English Philosophy
Welcome to English Philosophy |
Anne Arundel County Public Schools Philosophy of English Essential to any society is its language and literature. They define and connect us as a people. They enable us to preserve traditions, to create and maintain community, and to envision the future. We believe that through language and literature we understand ourselves, we contribute to society, and we express the human spirit. It is the mission of English teachers to cultivate in each of our students proficiency in and appreciation of language and literature. We believe that instruction in English reflects knowledge about learning. Students learn best through a balance of critical and creative experiences that have purpose and that connect to their personal lives and to society. Within these experiences, students develop their mastery of language and literature through systematic study, continuous practice, and independent application of concepts and skills. We believe that to achieve in our society, students must listen, speak, read, and write in different contexts, for a variety of purposes, with diverse audiences, and across a range of forms. We believe that English teachers share the responsibility for teaching and applying the language arts with teachers in all other content areas. In the English classroom, the content to which students apply these processes of communication includes the study of literature, language, oral and written composition, and rhetoric. We believe that English instruction guides students in formulating and adhering to ethical and aesthetic standards. Students learn that the use of language carries a responsibility to be honest, that ideas and authorship have integrity and deserve recognition, and that judgment of literary merit requires examination of both meaning and craft. We believe that English instruction promotes respect for a breadth of ideas and viewpoints. We believe that English instruction fosters appreciation of an evolving canon of literature, and that the study of literature and language illuminates history, clarifies the present, and anticipates the future. Through their experiences in the English classroom, therefore, students develop their individual voice, refine the knowledge and skills necessary for achieving high standards, participate in a community of learners, and expand the scope of their lives.
English Office