The authors, university instructors, when confronted with extreme time constraints in a summer course during the COVID-19 pandemic, redesigned their course structure prioritizing their values and goals. Intentional choices provide teacher candidates with time together to slow down and interact more fully in a read-aloud centered, writer's…

The authors examined secondary English teachers' values and beliefs about text selection (canonical versus modern and young adults) when working with emergent bilinguals. Findings showed that the tensions teachers identified were focused on whose literacy actions the teachers wanted to prioritize in the classroom: those of the students or those of…

This article emphasizes the power of the words we use as educators by shining a light on the work of Peter H. Johnston. The author offers timely and pertinent ways to engage students in effective and respectful academic discourse and writing. She also stresses the importance of modeling for students and letting them see our struggle with writing.…

Teaching with digital resources can seem overwhelming. Teachers and students sometimes struggle to use online materials, but potential solutions can be found in federated databases and curated eBook collections specially chosen for Texas teachers and students. This article assists educators as they locate and use TEKS-aligned digital resources and…

Academic language is the formal language that is common in books and at school, but that students are unlikely to encounter in everyday conversations with friends and family. Not only is academic language critical to school achievement but it is also foundational for the true comprehension of contentrich subjects. Academic language should permeate…

In 2016, with mounting pressure from parents, educators, and other stakeholders around the state pushing back against the volume of standardized tests students are required to take, the Texas Education Agency introduced the Texas Writing Pilot. This pilot was designed to study the feasibility of creating an alternative writing assessment that…

Increasing numbers of children in Texas communities and across the U.S. are immigrants. One way to support students in exploring the history and contemporary topic of immigration through literacy is with inquiry, a teaching method that centers around students' questions, incorporates informational and narrative texts, and creates opportunities for…

This article seeks to provide a research-based argument in favor of encouraging teachers to seek authentic writing territories when asking students to conduct and disseminate research. At some point, research writing moved towards formulaic, inauthentically structured essays that lacked authentic audiences and thus failed to provide the space to…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures across the United States have forced teachers to implement various forms of contact-less instruction. The research on childhood trauma and learning indicates that social/emotional factors significantly impact the effectiveness of instructional approaches. Therefore, shifts to online learning should…

Shifts in generations from Millennials to Generation Z have brought changes to today's classroom. In turn, these changes indicate the need for reform and innovation in education. If the goal for education remains to put contributing members into society, then educators must search for the most effective ways to prepare students to enter society…

This article discusses the current contradictory policies surrounding the push for phonics instruction in Texas schools. Focusing on this current iteration of the reading wars, this article seeks to help teachers develop a historical context for reading instruction, review existing research on learning to read, and turn that knowledge into…

Teachers who seek to amplify student voice in the English Language Arts classroom must balance students' need for selfexpression with the TEKS requirement that students demonstrate command of standard English. Teachers also face a curricular landscape in which they are discouraged from teaching grammar in isolation but are held accountable for…

The 2017 English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) standards from Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) reflect best-practice literacy instruction. The seven strands of Foundational language skills, Comprehension skills, Response skills, Multiple genres, Author's purpose and craft, Composition, and Inquiry and research form an integrated…

In this article, two university professors describe how field-based experiences for preservice elementary teachers in literacy methods courses were adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of completing conventional field experiences and classroom observations, the preservice teachers served as adult helpers for virtual learning at a school…

Providing written commentary on essays to students in English has long been a challenge for instructors. With increasing numbers of students being placed in classrooms, it can be difficult to deliver an adequate amount of feedback without taxing too much of teachers' time. Consequently, the author wanted to know what feedback students valued most…