The Teaching of Literature - English 468/564
Dr. Michelle Brown
Spring 2014
Campus Office Hours:
Tues. and Thurs. 9-12
Online Office Hours:
Mon. 9-2 (Available by email and Google chat)
Contact Information
Office: DVIC361
Email: michelle.brown-4@selu.edu
Twitter: @DocBrownIsIn
Course Overview
This course is centered on the teaching of literature in secondary and post-secondary settings. We will
consider questions fundamental to the teaching of English, including:
 What are we teaching when we teach literature?
 How can we explore and support students’ understanding of literature?
 How can we teach reading skills and strategies, particularly to struggling readers?
 How can we facilitate more productive discussions of text?
 How do we decide what texts to include and what to teach through those texts? Given a particular
text, how do we plan a unit of instruction?
The course readings include theoretical pieces, practical writings, curriculum materials, and literary texts.
During class meetings, our discussions will focus on building bridges between the ideas and possibilities
provided in these different texts. We will consider both broad, theoretical frameworks as well as specific
resources, lessons, and texts. In the words of my own mentor, “I want to help you develop principled
practice; that is, I hope your teaching will reflect deep principles about teaching and learning.”
Over the course of this semester we will also develop our facility with a number of core instructional
practicesthat are central to teaching English. These are skilled practices that are a) central to the work of
teaching, b) central to student learning, and c) fundamental to the development of more complex
instructional practice. We will consider these practices specifically in relation to the teaching of literature.
These include:
 Modeling
 Explicit strategy instruction
 Selecting texts and analyzing their curriculum potential
 Investigating student thinking
 Facilitating whole class discussion
 Lesson planning
 Planning for a unit of instruction
Field Experience Requirements
Undergraduates pursuing a teaching certificate will be assigned to a specific 6-12 English class (e.g. Ms.
Benenson’s 2nd period English II) where you will observe for 15 hours and teach for 5 consecutive hours
(you may also observe for an additional 5 hours in order to meet the overall Pass-Port requirements). This
means that you must be available for the same chunk of time each weekday so you can observe and
teach the same class of students.
Required Texts
Texts for Rental:
 Shoenbach, R., Greenleaf, C., & Murphy, L. (2012) Reading for Understanding. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass
 Wilhelm, J., Baker, T., & Hackett, J. (2001) Strategic Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Journal Articles:
A number of journal articles are required for this course. They are referenced in the class schedule and
listed in the references at the end of the syllabus. Most articles are available through the library’s online
databases.
References for Journal Articles
Applegate, A., & Applegate, M. D. (2004). The Peter Effect. The Reading Teacher, 57(6), 554–563.
Ceasar, S. (2013, July 13). Children’s Hospital L.A. program reaches out to teen dads. Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/13/local/la-me-la-fathers-20130714
Chopin, K. (1894). The Story of an Hour. Retrieved November 1, 2012, from
http://www.katechopin.org/pdfs/Kate Chopin, The Story of an Hour.pdf
Harris, E. (2012). PTSD Isn’t Just A War Wound; Teens Suffer, Too. National Public Radio. Retrieved
December 15, 2013, from http://www.npr.org/2012/08/17/159023437/ptsd-not-just-war-woundyoung-people-suffer-too
Hill, C. (2009). Birthing dialogue: Using The First Part Last in a health class. The ALAN Review, 37(1),
1–8. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v37n1/hill.html
Hull, G., & Rose, M. (1990). “This wooden shack place”: The logic of an unconventional reading.
College Composition and Communication, 41(3), 287. doi:10.2307/357656
Lee, C. (1995). A culturally based cognitive apprenticeship: Teaching African American high school
students skills in literary interpretation. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(4), 608–630. Retrieved
from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/748192
Literary Works:
We will also be reading a number of literary texts. You may either borrow these texts from the library or
can purchase your own copies at the bookstore or online . These texts include:
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Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee
How Children Succeed by Paul Tough
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Tentative)
Course Assignments and Grading Basis
(full details to be made available in class and on Moodle)
Assignment
Reading Responses
Draft Unit Materials
Final Unit Plan
Clinical Experience –
Completion (Form Cs loaded into
Pass-Port)
Clinical Experience – Video,
Lesson Plan, & Reflection
Discussion Facilitation and
Reflection
Due
Throughout the semester
Throughout the semester
May 12th
May 6th
Points
15 (3 per graded response)
5
45
10
May 6th
15
Throughout the semester
10
General Course Expectations
An additional goal of the course is to help prepare you for the professional role of a teacher, whether in
the secondary or post-secondary setting. To that end, please consider the following expectations.
 Complete all required readings before each class session and to come to class on time, prepared to
engage actively in class discussions.
 Listen carefully and respectfully to your colleagues.
 Course assignments should be ready for submission at the beginning of the class on the due date.
Late work is accepted no later than two weeks following the due date and all late work is assessed
a 20% penalty.
 Proofread your final drafts carefully! The writing of English teachers always receives special
scrutiny from parents and the public, given the nature of our work.
 Electronic devices should be silent and out of sight for the duration of class. While laptops can be
used for notetaking or referencing readings, during some portions of class, I may ask you to put
the screens at “half mast.” If you struggle to remain focused, I would suggest disabling any
internet connection or making use of a program like “Freedom.”
Attendance Policy
This course is designed around the active, co-construction of knowledge and practice in the classroom. In
light of this, I assume regular attendance. If, for any reason, you must miss a class, be sure to inform me in
advance and arrange for a colleague to take notes and pick up readings or assignments. A number of
assignments are partially graded based on either in-class performance or reflection on classroom
interactions. If there is a valid excuse for the absence, these portions of assignments can be made up
through additional clinical observation and reflection.
Students Requiring Accommodations
If you are a qualified student with a disability seeking accommodations under the Americans with
Disabilities Act you are required to self-identify with the Office of Disability Services, Room 117, Mims
Hall. No accommodations will be granted without documentations from the Office of Disability Services.
Communication and Online Office Hours
All e-mail communication should make use of official SELU e-mail addresses. During online office
hours, please contact me by e-mail. I may move the conversation to Google chat if that seems more
appropriate for the issue. Quick questions and interesting links can also be sent to @DocBrownIsIn on
Twitter, and I will post fun things there.
Academic Integrity
As teachers, we frequently beg and borrow in the process of creating curricular materials, however, as is
the case in other academic work, plagiarism is not acceptable. Be sure to provide adequate citation for any
materials that you borrow or adapt in the process of completing classroom assignments. In light of this,
this course shall follow the policies provided by the Provost’s office regarding academic integrity:
“Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Behavior that violates
these standards is not acceptable. Examples are the use of unauthorized material, communication with
fellow students during an examination, attempting to benefit from the work of another student and similar
behavior that defeats the intent of an examination or other class work. Cheating on examinations,
plagiarism, and improper acknowledgment of sources in essays and the use of a single essay or paper in
more than one course without permission are considered very serious offenses and shall be grounds for
disciplinary action as outlined in the current General Catalogue.”
Course Withdrawal
The deadline to withdraw from regular classes is March 14th. May 29th is the last day to return rental
textbooks without a fine. Please be aware that the responsibility for withdrawing from this course is yours.
That is, if a student simply stopped attending class, they would eventually earn a failing grade, not a W.