Writing
for English teachers who are overworked and overwhelmed, Bruce Penniman
offers personal reflections, classroom anecdotes, teaching materials,
and student work while presenting strategies for managing the demands
of the secondary English classroom.
After nearly four decades in
the classroom, Bruce M. Penniman knows what works (and what doesn’t!)
when it comes to teaching English. Penniman draws on his own
experiences―his successes, of course, but also the mistakes he’s made
and the misgivings he’s had―to offer guidance and support for managing
the myriad demands of teaching secondary English. From addressing the
numerous subdisciplines within English to making individual
accommodations, from dealing with being the primary locus of literacy
instruction in the school to everyday organizational strategies,
Penniman helps teachers find a way to impose order on what often seems
like an overwhelming array of responsibilities. Focusing on all aspects
of building a successful English classroom, Penniman offers unique and
proven strategies on topics such as planning for the long term;
designing writing programs and literature curricula; creating effective
assessment systems; implementing instructional strategies for writing,
literature, media/technology, and “basic skills;” examining the
curriculum through the lens of multiculturalism; attending to the needs
of all students―especially those who require accommodations; and giving
back to the profession: pursuing a professional life outside the
classroom.
