Methods of Teaching Adolescent English/Language Arts
ENGL-390/EEND-695/MEDU-692

Presents methods for teaching reading skills and English/language arts to adolescents. Focus will be upon reading, including close reading; text-dependent and guiding questions; academic and argument writing; evaluation of student performance; lecture and small group techniques; discipline and classroom management; and classroom organization in high school settings. Professional growth will also be discussed.            

College of Education Mission

The mission of the College of Education is to prepare competent and caring educators who understand students, serve the community and develop professionally to become ethical decision-makers and leaders.

Understanding Students

• Candidates will implement and evaluate meaningful classroom experiences incorporating the complex skills needed to produce authentic verbal and literate written communications.
• Candidates will create, select, and utilize a range of instructional resources and technologies used to teach grammar, composition, and literature that are inclusive to all learners’ needs.
• Candidates will simulate educational teaching experiences by adhering to the standards of learning set by the Illinois State Board of Education and the goals of the University of St. Francis Teacher Education Program.

Serving the Community

• Candidates will learn how to create a learning environment that engages students, parents, and community in recognizing the importance of the communication process (speaker/writer; listener/reader) in authentic life experiences within and outside the classroom.
• Candidates will recognize and respond appropriately to cultural and social differences when delivering and critiquing oral and written communications.

Finding Our Professional Selves

• Candidates will evaluate appropriate teaching strategies and methodologies as included in lessons that incorporate speaking, listening, reading, and writing in order to determine aspects of instruction in need of refining or growth.
• Candidates will learn to utilize various types of communication skills needed to work cooperatively in educational settings with other professionals.

Access to standards referenced in this section can be found HERE

By the conclusion of the course, candidates will be able to:

1. Prepare appropriate and adequately constructed lesson plans (daily, weekly, yearly, unit)
2. Consider the role of pairing text in creating balanced literacy experiences.
3. Utilize learnings to create classroom “units” centered around essential questions that appropriately pair texts across readabilities, text, types, and genres.
4. Develop, modify, and evaluate educational materials and teaching strategies for appropriateness regarding cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and developmental diversities.
5. Through the analysis and evaluation of literary techniques and structures, organize and establish a learning environment where students read and respond to a variety of literary genres and media.
6. Model and teach the writing process, addressing a variety of rhetorical situations and audiences through written and electronic communication, including writing from sources, evaluating appropriate evidence; argument writing; and narrative writing, including narrative nonfiction.
7. Use research from a variety of resources; demonstrate instructional strategies, providing support and structure to differentiate learning.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of the written and verbal communication process and literacy development in school, home, and life experiences that aid in communication within a global society.
9. Utilize assessment information to plan and implement instruction to increase comprehension and proper use of the four language arts (reading, writing, speaking, and listening).
10. Develop and evaluate various types of educational assessments used to monitor and determine acquisition of learning outcomes.
11. Understand “close reading” in relation to other reading practices.
12. Devise questions that facilitate student learning, including guided and text-dependent questions.
13. Develop lessons that model and teach research skills in all academic areas.
14. Participate in micro-teaching experiences and opportunities for self-evaluation of teaching strategies.

Discussion Boards

Candidates will respond online to discussion prompts and engage in online discourse with their classmates and instructor.

• Course Outcomes 5, 6, 9
• Standards – IPTS 1A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L; 2A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, Q; 3A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, O, P, Q; 4A, B, C, D, E, I, J, K, L, N, P; 5A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S; 6A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S; 7A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R;, 8A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, K; 9A, B

Nearpod Lessons

Candidates will complete instructional modules on foundations of teaching English, including the Common Core ELA Standards for grades 9-12.

• Course Outcomes 5, 6, 8, 7
• Standards – IPTS 2A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, Q; 6A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S; 8A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, K

ELA Lesson Plans

Candidates will create two lesson plans linked to Common Core Standards for reading and writing.

• Course Outcomes 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12
• Standards – IPTS 2A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, Q; 6A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S; 8A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, K

Professional Journal Review

Candidates will review a reputable educational journal and lead a Socratic discussion (MEDU 692V candidates) or write an essay (EEND 695Z candidates) about how this article or essay has enhanced your learning experience or how it will impact your approach to teaching.

• Course Outcomes 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
• Standards – IPTS 2A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, Q; 6A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S; 8A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, K

Entrance Plan

Candidates will draft an entrance plan for teaching that will illustrate their professional identities, including instructional and organizational approaches. EEND 695Z and MEDU 692V candidates will include a discussion of empirical research in their entrance plans (see Graduate Credit and Research).

• Course Outcomes 4, 14
• Standards – IPTS 1A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L; 3A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, O, P, Q; 4A, B, C, D, E, I, J, K, L, N, P; 9A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T

Unit Platform Project

Candidates will create a unit that implements the various elements studied to create an authentic, appropriate learning environment that is framed by a credible unit of study. This unit should enhance the learning process and address relevant skills, and link specific objectives to appropriate Common Core Standards.

• Course Outcomes 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3, 4, 9, 10
• Standards – IPTS 1A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L; 2A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, Q; 3A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, O, P, Q; 4A, B, C, D, E, I, J, K, L, N, P; 5A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S; 6A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S; 7A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R; 9A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T

Graduate Credit and Research 

All graduate courses in the College of Education are required to have an empirical action or applied research component.  Empirical research is quantitative or qualitative research that involves the firsthand collection of data.  Some examples of empirical research include case studies, surveys, single-subject experiments, documentary research, systematic observations and analysis, ethnography (including interviews), or correlation studies.  A traditional term paper consisting of description and comparison of existing research is not considered empirical research.

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