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On the Case in the English Language Arts Classroom: Situations for the Teaching of English
Being a high school English teacher is both rewarding and difficult. Although teacher education programs try to be thorough, they can't prepare preservice teachers for every situation that might arise. For instance:
How can an ELA teacher work with learners who have suffered significant trauma?How can a well-prepared literature instructor teach high school students the basics of reading?Should a teacher shy away from classroom conversations because they can become "too political"?How does a teacher contend with a crushing workload?
These are just a few of the issues ELA teachers face every day, but On the Case in the English Language Arts Classroom provides teachers at any point in their career the opportunity to analyze potential situations and problems that commonly confront teachers through case studies that prompt extensive, stimulating discussion and invite written responses.
Four veteran teacher educators offer twenty case narratives as well as a format for discussion, professional resources that can inform decisions, and a guide to constructing new case narratives that can expand the possibilities for developing powerful problem-solving strategies.
How can an ELA teacher work with learners who have suffered significant trauma?How can a well-prepared literature instructor teach high school students the basics of reading?Should a teacher shy away from classroom conversations because they can become "too political"?How does a teacher contend with a crushing workload?
These are just a few of the issues ELA teachers face every day, but On the Case in the English Language Arts Classroom provides teachers at any point in their career the opportunity to analyze potential situations and problems that commonly confront teachers through case studies that prompt extensive, stimulating discussion and invite written responses.
Four veteran teacher educators offer twenty case narratives as well as a format for discussion, professional resources that can inform decisions, and a guide to constructing new case narratives that can expand the possibilities for developing powerful problem-solving strategies.
150 pages, Paperback
Published December 21, 2021
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May 12, 2022On the Case in the English Language Arts Classroom: Situations for the Teaching of English (NCTE, 2022) is a highly-relevant new book to help English teachers prepare for the inevitable challenges that come with our work. Authors Thomas M. McCann, Elizabeth A. Kahn, Sarah Hochstetler, and Dianne Chambers present twenty problematic situations English teachers will either recognize or easily accept as plausible. Each scenario is followed by discussion questions and follow-up activities designed to guide readers to more deeply consider the implications of the case and their response to it.
The twenty cases include dilemmas involving parents, plagiarism, censorship, ethics, life-work balance, trauma, politics, and more with particular emphasis on how they affect the teaching of writing, literature, reading, and other literacy practices. Each case is written so that there are no perfect answers, which leads readers to consider how their own priorities influence their decision-making.
Each of the authors is a well-respected teacher educator. (I’ve met all of them, and two of the authors have been my colleagues.) Their book is a valuable, enlightening tool to use with prospective English teachers to help them prepare for the real-world work of being a middle school or high school English teacher. As a veteran teacher, I read each case with an awareness that each one is credible, worthwhile, nuanced, and written so that decision-making skills and educational philosophies are sharpened by those who contemplate them.
In addition to using this book with prospective teachers, it is also a solid choice to use in professional development with teachers in all career stages. The discussions inspired by these predicaments, and the subsequent processing of those discussions, can be illuminating for everyone involved.
The resource section of On the Case includes useful suggestions for writing these kinds of scenarios so that professional development leaders can create examples focused on specific contexts. Also handy is a list of links to NCTE Quick-Reference Guides, Position Statements, and the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center that readers can easily consult as they develop their approaches to each situation.
I’ve left out an important part of my response to this book. It’s actually kind of fun. Considering hypothetical but realistic problems is more enjoyable than wrestling with the actual dramas that come with the territory of being an English teacher. The beauty of On the Case is that McCann, Kahn, Hochstetler, and Chambers have provided an engaging methodological resource that prepares readers for authentic problem-solving.
This review appeared in slightly different form on my What's Not Wrong? blog.
The twenty cases include dilemmas involving parents, plagiarism, censorship, ethics, life-work balance, trauma, politics, and more with particular emphasis on how they affect the teaching of writing, literature, reading, and other literacy practices. Each case is written so that there are no perfect answers, which leads readers to consider how their own priorities influence their decision-making.
Each of the authors is a well-respected teacher educator. (I’ve met all of them, and two of the authors have been my colleagues.) Their book is a valuable, enlightening tool to use with prospective English teachers to help them prepare for the real-world work of being a middle school or high school English teacher. As a veteran teacher, I read each case with an awareness that each one is credible, worthwhile, nuanced, and written so that decision-making skills and educational philosophies are sharpened by those who contemplate them.
In addition to using this book with prospective teachers, it is also a solid choice to use in professional development with teachers in all career stages. The discussions inspired by these predicaments, and the subsequent processing of those discussions, can be illuminating for everyone involved.
The resource section of On the Case includes useful suggestions for writing these kinds of scenarios so that professional development leaders can create examples focused on specific contexts. Also handy is a list of links to NCTE Quick-Reference Guides, Position Statements, and the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center that readers can easily consult as they develop their approaches to each situation.
I’ve left out an important part of my response to this book. It’s actually kind of fun. Considering hypothetical but realistic problems is more enjoyable than wrestling with the actual dramas that come with the territory of being an English teacher. The beauty of On the Case is that McCann, Kahn, Hochstetler, and Chambers have provided an engaging methodological resource that prepares readers for authentic problem-solving.
This review appeared in slightly different form on my What's Not Wrong? blog.
June 5, 2022
Read this thinking it would be something different than it was. It raises a lot of topics of conversations faced by ELA teachers, but doesn't necessarily provide any guidance.
This would be a great book for a college prep/preservice program...not so much for a mid career educator reading it on her own.
This would be a great book for a college prep/preservice program...not so much for a mid career educator reading it on her own.
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