The overriding purpose for this blog was to create a space where I could collaborate with another English III teacher in an effort to improve instruction. As an English III teacher for the last two years, I am about to embark on year three. I do not possess a degree in English (I know, some of you are wondering how in the world this is possible), but I am only short 3 courses and have no desire to make it official at this point. Why? I earned two Bachelor degrees (one in Elem Ed and one in History Ed and needed to get out of school and get a real job), a Master's (Middle Level Ed), and am currently working on my Ed.D. in teacher leadership. To become highly qualified, I did have to take two exams showing I was worthy of teaching this fine subject. My first teaching job was in Language Arts/Literature in middle school and I have since moved up to the high school level.
Had I graduated with a degree in English, I still feel I would have had the same issues when it came to planning what to teach anyway. Why? English--what is it exactly? Depends on who you ask. Is it language? Is it literature? Is it rhetoric? Is it strictly writing? Is it strictly reading? Can it be both? Should it be one over the other? Should there be a sequence?
One of the reasons for this blog revolves around those very questions. I work at a school where there is no "set" curriculum. Incoming teachers are told English I, English II: World Literature, English II: American Literature, and English IV: British Literature, then given a list of the books we have for each level. There is no curriculum guide. Oh wait, yes there is--it's called the state standards. Which leads to another question--Which standards can I possibly cover in a year? Should I focus on literature or writing more? What parts of literature? What parts of writing?
One of the evils of English, as a course, is the endless supply of things to cover. Writing standards. Literature standards. Viewing and Representing standards. Media standards. What do I cover? What can I reasonably cover in a year? What skills are most necessary for my students to know in order to do well (both on the tests required for graduation AND outside of school)?
So here I am--looking at planning a whole new year.
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