Re: What should every English teacher know?

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On 8/23/09, Peter wrote:
> After graduating from college with a teaching degree in
> English, I feel woefully unprepared. All of my courses
> focused on theory and very little on the basics, such as
> literature and grammar. I need to develop a strong
> literary background, and I could use your help. What
> authors and titles should every English teacher be familiar
> with?
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For Literature: get a copy of each of these and study it,
a few pages at a time throughout the year:

Norton Anthology of English Literature (1 volume edition)

Norton Anthology of American Literature (1 volume
edition)

For Grammar: Harman (or House and Harman). Descriptive
English Grammar. This is the best text on grammar I have ever
seen. Get the least expensive copy you can find at
Amazon.com. Alternatively or additionally, seek out a
teacher at your school or at another who is delighted with
grammar and have him/her coach you. Diagramming is an
indispensable exercise in teaching and learning grammar. Make
sure you do lots of that.

L. Swilley

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