Help me make a self-directed prep course for becoming an English teacher

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I'm considering applying to an Alternate Route or Teaching Fellows type program next year. I have a long time before I have to do anything about it, but I've been out of school a few years, have gone through a bit of a lull in my reading, and I feel like there were big gaps in my English major education to begin with.

I assume that when I write an application essay, when I do interviews, etc., not to mention when I actually become a teacher, I'll need to demonstrate some kind of knowledge and command of literature, and since I have a fair amount of time now, I thought I might make up some sort of a reading program for myself.

Should I go by periods? Would I be better off just focusing on the sorts of books most likely to be read in high school English classes? Is this idea just silly?

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Friday, 2 June 2006 02:35 (eighteen years ago)

perhaps find out what people in the region you want to teach in usually teach? or what they may be required to by a locally-mandated curriculum? that seems more likely to be useful, to me, than woodshedding a lot of things they probably won't care about anyway.

also, get some books on, like, education. i'm totally serious.

― Josh (Josh), Friday, 2 June 2006 02:43 (eighteen years ago)

I guess you should find out about what they expect, but I doubt completism/canonism will matter much to anyone at that level (I suppose it might at the professorial level). I think it might be more useful to familiarize yourself with the more prominent critical debates so that you can break open whatever texts you're presented with in a few focused ways.

My hunch is that you'll get as much out of a text after one reading as the kiddies would after about sixteen, though they will likely have (intermittent) moments of unique insight (how's that for condescension?). Anyways, you'll be fine. Faking it is a not altogether unrespected skill among english teachers, i think. Books on education? meh. Just be affable and press your slacks. They'll never know.

― The Giant Mechanical Ant (The Giant Mechanical Ant), Sunday, 11 June 2006 13:26 (eighteen years ago)

'you only have to stay one class ahead of the students'

― Josh (Josh), Sunday, 11 June 2006 17:17 (eighteen years ago)

Hurting, a good friend of mine did a Teaching Fellow thing a while back and, although he ended up as a math teacher, I think he might have been coming from a similar place to you. He lives in Hoboken, I'll pass along his contact info if you want. In any case, I doubt they are going to subject you to the same requirements that they would if you were going for, say, a PhD in Literatue.

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Sunday, 11 June 2006 17:24 (eighteen years ago)

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