Teaching Middle School Language Arts: Incorporating Twenty-first Century Literacies

Full Description

4 Reviews

1. As always, Anna J. Roseboro provides teachers with what we need most: subtle reminders of how and why we entered our beloved profession. Teaching is a gift, and when it’s done right, learning takes place in unforced, untamed ways. With the guidance and wisdom gleaned from decades in the trenches, this text provides new and veteran teachers with practical,innovative ways to help us remember and our students know that what we love most about teaching is them.

   That’s why, as Roseboro affirms even in Chapter 1, relationships matter most. When our students know how much we care, they are eager to participate in their own growth as individuals because they recognize that they are not merely numbers and names on our rolls. They’ll want to learn because the knowledge is served with love and humility. Teaching is a sacred journey, and when all is said and done, it’s how we treated them while we had them that they will remember most. Thank you for reminding us of that, Anna.

2. I was honored when the author asked me to write a preface for this splendid book. I have been teaching for about 30 years, but I learned a tremendous amount reading it. Ms. Roseboro’s concrete examples and illustrations about teaching language arts will help teachers of all ages and subjects. She has learned by doing, by trying creative approaches and then refining the ones that worked the best.

   I’ve always thought that language arts (I teach communication) is one of the most interesting topics to teach. Language arts is about people and relationships, and about stories that can enrich our lives and build common understanding for the good of community and society. Reading this book renewed my love affair with the field. Ms. Roseboro’s own enthusiasm is infectious. I can understand why she is an award-winning teacher and a national board certified instructor.

   I especially hope that new teachers will consider the ways that Ms. Roseboro has integrated deep pedagogical insights with practical teaching skills. It’s easy as a new teacher to get so overwhelmed with daily preparations and classroom activities that one loses track of the theories behind one’s instructional approaches. When it comes to teaching language arts with new literacies in mind, this kind of theoretically disconnected teaching becomes very problematic. Teachers fall prey to the latest “media” fads that are both unproven and usually a waste of time.

   I’m grateful for Ms. Roseboro’s inspiring book. I am honored to have written the preface.

   Quentin J. Schultze, Ph.D., author of How to Write Powerful College Student Resumes and Cover Letters: Secrets That Get Job Interviews Like Magic

3. I recently read “Teaching Middle School Language Arts” and found it to be extremely useful as I prepare to begin student teaching in the fall. The book was well written and easy to understand. While I plan to teach science, not language arts, I found that much of the book and many of the examples within the book will be applicable to my teaching experience, such as the preplanning of lessons and how to successfully engage students.

4. Teaching Language Arts to Middle School Learners is a must-read for my future residents in training and a permanent fixture in my reference library. It’s rare to find a professional development book that guides middle school teachers through whole units of study from the `launch’ to the final assessment. In an era of specialization, Mrs. Roseboro presents a `comprehensive approach to literacy instruction’ by covering all major standards – reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, media, and language (accountable talk). Abundant with teaching strategies, text suggestions, and differentiation techniques, one can prepare to take away from this book a wealth of ideas for future lesson planning.