English Secondary Education
English Education
You will notice that the English Education program has its own acronym — XEE. This acronym is frequently used in email, letters, and other forms of communication.
The English Education major at the University of Delaware is a unique, innovative, and nationally-accredited program for individuals seeking to become secondary English teachers (grades 7-12). At UD, English Education majors learn by teaching—early and often, even as early as their first year. UD English Education majors graduate with at least 5 field experiences on their résumés and are prepared to teach using methods that are responsive to the communities they serve.
The UD English Education program is a four-year undergraduate major and is distinguished by a strong faculty and a rigorous program of study. The English Education faculty are committed to preparing future teachers who can support youth from diverse backgrounds. Our carefully designed program prepares teacher candidates with a broad and deep knowledge of English language, literature, and pedagogy and includes courses in Young Adult literature, literacy and technology, writing, linguistics, public speaking, grammar, adolescent development, special education, and diversity. Our students have been extremely successful in finding teaching positions immediately following graduation.
Upon completion of coursework, student teaching, and state-mandated tests, you will have the necessary requirements for licensure in Delaware and other states that have comparable requirements. Requirements from each state are different, so we encourage you to meet with UD's certification officer to determine the process for state(s) that you are interested in teaching in (see Certification and Licensure page).
English Education majors have the opportunity to pursue a year-long, paid residency in place of traditional student teaching. Based on the medical residency model, this program gives students the opportunity to teach alongside an effective teacher-mentor in a high-needs classroom as they engage in a carefully aligned sequence of academic coursework. Teacher residents receive considerable stipends and commit to teaching in their resident districts for three years after their UD graduation.
For more information, visit UD's Teacher Residency Page.
ENGLISH EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Professor Deborah A. Bieler is a former high school English teacher and college writing center director whose scholarship, teaching, and activism focus on the preparation and retention of equity-oriented, antiracist secondary English teachers. Along with many peer-reviewed journal articles, she is the author of The Power of Teacher Talk: Promoting Equity and Retention Through Student Interactions (Teachers College Press, 2019), which received the 2020 Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Division K. Her other awards include the UD College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award (2019), the UD Excellence in Advising Award (2009), and the UD E.A. Trabant Award for Women's Equity (2010).
Kisha Porcher
Student Teaching Coordinator
Office: 025 Memorial Hall
Associate Professor Kisha Porcher has served as a high school English Language Arts teacher, International Baccalaureate Coordinator, Senior Educational Consultant and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice. She holds a B.A. in English and Secondary Education from Spelman College, M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College Columbia University, and Ph.D in Teaching and Teacher Education from George Mason University. She is co-host of the award-winning Black Gaze Podcast. Her research focuses on three interrelated areas: (1) unpacking self as foundational to teaching and learning, (2) exploration of assets and conditions of Black students and communities, and (3) centering Blackness in community-engaged learning and teaching.
Finish in Four
For English Education majors, completing your coursework and certification requirements in four years is a financial benefit. Many universities require education majors to complete a fifth year in order to master both content and pedagogy, but at UD, you can complete your degree and licensure (grades 7-12 ELA) in four years. Or, you can choose a 4+1 program to become dual certified in both English and a second area, such as Special Education or Teaching English as a Second Language, in five years.
Get a Job
UD English Education graduates are highly sought after. From 2016-2020, 91% of XEE alumni survey respondents were employed as full-time teachers; approximately 5% were employed in other fields, and the rest were full time graduate students.
English Education majors work for social justice and equity
Graduating on time is important, as is getting a job. But more than that, teaching is a powerful way to make a difference in the world. The English Education Program at UD is committed to preparing a new generation of secondary English teachers who are highly knowledgeable about English, are able to plan for and carry out effective instruction, and seek to reflect on their pedagogical practice. They also demonstrate a knowledge of and responsiveness to their students' home cultures, implement anti-racist pedagogy, and work for equity beyond their own classrooms--in their schools, districts, and communities.
“XEE taught me to center and acknowledge the humanity and criticality of this work. Empathetic and equity-based teaching was not only studied but modeled by the remarkable professors of this program, enabling me to enter into urban secondary education with the necessary tools to develop rigorous curricula, implement differentiated instruction, build genuine student connections, and work in team-oriented spaces."
-Edward Benner, class of 2021
English Education majors take dynamic classes and start working with secondary students early on
Our carefully designed, innovative, nationally-accredited program prepares teacher candidates with a broad and deep knowledge of English language, literature, and pedagogy and includes courses in young adult literature, literacy and technology, writing, linguistics, public speaking, grammar, adolescent development, special education, and diversity. Further, we immerse UD English Education majors in teaching early and often, starting with their first year in our introductory course, in our partnership with Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington. At Howard, we have worked alongside students and teachers in different ways over the years, helping students improve their SAT scores, write and perform spoken word poetry as part of a Howard Renaissance project, and design their Howard Cares project to impact a local community. Over the course of their time in the major, UD English Education teacher candidates graduate with at least 5 field experiences on their résumés.
“Since I'm a Howard High School of Technology alumna, going back to Howard was a great experience and a great reminder of why I went into education. The Howard placement was so hands-on; it helped me get a sense of what teaching will really be like. Placements over the four years were challenging, and they helped me solidify my goals as an educator."
-Lisa Alexander, class of 2022
For All Students
We are excited that you have selected English Education as your major at the University of Delaware. Our program is a sequence of courses that are intended to provide you with the content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge to be an effective classroom teacher of English Language Arts for grades 7 -12.
As an XEE student you will be assigned a full-time XEE faculty member as your academic advisor. Your advisor's name and contact information can be found on your personal UDSIS account. We recommend that you schedule an appointment with your academic advisor prior to registration for each semester to plan your coursework.
The XEE program has various requirements and expectations in addition to the required coursework. It is vital that you check your udel.edu email, as we use it as our primary mode of communication.
You will notice that the English Education program has its own acronym — XEE. This acronym is frequently used in email, letters, and other forms of communication.
Incoming Freshmen/First-Year Students
Prior to the start of the fall term, the English Department hosts a meeting for students in all of the English majors. At this meeting, you will receive information about courses, advising, and the English Department in general.
Immediately following this meeting, the XEE faculty meet with XEE majors to provide specific information about the XEE program, advising, and answer any questions about the XEE program. It is very important to attend this meeting to become quickly acquainted with the program.
Current UD Students Changing their Major to XEE
Please note that there are no requirements or restrictions for entrance to the XEE program. If you want to switch majors, you simply complete a change of major form. Once your major has been changed to XEE, you will be assigned an XEE faculty member as your academic advisor. It is very important that you make an appointment with your new advisor as soon as possible to review current and past coursework and plan the sequence of courses necessary to fulfill all the requirements for licensure.
Students from UD's Associate in Arts Program and Transfer Students from Other Colleges/Universities
Once you have been admitted to UD as an English Education major and have completed the course transfer process you will be contacted by the XEE coordinator requesting to meet with you to explain the XEE program and answer any questions you may have. You will be assigned an XEE faculty member as an academic advisor at this time.
Testing
English Education teacher candidates must take and pass the Praxis II test (English Language Arts: Content Knowledge [5038]) in order to be recommended for certification. We recommend that you take this test in fall or winter of your senior year. More information about the test is available on the ETS website. Many states, including Delaware, also require that teacher candidates pass an externally-assessed portfolio test in order to receive certification. More information about the portfolio test, the edTPA, is available on the edTPA website. While these assessments are independent of UD's English Education program, our coursework and field experiences will prepare you well with the skills and knowledge you need to meet these requirements.
GPA
The state of Delaware also requires that certain "college-ready" requirements be met by all teacher candidates. UD's "Entry Into Student Teaching" page has information about GPA/college-ready testing requirements. Should an English Education teacher candidate not meet the university-wide GPA requirement and not be able to pass a college-ready test with the required score, they have the right to appeal to the English Education faculty for a waiver (allowable for up to 10% of the cohort). The intention of this policy is to make allowances for promising teachers to get additional support and to remove barriers for them. This policy is not intended to assist teacher candidates who demonstrate serious academic, dispositions, or other issues. Please note that a waiver for entry to student teaching is not guaranteed.
Information about obtaining teaching certification, including a helpful booklet specifically for English Education majors, can be found on the website of the Office of Certification and Accreditation.
UD students wishing to teach in states other than Delaware should research the certification requirements of the state/s of interest. Requirements between states are different, so we encourage you to locate the requirements for licensure from the individual states' websites such as the following: The Pennsylvania Department of Education, New Jersey Licensure & Credentials, New York State Education Department Certification, and Maryland State Department of Education Certification. You can also schedule a meeting with UD's Certification Officer (information linked on the website above).
Clinical Educators
Clinical educators, formerly known as cooperating teachers, are vital to the success of our students during their student teaching experience. If you are a secondary teacher interested in mentoring a UD English Education teacher candidate, the first step is to notify your principal and/or school district Human Resources Office. Administrators can then connect with UD's Office of Clinical Studies.
If a student teacher is placed with you, your candidate's field instructor will host a meeting in the fall with you and your candidate to review requirements and expectations.
English Education majors work with dedicated, knowledgeable, award-winning faculty
Professor Jill Ewing Flynn taught middle and high school English for nine years before coming to UD, where her research and teaching interests center on critical multicultural education and equity, primarily on how teachers can engage with students in productive discussions about race. She won the university's Excellence in Teaching Award in 2020, as well as the College of Arts and Science's Advocacy Award (2020) and Advising Award (2017). In addition to research articles, she has published a co-edited volume on women's experiences in higher education Feminism and Intersectionality in Academia (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2018) and worked with Bill Lewis and two XEE program alumni, Casey Montigney and Taria Pritchett (both XEE '12) on the resource toolkit Using Quad Text Sets to Teach for Social Justice and Equity in ELA Classrooms.
Professor William Lewis, whose primary appointment is in UD's School of Education, taught high school English in Pennsylvania public schools for 20 years before coming to University of Delaware, where his teaching and research focus on secondary disciplinary literacy, argumentation, and English language arts methods. He won the University's Excellence in Teaching Award (2019), the College of Education and Human Development's Excellence in Teaching Award (2017), and the School of Education's Outstanding Faculty Award (2015). Along with numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, he is the co-author of two books on adolescent literacy instruction: Cracking the Common Core: Choosing and Using Texts in Grades 6-12 (Guilford, 2014) and Literacy Instruction with Disciplinary Texts: Strategies for Grades 6-12 (Guilford, 2021).
