Written by Larry Czer

The first secondary teachers graduated from DMLC in the spring of 1993. The then STEP program was designed as a means to meet the needs of an expanding WELS area Lutheran high school movement. The original concept was to prepare students to serve as either elementary or secondary instructors. The assumption at that time was for these students to serve in an elementary setting prior to receiving a call at the secondary level. Those emphases have changed over the last 25 years. Now our newly minted teachers are entering a field where accreditation, licensure, and credibility are requirements. The English Division at MLC prepares teachers to meet these expectations.

Being an English teacher today requires more than just a passing knowledge of the native tongue. It requires more than being able to read. It requires more than producing functional texts free from grammatical errors. Teachers of English should be well-versed in the many facets of the field. Knowledge of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, public speaking, and writing becomes necessary as these skills populate high school courses. Teachers cannot ignore poetry simply because they don’t like it or understand it. You cannot omit writing components because you lack the confidence to evaluate writing fairly and constructively. Being an English teacher today requires a specialized body of knowledge. No longer should we accept teachers of English just because they speak the language. Just because I drive a car does not make me qualified to fix it.

English teachers need to be lovers of literature. Though it is impossible to read all the great works of literature, English teachers need to be well-read, especially in the literary canon of American academics. This requires more than a brief familiarity with texts; this requires teachers to be constantly reading, not only new works, but the classics as well. As teachers, we need to recommend works to a variety of readers in our classrooms. This means great books as well as popular genre fiction. MLC secondary English education majors are required to read widely in their literature electives, and we hope they have been instilled with a love of literature.

English teachers need to be writers. I am not suggesting that all English teachers need to be writers with a long résumé of published materials. What I am suggesting is that as writers, we can share with our students our struggles and frustrations with the writing process, based not only in theory but also in practice. MLC secondary English education majors have a strong theoretical background in writing pedagogy—the science and art of teaching the nuances of writing. Though we may like to simplify writing, the expectations for college students are only increasing. Today’s student needs to understand the writing process, how writers compose, strategies to edit one’s writing, the importance of fluency and word choice, and the difference between writer-based prose and reader-based prose.

English teachers need to understand the complexities of decoding texts. This includes instruction in reading comprehension and remediation and understanding linguistic practices and anomalies. Addressing the role and function of grammar in reading and writing is a necessary skill. In addition, higher-level readers need to understand the complex nature of fiction and non-fiction texts. Understanding how a story works and its multiple interpretations are part of training for MLC secondary English education majors.

Background knowledge aside, future English teachers also need to practice effective classroom skills, like planning, management, assessment, and curriculum development. Each of these items could be a separate article in and of itself. Integrating language arts into other courses is an emphasis of the MLC secondary English education major. Training versatile and effective teachers for Lutheran secondary schools requires specialized training in a number of areas in the traditional English field. MLC secondary English education majors graduate with 42 credits of English and methods courses beyond their general education requirement. We tell them this work only scratches the surface of what they need to know over the coming years. We encourage professional growth experiences for all English teachers: attending conferences, joining professional organizations, reading professional journals, and enrolling in graduate programs for teaching or for English.

Emphasizing innovative methods for teaching is another goal of our secondary English education major program. Reaching students in this 21st century requires different methods. That doesn’t mean that older methods won’t work—they do. Getting students involved in discussions, distinguishing between fact and opinion, developing and assessing effective writing assignments, and contextualizing a work of literature for the reader are just a few samples of methodology discussions. What we need to recognize is that today’s students react differently to texts—whatever texts they are reading—and English teachers must be equipped with the tools to reach them. MLC secondary English education majors are required to demonstrate new classroom methods in multiple courses.

My objective is that school administrators not make English instructors an afterthought or an add-on to fill out a coaching or other teaching position. English teachers should be revered for the many skill sets they employ on a daily basis. Respect the training and expertise of qualified teachers of English.

Larry Czer (DMLC ’79) serves as an English professor at Martin Luther College.

Please share your thoughts!

• English teachers, your calling demands a wide range of knowledge and skills. What do you find most challenging in your daily teaching of English?
• What new strategy have you found especially effective with your students?
• How can MLC do a better job preparing English teachers for Lutheran high schools?