English Department

Welcome	The Program
Degree Requirements and Courses	Meet the Faculty Members
2008 Creative Writing Contest Winners	Current News

The Program

The study of literature disciplines the intellect and teaches us to comprehend the world. Employers want people who respect and understand the diversity of human experience, who can communicate directly and clearly, and who can take on responsibility, initiate change, and solve problems independently.

The discipline of English seeks to define what it is to be human by scrutinizing both real and imagined experience; by teaching us how to think creatively and critically, using our interpretive and analytical abilities; and by teaching us valuable lessons about the human experience—that things may not be as they appear, that language can be both powerful and playful, that even as we differ, humans share many important values.

Students who choose to major in English will have access to excellent resources: a talented, friendly faculty, small class sizes, well-equipped facilities, and good library collections. Graduates of the department have gone on to work in teaching, publishing, law, business, industry and government.

We offer two majors, one in British and American Literature and on for Secondary Certification. In addition, many Elementary Education students choose English as their specialization. For all our majors, EN 161 is the first course: Introduction to Literary Analysis.

The English major requires a minimum of 39 hours of course work; the minor requires 18 hours.

The English Department offers two “open” courses (EN 200 and EN 430), which have recently included Women Writers, Studies in Comedy and Murder and Mayhem. We publish a literary magazine, VORTEX, a project of EN 252 (Craft of Writing I). All students must complete a three-hour seminar of their own choosing.

Department of Education Vision Statement
In its Teacher Education Program, Blackburn College seeks to affirm its fundamental belief that a liberal arts education, in connection with its unique student-managed work program, provides candidates the best preparation for a rapidly changing school situation. We believe teaching is a dynamic field of human endeavor, and we strive to prepare teachers who are able to critically and consistently assess, improve, and enhance their teaching techniques and content knowledge.

Department of Education Mission Statement
The Department of Education is committed to a strong teacher preparation program designed to cultivate candidates’ personal commitment to excellence in teaching by preparing caring and reflective classroom educators, who use their professional knowledge and skills to facilitate student learning and promote positive educational experiences for all students.

Candidate Performance Objectives

1. Candidates will endorse, through the routines, structures, and expectations of the program, the vision of teaching portrayed by state, national and Blackburn College standards.
2. Candidates will integrate their knowledge of subjects, students, community, and curriculum to create a bridge between learning goals and students’ lives.
3. Candidates will demonstrate the ability to integrate instructional and informational technologies into professional practice.
4. Candidates will be committed to principles of equity and social justice and provide evidence of such in their practice and in relationships with others and the community.
5. Candidates will demonstrate the use of creative and critical thinking skills, as well as effective oral and written communication skills in the classroom and in professional dialogue.
6. Candidates will make individual and collaborative professional decisions based upon knowledge, reflection, ethical consideration, theory and research, and wisdom of practice.
7. Candidates will assume roles that extend beyond the classroom and include responsibilities for connecting to professionals and parents, developing the school as a learning organization, and using community resources to foster the education and welfare of students.
8. Candidates will demonstrate responsibility for planning and pursuing their ongoing learning, for reflecting on his or her practice with colleagues, and for contributing to the profession’s knowledge base.