengthy and highly detailed Virginia Standards of Learning, each collaboration leaves significant potential for a high level of differentiation and uniqueness among Virginia classrooms.

National Standards of the NCTE

The NCTE publishes standards in conjunction with the International Reading Association. Although I have observed the that NCTE standards are often one of the first resources teachers turn to in order to focus their lessons on specific understandings, it is not the intent of the organization to provide the absolute, sovereign authority on the guideposts that are to help teachers navigate students through the world of literature and related fields. The NCTE / IRA Standards for the English Language Arts maintains that these standards are intended to be considered as only one perspective among many:

"It is important to emphasize from the outset that these standards are intended to serve as guidelines that provide ample room for the kinds of innovation and creativity that are essential to teaching and learning. They are not meant to be seen as prescriptions for particular curricula or instructional approaches."

Individuals familiar with the current state of education in the United States hold fast to widely varying, and sometimes disapproving, opinions on standards. Some criticize national standards for imposing unreasonable and intrusive expectations onto individual schools that are scattered throughout the United States. However, the NCTE's motivation for publishing these standards is to document and inform educators of extensively researched and carefully written guideposts resulting from collaboration and teamwork.

As of September, 2009, there are a total of 12 NCTE Standards for the English and Language Arts. These standards are available for download as a .pdf document, along with detailed information about the NCTE's rationale and purpose for continuing to contribute to the ongoing discussion of American education, at the NCTE's website here.

Specialized Professional Associations - National Level

The benefits, hazards, frustrations, and challenges that form the career of the English teacher converge to define a profession that is unique, humanitarian, meaningful. While there are many associations of varying size, influence, and benefit available to teachers within the United States, the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) is the staple organization that operates on a national level. The official NCTE website establishes the mission of the organization:

"The council promotes the development of literacy, the use of language to construct personal and public worlds and to achieve full participation in society through the learning and teaching of English and the related arts and sciences of language."

The organization provides a brief history through it website that is especially interesting when viewed in the context of our current views, debates, and policies on education within the United States. The NCTE states that it was established in the early 1900's out of a feeling of sedition towards "overly specific college entrance requirements" and the effects these requirements had on "high school English education." In a world without the hyper-connectivity of the information age, the realities of innumerable, solitary pockets of educators with slower methods of communication and professional collaboration at their disposal may seem laborious to educators today. Organizations such as the NCTE made it possible to connect teachers of English and establish associations that foster a sense of professionalism among these individuals.

Reader, Meet Author

Hello and welcome! This blog was designed to fulfill the requirements for a project assigned within my "Inquiry in the Classroom" course at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. My professor for this course is Dr. Jennifer Pease. The information contained within this blog aims to offer a wide variety of information and resources about teaching English, including available literature, organizations, publications, and current governing standards. Please note that while I am enrolled as a graduate student in a teacher education program, I am not yet a professional teacher and still have much to learn about both the profession and the life of an educator. All of the information contained within this blog reflects my personal opinions and efforts to organize resources and perspectives available to English teachers and does not reflect the opinions of James Madison University or any of its faculty. I hope that you find this website useful and discover some valuable perspectives. Thank you.