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__Methods of Teaching English at Montclair State University__
This course communicates both the discipline and the human dimensions of English as a subject in the classroom, including familiarization with adolescent literature and the uses of technology in the English classroom. This is a course in the professional sequence not credited to the English major requirement.

Planning for this course is also guided by the goals outlined in Montclair State’s [|“Portrait of a Teacher]” and objectives implied by our institutional commitment to the [|Agenda for Education in a Democracy] through the [|National Network for Educational Renewal].

As prospective or active English teachers, you already know a great deal about literature, writing and general issues of teaching and learning. However, research has shown that what you know from your own classroom experiences as a student will have the greatest influence on the kind of teacher you will eventually become. Many of you already have strong opinions and ideas about what a successful class should be. This class will help you to explore and discover the ideas you already possess and will expose you to new ideas — mine, your classmates’ and those we read about. I am excited about the possibilities for rich exchanges of ideas ([|NJCCS] 3.7.2). I hope you are, too.

This course has two primary purposes: 1) to provide an opportunity to articulate your vision of yourself as an English teacher and the implications of that vision (NJCCS 3.1.4) and 2) to engage you in developing instructional theories and practices that will help you to enact that vision. We will explore what it means to be a teacher of literacy today. We are concerned with not only the practical concerns of how-to-run a class, but also with the ethical and theoretical implications of managing one’s one classroom environment (NJCCS 3.1.3).

To begin your professional journey and to begin networking for potential employment and professional development, I require that you become a member of our sponsoring professional organizations. With these memberships, you will receive publications, discounts, and opportunities to attend and present at professional conferences.

The 2 organizations you will join are: 1. The [|National Council of Teachers of English]. Access this online at www.ncte.org. You may also want to subscribe to the NCTE’s English Journal. (I have samples for you!) 2. The [|New Jersey Council of Teachers of English]. Access this online at www.njcte.org.

NOTE: • Both of these organizations have discounted student member rates.

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