Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Moving Forward And Looking Back, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

At The Door, Kaya L. Klein

Virginia English Journal

At the Door is about that pause before stepping into the classroom the moment when my worries and doubts wait quietly behind me. It’s about leaving all of that behind so I can be fully present for my students, who come in with curiosity, excitement, and open hearts. Their energy and joy lighten the weight I carry and remind me why I teach. This poem is a celebration of those small, powerful moments when teaching feels meaningful, when students’ laughter and questions make every fear seem smaller, and when I remember why I show up every single day.

A Unique 21st Century Relevant Analysis Of Carter G. Woodson’S The Mis-Education Of The Negro And Teacher Occupational Resilience, Nadrian D. Antoine

Virginia English Journal

This article offers a contemporary analysis of Carter G. Woodson’s The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933), emphasizing its enduring relevance to 21st-century educational challenges and the emerging framework of Teacher Occupational Resilience (TOR). Woodson’s central argument that American schooling functions as a system of psychological conditioning that marginalizes Black identity, history, and agency remains strikingly applicable in modern debates on culturally relevant pedagogy, systemic inequity, and digital‑age misinformation. The article explores Woodson’s critique of leadership, the omission of curriculum, and the reproduction of miseducation by credentialed yet culturally detached Black professionals. It then connects these insights to TOR theory, which …

Using Ai To Build Background Knowledge, Bruce Powers, Keisha Motley

Virginia English Journal

The new technology of AI can be used to address an old need: the building of student background knowledge in order to improve comprehension and maximize ability to make inferences. Examples are shared and discussed.

Teachers Writing Together To Restore Hope And Resist Burnout, Beth M. Lehman

Virginia English Journal

This article invites teachers to consider how the practice of writing, especially in facilitated writing groups designed for teachers, can be an effective activity for processing stress and restoring hope. Attention on teacher writing often focuses on how writing helps teachers to improve their teaching. Here the attention is on the value of writing for teachers themselves. Practices of Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) strengths-based writing groups are described with a focus on Teachers Flourishing through Writing, an online workshop series that the author helped to create. Through analyzing workshop methods and self-reflecting on workshop experiences, the author asserts that …

Beyond Trends: The Potential Influence Of The Ela Teachers Of Tiktok, Heather Lynn Wright, Lauren May

Virginia English Journal

This paper describes a study on content from secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers of TikTok and their potential influence on future teachers. There were two research questions: (1) What information is being dispersed through TikTok specifically for secondary ELA teachers?; (2) What connotations about secondary ELA teaching are implied implicitly or explicitly through the tone of the TikTok creator? TikToks were examined through a three-part framework, considering the constructs of performances (Goffman, 1956), stickiness (Zott et al., 2000), and affinity spaces (Gee, 2004). Using a systematic approach, 50 secondary ELA TikTok accounts were identified and the top 20 …

Apprenticing Towards Deeper Learning In The Ela Classroom: Using Young Adult Literature To Support Students’ Mastery, Identity, And Creativity, Julianna Kershen, Kacy M. Price, Nynke Wimp, Evie Jackson, Kaitlin Rogers

Virginia English Journal

This practitioner focused article highlights the perspectives of pre-service teachers and undergraduate researchers investigating the kinds of learning interactions and instructional decisions that result in deeper learning outcomes for high school students. Deeper learning outcomes are often described as 21^st century skills, including mastery learning, support of holistic and scholarly student identities, and the ability to engage collaboratively with critical and creative problem-solving skills. The authors suggest a series of young adult literature texts that can serve as springboards into project-based learning opportunities that provide authentic and real world-connected activities, iterative cycles of learning, peer-peer collaboration, and in-depth disciplinary …

Letter From The Editor's Desk, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Call To Submissions Volume 74, Issue 1, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Reviving Independent Reading: A Review Of Just Read It, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

This is a book review of Just Read It: Unlocking the Magic of Independent Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms by Jarred Amato in 2024. Reviewed by a high school Reading Specialist, this thorough review of Amato's book for educators includes many strategies and tools for having an effective independent reading program in the classroom.

Letting Students Amaze Us: Teaching For Success In A 4th Grade Classroom, William D. Smyth

Virginia English Journal

A look back at a year in a 4th grade classroom with highly motivated students that came about when a former student, now 48 years old, returned home to visit his 4th grade teacher. According to this student, this was the seminal year that launched his engineering career that he now enjoys in Portland, Oregon. And, speaking for others, this was the turning point in his classmates' educational journeys too.

Fixing Our Failures With Data: Data Literacy And Global Issues In A Middle School Novel Study, Mary Grace Scartz

Virginia English Journal

This paper explains the rationale behind and need for teaching data literacy approaches in an English classroom. It outlines a unit of study based on the book by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohammad, When Stars are Scattered, which follows the true story of Omar as he navigates education and family responsibilities in a refugee camp in Kenya. Because of the relevant and important global challenges that arise in the story, students need a wealth of background knowledge to approach the text. This paper argues that this background knowledge is best delivered through the use of real-world data about refugees …

Language As Power In Angeline Boulley's Firekeeper's Daughter, Liz Shanks

Virginia English Journal

Angeline Boulley's Firekeeper's Daughter offers a fresh counternarrative for students in the ELA classroom, opening new doors for students to see themselves and others more accurately reflected in a thrilling, page-turning novel. This article dives into the way power manifests in educational systems, and how students can advocate for themselves in such educational settings through Boulley's novel.

The Furious Flower Poetry Center: Teaching The Worlds Of Black Poetry To High School Students, Mary Beth Cancienne Phd, Hermione Dewitt, Zoe Mcdowell, Kaleigh D. Phelps, Liz Shanks James Madison University

Virginia English Journal

This article titled The Furious Flower Poetry Center: Teaching the Worlds of Black Poetry to High School Students features lesson plans that high school English graduate candidates wrote in a high school English methods course after participating in the decennial Furious Flower Poetry Conference in September of 2024 at James Madison University. High School poetry lessons featured are based on the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks, Jericho Brown, Nikki Giovanni, Sophia Elhillo, DaMaris B. Hill, Darrel Alejandro Holnes, and Yalie Kamara. Poetic themes and craft taught and discussed in the lesson plans include identity, language, culture, hope, symbolism, tone, diction, and …

A Model Research Synthesis Essay: Gender Justice In Contemporary Texts In Conversation With Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Jennifer Golobic

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Reflections From A Summer Literacy Intervention: Unlocking A Love Of Literacy In Struggling Readers, Rory K. Cantwell, Jenny M. Martin

Virginia English Journal

Summer literacy interventions offer a solution to the devastating impacts that summer literacy loss can have on struggling readers and writers. However, these interventions should consider the impact of student attitudes towards literacy on their learning and strive to develop positive associations between literacy and enjoyment. Camp Curious, a summer literacy intervention developed as a collaboration between the Virginia Association of Teachers of English and Shrine Mont, a retreat and conference center, embodies this idea. The intervention, in the form of a week-long camp experience, strives to provide third through sixth graders with positive and varied experiences related to literacy. …

Windows Into Refugee Lives: Using Graphic Novels To Cultivate Empathy And Understanding Across K-12 Classrooms, Donna Fortune, Anna Kambach

Virginia English Journal

Graphic novels, like When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar

Mohamed, provides a powerful gateway for teachers to foster empathy and understanding with K12 students. This article explores how graphic novels combine visual storytelling with text to engage learners of all ages in discussions about refugee experiences. By integrating reflective activities and critical literacy strategies adaptable across grade levels, educators can use graphic novels to build cultural awareness, deepen comprehension, and inspire students to connect with global issues meaningfully. The article offers grade-specific implementation strategies that can be scaled appropriately for elementary, middle, and high school contexts.

Vej Volume 73 Issue 2 - Letter From The Editor's Desk

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Avoiding The Dreaded Packet: The Impact Of Guided Notes On Student Confidence And Quality Of Poetic Annotations In An 11th Grade Ap Language And Composition Classroom., Kaleigh D. Phelps

Virginia English Journal

This article presents findings from an action research study conducted in a 11th Grade AP Language and Composition classroom on the impact of guided notes on confidence and quality of student work. The data indicates a substantial need for transfer skills in the English classroom.

Volume 73: Issue 1 - Letter From The Editor's Desk, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Literacy Warriors: Engaging Our Community In The Fight For Literacy, Monica Rene Manns, Diane Saunders

Virginia English Journal

The Literacy Warriors initiative is designed to address the pervasive issue of illiteracy in underserved communities through innovative, community-driven strategies. Rooted in the evidence-based methodologies of Marva Collins and Orton-Gillingham, the program equips community members—referred to as Literacy Warriors—with the skills to teach foundational literacy, including phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Recognizing literacy as a tool for equity, empowerment, and social justice, this initiative emphasizes culturally affirming practices that resonate with the lived experiences of Black and marginalized students. The program also addresses a critical gap: many Literacy Warriors themselves were not taught phonics due to past whole-language initiatives, which …

Unlocking Ela For All Students With Drama Activities, Natalie Tasillo

Virginia English Journal

Introducing drama activities into ELA classes can spark creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration for all students. They offer inclusive alternatives to traditional ELA activities and support successful learning experiences for all students. Several drama activities that are accessible to many students experiencing challenges are provided with suggestions for how they can benefit ELA classrooms.

Reading The Players: Developing Critical Consumers Of Sports Media, Katie Dredger, Katherin Garland, Crystal L. Beach

Virginia English Journal

Sports media is ubiquitous, and English Language Arts (ELA) teachers can use topics around current sporting activities and events in the classroom to engage readers and to teach skills of critical media literacy. Serving as a primer on critical media literacy, this article, grounded in educational theory, gives practical and easily accessible texts and creative lesson ideas to spark engagement, build community, encourage collaboration and foster achievement in secondary ELA classrooms.

The Badge He Wore, Kaya L. Klein

Virginia English Journal

"The Badge He Wore" is a poignant reflection on sacrifice, duty, and love. Through vivid imagery, the poem portrays the badge as more than metal—a symbol of a protector’s unyielding promise to serve others. It explores the weight of responsibility, the courage to face fear, and the ultimate act of laying down one’s life for another. The badge becomes a testament to a life of selflessness, a bond with the people it protects, and a legacy of a hero who gave all. This piece honors the humanity behind the badge, reminding us of the cost of true bravery.

Poem: "Meditation On Glass (Or, The Necessity Of English Teachers)", Joseph M. Jablonski

Virginia English Journal

A poem about English Teachers from a street poet.

Finding “Heart, Hope, And Humanity” At The 2024 Ncte Annual Convention, Hermione Dewitt, Ellie Fisher, Zoe Mcdowell, Kaleigh D. Phelps, Liz Shanks, Haley Smiley, Mark A. Lewis, Melanie Shoffner

Virginia English Journal

Six teacher candidates from James Madison University’s secondary ELA teacher education program reflect on their take-aways from the 2024 NCTE Annual Convention through the lens of the convention theme: Heart, Hope, and Humanity.

Call For Submissions: Volume 73: Issue 2

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Volume 73, Issue 1: Unlocking Opportunities For All - Community, Collaboration, And Creativity, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Your Own Where I'M From Poem: Community Building Writing Lesson, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

Teacher created lesson plan, printable worksheet and rubric for using George Ella Lyon's "Where I'm From" poem to build community in the classroom.

Book Review: Critical Thinking In The Elementary Classroom: Engaging Young Minds With Meaningful Content., Jodi Bailey

Virginia English Journal

This is a book review of Critical Thinking In The Elementary Classrooms: Engaging Young Minds With Meaningful Content, a practical framework geared towards teachers and school leaders focused on implementing critical thinking in all content areas with the youngest learners.