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We welcome back Michele Dunaway, who teaches English and journalism at Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, Missouri, when she's not writing best-selling romance novels. Here Michele argues that to get students excited about books in this highly distracted era, choosing the right literature to read is key.  Continue reading...

Last month, I held forth on the art of getting your students — or, for that matter, yourself! — to write more. By now, you no doubt have sheaves of scrawl-covered loose-leaf sitting about. So, what's next? Editing and revising.  Continue reading...

To get across the importance of grammatical rules to her students, writing teacher Margaret Hundley Parker finds that a common-sense approach works best. Here Margaret gives examples of how unclear writing style reflects unclear thinking.  Continue reading...

After "How can you possibly stand being around so many kids all day long?" and "Why do you look so tired all the time?", the question I get asked most often is "How do you get your students to write?"  Continue reading...

In September of 1988, a high school student of mine turned in a piece of writing that changed my professional life and provided me with the most rewarding experience I ever had as a school publications adviser.  Continue reading...

For four years, Nathan Bierma wrote the "On Language" column in the Chicago Tribune, covering English-language issues from etymology to usage in a highly engaging style. He has also taught courses in writing and speech as an adjunct professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this essay, reprinted from his new collection of columns, The Eclectic Encyclopedia of English, Nathan reflects on the lessons he learned teaching English 101.  Continue reading...