I. Rationale: This school-based inquiry project is to not only get you talking to real practitioners in the field of education and the teaching of literature. The project will consist of three separate elements. All must be submitted for a grade.
II. Process: You will need to interview TWO SECONDARY LANGUAGE ARTS teachers who are currently practicing in either public or private schools -- no administration. And, if you pick a parent or sibling, you only get ONE. The goal is to get you beyond what you might already know or be familiar with.
NOTE: If you choose to talk to a teacher who works for a charter school you can only talk to one. You cannot talk to two teachers from a charter school. You will also need to talk to at least one teacher from traditional public school. Also, you will be expected to interview teachers from DIFFERENT schools. The teachers may work in the same district, but CANNOT work in the same school.
You are to come up with a list of 15-20 questions to use during the interview. Ultimately, you will be submitting these questions as part of your assessment. The questions should be more than simple "yes" or "no" questions. The questions should be based on your readings and discussions in class, fashioned in such a way as to illicit thought-provoking responses from the interviewee(s).
As you develop your list, consider areas in literature education that you find most interesting. For example, if you have an interest in social justice education, perhaps you could fashion three-four questions related to the topic, questions probing both sides of the issue and/or how the interviewee feels about the issue. You could create interview questions that focus on his or her approach to teaching literature, curriculum, discussion leading, activities, etc. In a list of 15-20 questions, consider dealing with at least three to four different topics.
In short, stick to issues connected to language arts and the teaching of literature. You should NOT be focusing on creative writing or issues that have little to do with the essence of this course.
In addition, for accountability purposes, you will need to submit the teachers' names, schools, & levels they work at within that school. Put this information at the top of your interview questions sheet. Without these, the paper will be considered INCOMPLETE/ZERO.
Through your classroom visits/interview and write up, demonstrate a high level of professional conduct, awareness of the complexity of the teaching process, and respect for the expertise and confidentiality of the teacher your observe.
Lastly: I strongly encourage you to meet with the interviewees face to face. Doing an interview like this over the phone and/or via email simply does not produce the same results. Look for ways to make the process work for both you and your interviewee.
III. Product: You will be submitting a 7-8 page product that will include the following:
1. Three-four page* in-depth SUMMARY of the interviews making specific references to your interview and to the interviewees. In the SUMMARY, stick to the facts. You do not need to draw conclusions. Save deeper thoughts, observations, etc., for the reflective element of the assignment.
NOTE: Make sure to use quotes, partial quotes, and/or indirect quotes from the teachers during in the SUMMARY. Without quotes/teacher voice, the grade for the summary will be affected.
Also, take care that you do not offer the reader a "laundry-list" of ideas/quotes, etc. This needs to be written in a thoughtful manner. Avoid things like: "For question number one, I asked 'How do you feel about inclusion?' Then, they said, 'I feel bad'. Then, I asked them how they felt about . . ."
2. Three-four page* PERSONAL REFLECTION based on these interviews, text, and the course packet. This is a narrative approach, an "I-centered" response indicating to me your feelings, observations, etc. about the interviewees and various topics raised during the interviews.
In the PERSONAL REFLECTION, you can start to make observations/comments/conclusions regarding what you think you learned as a result of talking to the teachers, the assignment, and as a result of your investigation of outside resources.
In particular, you should be COMPARING & CONTRASTING the teachers and reflecting on how they do and do not relate, or on whether you feel they are "with it" when it comes to the big 'teaching literature' picture and/or the issues raised during your investigation. You should pick things the teachers said/how the feel and reflect on those feelings. In particular: Do NOT be afraid to scrutinize what these teachers are saying, thinking, doing, etc., when it comes to the critical issues/ideas raised in class. That is the point: evaluation and reflection.
As you are interviewing/writing/reflecting, consider some of the following: What did you learn specifically about teaching, these teachers, or maybe even teachers as a whole? Did you find the people you interviewed were "up- to-date", "realistic" or not about the topics you discussed? Did you get a sense that anyone outside of this class is concerned with these issues? If so, what about this project led you to this conclusion? Also, what specific strategies did you see these teachers use that dealt with critical issues such as those raised in class? In your opinion, are they effective? Why/why not? Are these teachers realistic? Are they knowledgeable? What do you think they feel is the 'purpose of education' or schooling?
In the end, be honest, and make sure that you stick to issues related to this class. For instance, there is no real need to discuss classroom management strategies, etc. I am NOT interested in how the teachers looked, whether they smiled during the interview. Stick to critical issues raised in ENG 480: stick to literature, the teaching of literature, and/or how teaching of literature connects to social justice issues raised in class, etc.
IV. Other Requirements : As always you will be assessed on the quality of your writing. Also, you will be expected to quote directly and indirectly from the interviewees. As the reader I want to hear their "voice" in the assignment. Everything must be typed & following usual class format (1" margins, 12-point font, double-spaced) Without submitting the questions you will automatically lose 5% off the final assignment grade.
NOTE: You are to turn in TWO copies of your final paper. I will assess one, then hand it back. The other will be filed. If I do not get two copies, you will not receive credit for the assignment.
Also, besides referring to your interviewees, you will also need to provide additional support from resources, particularly in the PERSONAL REFLECTION. In other words, draw upon ideas raised by Webb, Christensen, class. The goal is to make connections: to tie this classroom and its content to the 'real world' of teaching. To do this, you must draw upon resources/support to add dimension to you conclusions and overall discussion.
This said, for this research project, I expect to see at least SIX to EIGHT RELEVANT SCHOLARLY RESOURCES cited in the final draft. Again, this is a research project. Look to tie your findings/thoughts to the findings/thoughts of others in the profession. Make sure to use proper citation format -- MLA -- and be sure to include a "Works Cited" page.
Without additional citations, your grade can be affected. Your sources must also be varied. By this I mean that you cannot rely too heavily on just one type of resource. So, for this project: No more than TWO web sites*; at least one book; and at least one scholarly journal. I'll explain this in more detail in class.
III.
Topic Areas:
Here are some possible topics of discussion during your interviews:
Brief Description of an "A" project: Overall, the
writing is extremely well written; the content flows without problem by
being well organized; attention to categorization of ideas obvious; the
writer exhibits a sophisticated control of language, diction, voice/tone;
the writing is exceptionally engaging, clear, and focused / The writer
clearly illustrates critical thinking about the topic/issue by using relevant
facts and information; the main ideas/opinions are stated clearly and
is convincing; supporting information is abundant; appropriate and main
ideas are accurate; as a whole, the writing is logical/rational; and,
the writer makes specific references to source material and/or examples
/ Attention to presentation obvious, little to no problems at all with
mechanics or grammar and conventions contribute to the effect of the presentation.
A "B" grade means that the student might meet the requirements,
but still lacks in some of the more critical areas reflective of "A"
quality work; a "C" grade likely meets some of the criteria/requirements,
but leaves too many questions regarding support, quality, critical thinking,
analysis, etc.; a "D" grade likely reflects considerable problems
and/or poor quality of work, lacking content/support, critical thought,
etc.