Transferring from Elementary to Secondary School English：A Case Study of the Mentoring Support Required by a Teacher in Transition and a Research Proposal Based on the Study.doc

Transferring from Elementary to Secondary School English: A Case Study of the Mentoring Support Required by a Teacher in Transition and a Research Proposal Based on the Study. Philip V. Allingham, Ph. D. Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education 2020 Bora Laskin Lakehead University 955 Oliver Road Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1 philip.allingham@lakeheadu.ca telephone: 807-343-8897 fax: 807-344-6807 Joe Belanger, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Language and Literacy Education The University of British Columbia 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4 joe.belanger@ubc.ca telephone: 604-822-5479 fax: 604-822-3154 Revision of a paper presented at the 28th Annual Canadian society for the Study of Education Conference, Edmonton, Alberta, May 24-27, 2000 October, 2003 Abstract Amy, a teacher with nine years of experience teaching elementary school, a bachelor of arts degree with a major in English, a one-year elementary teaching diploma, and a Master of Education degree in curriculum studies, transferred to a position teaching senior secondary English. This case study documents the support she required between mid-August (two weeks before school opened) and the following May. During the year, one course, English 12, the senior course required by academic students for graduation, commanded most of her attention. Since the Provincial Ministry of Education sets and evaluates a province-wide final examination for English 12 which counts for forty percent of a students’ grade in the course, this course is regarded as a challenge to teach. English 12 required as much preparation time as the classes of English 10, English 11, and Communications 11 (in essence a remedial course) combined. In addition to the English 12 examination, her major problem was a lack of resources, activities, and student materials: she was unable to locate a teachers’ guide for the short story book; the provincially mandated curriculum guide