
Overview
Teachers who graduate from our program are English majors, so they have robust content knowledge in literature study, in writing practices, and in engaging in critical dialogue. Our candidates also have extensive preparation in creative teaching practices meant to invigorate English classroom teaching. Additionally, our teachers graduate with knowledge of and commitment to anti-bias/anti-racist pedagogy to help address inequities in local schools. Graduates of our English Education program have earned accolades and recognition for the depth of their preparation to enter as new-career teachers ready to contribute meaningfully to their students' learning.
Topics Covered
- Backwards design for lesson & unit planning
- Fresh approaches to writing & literature instruction
- Post-colonial literature, young adult literature, Native American literature, Asian-American literature
- Creative writing, the role of rhetoric in writing, public & academic writing practices
Program Highlights
FACULTY EXPERTISE IN THE DISCIPLINE
Our English Education and English Department faculty hold positions in national organizations (e.g., NCTE, WMWP), and publish regularly in the field.
SMALL PROGRAM, AMPLE ATTENTION TO STUDENTS
Our faculty to student ratios are small, and within English Education, a committee of faculty focused especially on ELA teacher candidates ensures that students get robust preparation and support.
CREATIVE TEACHING PRACTICES
Faculty in our program model and teach fresh approaches to writing instruction (for creative, academic & public writing), to literary study, and to addressing social issues (race, social class, gender, sexuality, ability).
EXTRACURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES
Our department supports a literary journal, a campus newspaper, internships, scholarships for conferences, as well as a host of campus events all of which round out a very strong preparation in various facets of the discipline.
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Almost 400 hours
of fieldwork preparation
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Participation in national & regional ELA organizations
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Recent graduates chose from multiple job offers
Requirements
English - Literature Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate understanding of literary history by analyzing literary texts in relation to literary movements, genres, or periods
- Demonstrate ability to employ concepts and methods from major literary theories and critical approaches in original critical writing.
- Demonstrate ability to investigate connections between cultural contexts (domestic or global) and the English language and literature in English.
- Demonstrate competence in locating and using library resources, including book collections and scholarly research databases, and in selecting and integrating source materials in critical essays, using MLA documentation style.
- Demonstrate understanding the ability to write clearly, engagingly, and persuasively in literary analysis and other genres.
- Demonstrate ability to apply learning in the major to professional and applied settings, as evidenced in such activities as teaching practica, internships, graduate school and career exploration, and participation in conferences and societies.
- Demonstrate effective and informative oral and presentation communication skills.
