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Confessions of an English Teacher: How High School and Community College English Departments Can Improve Instruction is designed to help English departments improve the instruction they deliver to students. It is a follow-up to the book Confessions of an English Teacher: A Memoir of My Teaching Years. In the memoir book, I discovered several vital things English departments can do to radically alter their approach to teaching English. Teaching English has fallen into patterns that research has indicated need to be revised. English teachers, especially at the community college level, have continued to teach grammar as a vehicle for improved writing. English teachers will teach grammar in isolation of writing, thinking that writing will improve with grammar knowledge. It doesn't. Teaching grammar in the context of writing is a better way to ensure that students understand the role of grammar in writing. Also, what is generally understood as "grammar" usage mistakes happen because English teachers ignore teaching them in the context of writing. English departments can assist new English teachers by presenting them with course outlines, lesson plans, and tests to allow them to get a good start teaching their classes. These and many other recommendations are the heart and soul of this book.
Confessions of an English Teacher: How High School and Community College English Departments Can Improve Instruction is designed to help English departments improve the instruction they deliver to students. It is a follow-up to my memoirs about my experiences as an English teacher. In the memoir book, I discovered several vital things English departments can do to radically alter their approach to teaching English. Teaching English has fallen into patterns that research has indicated need to be revised. English teachers, especially at the community college level, have continued to teach grammar as a vehicle for improved writing. English teachers will teach grammar in isolation of writing, thinking that writing will improve with grammar knowledge. It doesn't. Teaching grammar in the context of writing is a better way to ensure that students understand the role of grammar in writing. Also, what is generally understood as "grammar" usage mistakes happen because English teachers ignore their teaching in the context of writing. English departments can assist new English teachers by presenting them with course outlines, lesson plans, and tests to allow them to get a good start teaching their classes. English departments can better serve their students by organizing their curriculum. Course outlines for each of the courses students take will allow students to see what they will be learning and what their expectations are for the course. Doing so will establish a "contract" between the student and the teacher. The teacher will be responsible for presenting the material, and the students will be responsible for learning the curriculum outlined. More consistent performance can be achieved if English departments organize a curriculum by which each English teacher abides. English departments that allow English teachers to go "rogue" by limiting the teaching of one piece of literature for an entire semester can certainly be eliminated.
