NCTE offers consultants and services on literature instruction that when used together, provide extended learning opportunities for teachers and makes a positive impact on learning. These opportunities include the Pathways Program, Web Seminars, Resource Kits and books on literature for study groups.
Consultants are available to present one-day or multi-day presentations or provide year-round consulting. All workshops and presentations can be customized to meet your specific needs.
To Request NCTE Professional Development Services, complete
the Online Request Form, call 800-369-6283 or email us today!
Teaching the Classics in the Inclusive Classrooms
Consultant: Katherine McKnight
Grade Level: 6-12
This presentation is based on the material in Teaching the Lliterature Classics in the Inclusive Classroom, grades 6-12. Jossey Bass. The classics are not too difficult for our students to read, understand, and appreciate when the appropriate teaching strategies were used. This book contains discussion, teaching ideas, and full lessons that were developed by the presenter who has experience teaching in diverse middle and secondary high school classrooms. All of the lessons and ideas were developed through her teaching experience and encourage students to be active readers and learners as they experience the rich human experience of these literature classics.
Teaching Literature / “New Writers, New Readers—Voices of a New Generation”
Consultant: Susanne Rubenstein
Audience: 9–12 Teachers
This workshop offers high school teachers a rationale for integrating contemporary literature (1970’s to the present) into the curriculum, along with the materials and classroom activities to make this addition successful. This literature includes minimalist fiction (with a special emphasis on Raymond Carver), “Brat Pack” fiction, the writing of the Vietnam War, diverse voices, New Journalism, and work by the newest writers of the 21st century, and the workshop can be tailored to include any or all of the above. As a supplement to the more traditional curriculum, this “new literature” has the potential to turn reluctant readers into eager readers because it addresses the concerns and issues of adolescents today in language that speaks to them.
Through the Back Door: Appreciating Poetry by Writing It (3-12)
Consultant: Ingrid Wendt
Audiences: Teachers, Administrators, Students, Student Assemblies
Comfortable with groups of all ages and sizes, poet Ingrid Wendt – author of the teaching guide Starting with Little Things -- leads her audiences, through meaningful word play, into “aha” moments: I can do this! With age-appropriate free-form poems as models, participants will experiment with such poetic conventions as the “protest poem,” the “big brag,” “self-portraits,” and the “letter poem,” discovering how poems can come from real-life experience. Time permiting, participants also play with such formal elements as metaphor and repetition, leading to greater appreciation of what they read.
Linking Literature and Mathematics in Meaningful Ways
This session by David and Phyllis Whitin focuses on how children’s literature can be a powerful vehicle for children to discuss and explore important mathematical ideas. David and Phyllis will outline a rationale for integrating literature and mathematics and criteria for selecting math-related books. They will acquaint participants with some of the best books currently available, and share examples of how teachers have used these books in interesting ways with their students. View the workshop agendas from a recent event in Lancaster, South Carolina.