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Drew and I were colleagues for a few years, and I learned much from him during that time. I continue to learn from him through his ever-thoughtful Substack newsletter, English Teacher Weekly. Even if you teach a different subject, or no longer teach but still care about ideas and books, ETW has something to offer. Every week, I'm surprised and delighted by at least one thing he has gathered, usually more. Earlier this year, he graciously answered some questions about how teaching has changed -- and hasn't -- over the years.
How long have you been teaching English?
Since 2005. I keep wondering if I should try other things, but I’m in love with it.
What has been the biggest change in your experience as a teacher in that time?
A few significant changes I can mention:
The technological shift has been wild.
My teaching has moved significantly from an activity-based approach to a more conversation-centered dynamic. With that, I’ve felt more inspired in following the questions that arise in learning with my students. My hope is that my teaching has gotten simpler over the years. We read, write, and talk–the more the better.
Another change has been having children of my own. I teach at a K-12 school, so I get to be in the same place as my kids. It’s deepened my understanding of my students by giving me a broader scope. I can see them as they were when they were children, if that makes sense. The journey they’re on becomes clearer and more real to me.
Most of us who teach or have taught writing will attest to the sometimes crippling load of grading student essays. How do you approach giving feedback and how did you come to this method?
Feedback on student writing only tends to “land” during the process of writing. After-the-fact comments and marks on a paper don’t do much for the student except justify the grade they received on the assignment. Using models of writing in different phases of the writing process and showing your students how you’re thinking about it can be very instructive. Teaching different writing “moves” during the drafting process–and requiring students to incorporate them in their piece–can be great.
In other words, I think it’s wise to front-load as much feedback as you can. Not only does it save time later, but it helps everybody value writing as a process, not a mere product. Once it’s time to grade a piece of student work, the feedback window is essentially closed. At that point, it’s best to look ahead toward what lessons to take with us into the next round of writing. I’ve found that rubrics can help if used with care and creativity.
One last thing about feedback: having a real audience is probably as important as good feedback–even if it’s just the students in the class. Knowing that your work will be read by people who have some vested interest in the matter enlivens the whole writing process and improves the quality of the work. Nothing kills the writing process faster than thinking that your work is simply destined for the void, in most cases a digital submission platform, never to be seen again.
In the age of genAI, we may be forced to offer a justification for teaching writing. Why does it matter?
Teachers should be obsessed with student learning, and writing is one of the best ways students learn about anything that’s complex. It’s hard to beat writing in its ability to demonstrate a deep understanding of complex matters in a direct, clear way.
So: writing charges our thought process while also allowing for a student to communicate ideas and information in a helpful way for others. That moment of frustration where a student is grasping for the right phrase to express what they want to say is where the learning is happening. Chatbots outsource the struggle, robbing the student of the opportunity to learn.
Education is about human growth within a real human community. Writing is human communication–thought and feeling put into language. I’m not convinced that the latest wave of technology helps us reach our goals. If anything, it provides ways to obfuscate what students feel and know.
My prediction is that people who really know how to write with honesty and dexterity will be in very high demand in the coming years. There is a palpable craving for real human discourse with all of its eccentricities and variations. A humanities classroom is the ideal place to get that kind of stuff.
How do you decide what to include in your newsletter? What types of themes or ideas do you find yourself returning to most frequently?
If it fits within the worlds of literature, education, Christian thought, or the humanities at large, it’s fair game for the newsletter.
What I’m looking for is stuff that piques my interest. I’m working on the assumption that what I find compelling will appeal to others as well. ETW will definitely not appeal to everybody’s tastes, but there’s enough like-minded folks out there to make for a sizable audience. That’s my hope! So the basic reader I have in mind is myself, or a slightly younger version of myself. It took me years to find quality resources within this niche, so now that I’ve got a handle on what’s out there, it’s a pleasure to share it with others.
So some frequent topics? New essays on classic literature, down-to-earth teaching perspectives, advice on how to stay human in a machine age, lots of stuff at the intersection of Christian thought and literature, and fun divergences into the humanities.
I tend to avoid newer fiction and politics. It’s not my specialty and other people can handle it better than I can. But if you’re an English teacher, or would enjoy being friends with one, ETW is for you.
How do we encourage and develop student voice?
A few ways to help foster student voice:
First, teachers should lean into their own distinct voice in their teaching. Your class should be its own cosmos, full of your personality. Students want to be taught by people who are ready and willing to bring their whole selves to class.
Second, a teacher’s default posture should be to celebrate moments of distinction in student work. Aggressive cheerleading.
Third, and somewhat paradoxically, I don’t think a teacher should sweat “student voice” too much. It takes a long time and a lot of words on paper to get comfortable in your own skin as a writer. The primary things a student needs to move toward “voice” is ample opportunities to write and permission to let the freak flag fly.
You recently highlighted a snippet from Keith Johnstone that argued the difference between good teaching and bad teaching is not just one of degrees "...education can be a destructive process and that bad teachers are wrecking talent, and that good and bad teachers are engaged in opposite activities." What do you think is the marker of a good teacher?
You know the old saying “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”? It’s true. People who think of education as a pail-filling activity tend to douse the kindling with water.
But there’s a danger on the other end of the spectrum: Education isn’t mere inspiration or vibes. It’s built on hard-earned knowledge.
I don’t think that answers your question, but I don’t know if there’s one marker of good teaching.
Who were your most influential teachers and why?
My most influential teachers were “permission giving” while holding high expectations.
Mrs. Rector, my AP lit teacher, expected us to contribute to class in meaningful ways. She brought a tremendous amount of life with her into the classroom.
Kemmer Anderson, a friend and mentor of mine, taught me to be as weird as I really am. And that when you expect delight from your students you’ll receive it.
Michael Pettit, a colleague and veteran teacher at my school, taught me that teaching is a journey with the students, that the blessing of simply knowing these young people is more than enough to make a lifelong calling.
All three of these people gave their whole heart to the profession. They didn’t hold back or compromise.
What's a book or two that you've read recently and would recommend?
Some favorites recently:
Fiction:
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
Poetry:
Let’s Call It Home by Luke Harvey
Nonfiction:
More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI by John Warner
Is there an assignment or classroom activity you've found to be especially helpful or reliable?
I’ll go with a classic: having students turn and talk with a neighbor about whatever we’re learning about before moving on is rarely a bad move.
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