English for Teachers, Fall 1997

English for Teachers, English 408, is one of many courses offered through the English Department at the University of South Dakota. The class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-4:50 p.m.in Old Main 213.

The instructor is Dr. Nancy Zuercher . Her office is Dakota Hall 230, and office hours for Fall 1997 are Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00-2:30 in Dakota 230; Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-9:50 in Arts & Sciences 22 (the Maclab); or by appointment.

"To teach is to learn twice." --James Britton

English 408, English for Teachers, is designed to acquaint you with the teaching of secondary English through reading, writing, listening, speaking, thinking, participating, and teaching. English 408, a pre-professional course, blends current theory with practice and useful strategies with content. The class, which is experiential, follows a reading-writing workshop model. As you learn about teaching, you simultaneously hone your own skills in writing, reading, speaking, listening, and thinking. You will often be a learner in simulated classroom situations; sometimes you'll be the teacher.

Required texts for the course are

English Journal, March 1994 (a gift to you from NCTE) September 1997, October 1997, November 1997, December 1997 (those and Spring 1998 issues come with NCTE student membership);

Maxwell, Rhoda J., and Mary Jordan Meiser. Teaching English in Middle and Secondary Schools (M&M).
2nd edition. Prentice-Hall, 1997;

Minnesota Humanities Commission. Braided Lives: An Anthology of Multicultural Writing (BL).
Minnesota Humanities Commission, 1991;

Peck, Robert Newton. A Day No Pigs Would Die. Random House, 1972.

You'll also need these supplies: large loose-leaf binder (8 1/2 x 11) and paper, pen and pencil, notebook dividers (6--1 for each assignment listed on page 2), post-it notes, and a 2-pocket folder (prong-free)

As most of the teaching/learning in this class is experiential, active, and collaborative, indicating that classes can't be "made up," your attendance is required. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting information about the missed class before the next class from a group member.

Objectives of the course include

Expanding your knowledge of language, literature (especially multicultural), writing, and grammar
Learning strategies for teaching language, literature, writing, and grammar
Reflecting on your learning, your beliefs and values of teaching, classroom ethics
Synthesizing your past experiences and current practices
Connecting practice and theory
Participating actively in a reading-writing workshop
Planning lessons and teaching them
Learning formative and summative strategies for assessment, evaluation and grading
Using library and Internet sources for English language arts
Practicing classroom research

"The best teachers of teachers are other teachers." --National Writing Project

Expectations:

Attend each scheduled class.
Bring your current journal, log, reading responses to each class.
Bring texts to class when needed.
Meet assignment deadlines.
Respect, support, encourage, and work cooperatively with others.
Ask good questions.
Give your best and participate with good faith effort.
Act and speak as a professional.

Assignments: A Brief Description

Pre-teaching Autobiography:

See separate handout.

Writing into the Class (WIC):

Each day a class member will have a turn to begin the class with writing for 10 minutes and to lead some sharing of it for 10 minutes. Afterwards, they will collect the writing and respond to it on post-it notes. To participate, design a writing prompt to promote reflection on a current focus of the class.Your written prompt and its rationale are due at class the day before you do WIC. It should be typed or computer-generated. On your WIC day, begin the class by introducing the prompt and handing it out. Plan to write with the group and also to manage the class, checking that they are writing. After 10 minutes, invite the group to share, and then end the sharing within 10 minutes.

Collect the papers and respond to each one on a post-it note. Put your set of papers with responses along with a page of reflection (what surprised you, what you learned, what you'd do differently next time, etc.) in NZ's mailbox in Dakota 226 by 1 p.m. on the day of the next class. I will review them so that you can hand them back that day. This activity will be modeled during the first two weeks.

Mentor Project--Real Audiences/Real Teachers:

You'll experience one way to start the school year as you participate in the second year of this exciting project. You'll have a mini-class of 2-4 Bon Homme High School sophomores to coach in writing. The project includes common reading of A Day No Pigs Would Die, get-acquainted letters (on email if BHHS is connected; snail mail if the school is not), coaching sophomores from initial responses to formal papers, mini-lessons, "kidwatching," your teacher research question and paper, evaluating your students' work--all with supervision from Sue Morrell and Nancy Zuercher. Sue Morrell will be a guest teacher in our class on September 24, and the BHHS students may be on campus one day for library research, which gives us an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting. This project will occur in September and October. Your teacher research paper is due on Monday, November 10.

Reading Responses/Literature Circles:

For assigned reading in M&M and English Journal, we'll use literature circles, a model for responding to fiction and non-fiction that Smokey Daniels' Literature Circles describes. You'll have training in this approach before we practice it. For A Day No Pigs Would Die and Braided Lives, we'll use a variety of response strategies to build your repertoire.

Braided Lives Project:

This cooperative project in multicultural literature provides experience in reading,learning, teaching, and developing a teacher's guide. On November 3, we'll organize into 4 groups, one for each division of Braided Lives: "Native American Selections," "Hispanic American Selections," "Black American Selections," and "Asian American Selections." Each person will focus on one work for finding author biography, background information for the selection, information on the specific culture in the selection, and suggestions for applying strategies for writing and literature demonstrated in class.

Each group will cooperate to produce a resource guide for its section, which includes resources on teaching about the culture(s) and literature, a list of supplementary literary works (novels, poems, plays, essays, short stories, films, etc.) with a written evaluation initialed by the student evaluator. Each group will have one class day in December to teach our class, using the information they have compiled and strategies they've learned in English 408. Each group will write a plan for its own 90-minute class that is due at the beginning of class Monday, November 24. Together as a whole class, we'll design a rubric for assessing this project and the 2-hour classes. The Braided Lives Project will take place during November and December.

Active participation in daily class activities:

This means quality and currency in assignments and in-class activities. You must attend to participate. Consider how well you met expectations as listed above.

Grades: Grades are based on the assignments above.

Pre-teaching Autobiography: 30 points (10%), Mentor Project: 90 points (30%), Writing into the Class (WIC): 30 points (10%), Reading Responses/Literature Circles: 30 points (10%), Braided Lives Project: 90 points (30%), Active participation in daily class activities: 30 points (10%)= 300 points (100%)
(300-280 = A; 279-250 = B; 249-220 = C; 219-190 = D 189-0 = F)

"The word for teaching is learning"--James Britton

CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER: Class as Community of Teachers and Learners

W 3 Introduction to the course. NCTE. Names. WIC. Begin A Day No Pigs Would Die. Group reflections on chapters read. ASSIGNMENT: Work on autobiography due Sept. 15. Buy books and supplies. Complete NCTE form. Bring A Day No Pigs Would Die to the next 4 classes.

M 8 NCTE form due. WIC. Continue A Day No Pigs Would Die. Reading Logs. Building Classroom Community: "In Lieu of Whip and Chair" ASSIGNMENT: Continue work on autobiography due Sept. 15.

W 10 WIC. Continue building classroom community and reading A Day No Pigs Would Die. ASSIGNMENT: Complete work on autobiography due Sept. 15. Bring M&M to class on Sept. 15.

M 15 WIC. AUTOBIOGRAPHY IS DUE. Introduction to literature circles with M&M, pages 1- 30. Discussion of mentor project. ASSIGNMENT: Complete reading A Day No Pigs Would Die.

W 17 WIC--Tunisia. Preferences for English Journal discussion; groups and roles for Monday's discussion. Finish discussing A Day No Pigs Would Die. Draft a letter to your BHHS mini-class introducing yourself and making general comments on A Day No Pigs Would Die. ASSIGNMENT: Prepare for discussion and role as assigned. Turn in letters to BHHS students to NZ's mailbox in Dakota 226 by noon Thursday, Sept. 18. Read Chapter 6 in M&M.

M 22 WIC--Nancy English Journal discussion groups--literature circles (#1). Receive mailing #1 from BHHS students. Workshop for responding to BH students. ASSIGNMENT: Respond to each student in your mini-class. Turn in responses to NZ's mailbox in Dakota 226 by noon Wednesday, Sept. 24.

W 24 WIC--Steve. Chapter 6 discussion groups organize. Review our responses to BHHS students--an application of M&M Chapter 6. GUEST TEACHER: Sue Morrell, Bon Homme High School. ASSIGNMENT: Prepare M&M Chapter 6 for your literature circle discussion group.

M 29 WIC--Charles. Receive mailing #2 from BHHS students. Discussion of M&M Chapter 6 continues--literature circles (#2). ASSIGNMENT: Write response to mailing #2.

October: Writing, Reading, Responding, Mentoring, Researching,
Teaching Mini-Lessons

W 1 WIC--Shari. Read and proofread response #2 to BH students. List possible research questions from noticings and discuss. Discussion of "Oral Language," M&M, 96-136--literature circles (#3). ASSIGNMENT: Read and prepare for next literature circle (Oct. 6)

M 6 WIC--Corey. Plan for time with BH students on Oct. 7 to coordinate with their plans. Discussion of "Improving Writing Skills," M&M, 261-291--literature circles (#4). ASSIGNMENT: Plan group's fishbowl, which will model one writing activity.

T 7 WELCOME BHHS STUDENTS TO USD--Rushmore Rooms, 11-2

W 8 WIC--Beth. Drafts from BH received; discussion of how to facilitate revision ASSIGNMENT: Write response to BH students. Read and prepare for next literature circle (Oct. 15).

M 13 Native American Day Holiday

W 15 WIC--Jenny. Literature Circles.

M 20 WIC--Alizah. Fishbowls. Research questions. ASSIGNMENT: Prepare for discussion of "Understanding Grammar."

W 22 WIC--Diane. Discuss "Understanding Grammar," M&M, 293-314--literature circles (#5). Evaluation of literature circles as discussion strategy for our class and secondary students. ASSIGNMENT: Read "Evaluating English Language Arts," M&M, 315-341. Respond to BH students. Work on teacher research paper.

F 24 Responses to BH students due in Dakota 226 by 2 p.m. for mailing.

M 27 WIC--Shane. Discussion of "Evaluating English Language Arts," M&M, 315-341. ASSIGNMENT: Work on teacher research paper.

W 29 CLASS MEETS TODAY IN 323 ID WEEKS LIBRARY FOR INTERNET RESEARCH.
WIC--Pam. ASSIGNMENT: Continue work on teacher research paper. Survey Braided Lives.

November: Teaching Literature, Planning, Collaborating

M 3 WIC--Trent. Organize 4 groups, one for each section of Braided Lives. Each group will plan a thematic unit, teach from it, and write a resource guide. ASSIGNMENT: Read "Understanding Curriculum and Instruction," M&M, 31-74, and prepare for literature circles (#1 in new groups).

W 5 WIC--Jason. Discuss "Understanding Curriculum and Instruction," M&M, 31-74, in literature circles (#1 in new groups) ASSIGNMENT: Read "Individual Planning," M&M, 75-95, and prepare for literature circles (#2).

M 10 WIC--Amy. TEACHER RESEARCH PAPER IS DUE TODAY AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS. Discuss and apply "Individual Planning," M&M, 75-95, in literature circles. (#2) ASSIGNMENT: Read "Teaching Literature," M&M, 184-220 (#3)

W 12 WIC--Jill. Discuss and apply "Teaching Literature," M&M, 184-220 (#3) ASSIGNMENT: Read "Selecting Literature," M&M, 221-260 (#4).

M 17 WIC--Ray. Discuss and apply "Selecting Literature," M&M, 221-260 (#4). ASSIGNMENT: Draft group plans for December teaching.

W 19 WIC--Kevin. Discuss drafts of December plans. ASSIGNMENT: Complete group's plan for December teaching.

M 24 WIC--Stacy. Group plan for December teaching is due. Group conferences and rubric design. ASSIGNMENT: Read Native American selections assigned from Braided Lives: poems, pages 63-74.

December: Teaching, Assessing, Evaluating

M 1 WIC--Rebecca. Native American Literature. ASSIGNMENT: Read Hispanic American selections assigned from Braided Lives: Pages 81-84.

W 3 WIC--Tim. Hispanic American Literature. ASSIGNMENT: Read African American selections assigned from Braided Lives

M 8 WIC--Alizah. African American Literature ASSIGNMENT: Read Asian American selections assigned from Braided Lives

W 10 WIC--Diane. Asian American Literature. ASSIGNMENT: Finish your contribution to the resource guide, edit, and proofread, preferably with other group members.

W 17 At the time scheduled for the final exam, 12:30-2:30, we'll assemble the resource guide to Braided Lives and evaluate the course. This time is also back-up for snow days, etc. Be there!

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