Teaching English in Middle and Secondary Schools

Katherine McKnight is an associate professor and associate department chair of secondary education at National-Louis University. She also serves as an onsite professional development consultant for the National Council of Teachers of English. She began her career as a literacy educator over 20 years ago and taught high school English for over ten years. Her recent books have focused on using improvisation in the classroom, teaching writing in grades 6-12, and teaching the classics in the inclusive classroom.

• Table of Contents  Chapter 1: Becoming an English TeacherDrawn to TeachingWhat Makes an Effective English Teacher?Understanding AdolescentsAdolescent TraitsDevelopment Stages of AdolescentsStudents at RiskVarying Sources of Student AlienationMotivating students to learnWhat Teachers Can DoHelping Students to LearnSetting up the Classroom To Motivate StudentsWhat do I do When I Don’t Have My Own ClassroomBuilding Classroom Communities  Chapter 2: The Theoretical and Pedagogical Foundations of Teaching EnglishA Philosophy Shaping What We Do and When We Do ItDeveloping Classroom CurriculumFrom Goals to OutcomesTextbooks, Trade Books, and SoftwareDeveloping Classroom Teaching PlansVariables Within Our GraspPlanning Well: Principles and PracticeInstructional Unit:  “In Constant Search of Perfection: Benjamin Franklin”Questions For the Benjamin Franklin Unit: Analysis and Decision-Making  Chapter 3: Language: Teaching About Spelling, Grammar, Mechanics, and VocabularyThe Importance of Language StudyLanguage CharacteristicsAcquiring Our Native LanguageAcquiring English as a Second LanguageNon-Native Speakers of EnglishUnderstanding ELL students’ errorsRecognizing and Working with “Smart Errors”Errors and GradesGeneral Suggestions and Guidelines for Teaching English Language Learners in   the English Language Arts ClassroomClassroom Language and English Language LearnersGrouping StudentsUsing Peer PartnersEnsuring Effective LearningProviding experience with Written LanguageLanguage Variation: American DialectsUnderstanding Linguistic Diversity in Our SchoolsDialect, Identity, and Linguistic CompetenceAfrican American EnglishNative American LanguageHispanic EnglishAchievement Among Minority StudentsLanguage, Culture, and Identity: Julie of the WolvesWhat does a contemporary look like when students are learning about Literature?