Subject Expert

Introduction 

Over the course of my teaching journey, I have made significant strides in developing my subject expertise in teaching English. One of the key areas where I have grown is in my understanding and ability to teach grammar. Although I already knew how to use grammar, I had rarely been explicitly taught it myself. When I began teaching, I had to learn what Dutch students typically learn and what they struggle with. Initially, I relied heavily on pre-written grammar explanations that I would repeat almost word for word, but over time, I’ve become much more comfortable and now explain grammar more naturally and confidently. I have also developed my personal way of explaining grammar in my own words and adapted to student needs. Early in my career, I was afraid of making mistakes or giving the wrong answer regarding a rule or exception I didn’t know. But with time and practice, I’ve become much more at ease, and teaching grammar or explaining difficult concepts now feels natural. Working with different methods, as well as developing my own curriculum, has allowed me to shape a broader vision for teaching English.

In addition to grammar, I have developed a deep understanding of how to structure English lessons for students who are new to the language, focusing on what they need to learn and in what order. My experience creating a reading and writing curriculum allowed me to apply my knowledge of literature, reading, and writing, which further enhanced my understanding of how these topics interconnect and how they are taught within the Dutch education system.

Looking ahead, I aim to deepen my knowledge by exploring phonics and the science of reading, which will help me better support students as they develop their reading and writing skills. My goal is to reduce their reliance on memorization and help them grasp language more effectively. However, I’m still navigating how to best balance this within the time constraints and expectations of the education system and I amcurious of the possibilities of the new national curriculum coming out next year.

Developing a Reading and Writing Curriculum

My subject expertise is demonstrated through the development of a comprehensive reading and writing curriculum, which was deeply influenced by my own experiences learning English in high school, my literature studies in CEGEP (College in Quebec, Canada), and my literary research. Observing that students lacked motivation to read and understanding how reading can serve as the foundation for strong writing skills, I crafted a curriculum that strategically integrated reading comprehension with writing instruction (Graham & Perin, 2007; Corner, 2020). This curriculum was designed not only to enhance students' literary analysis skills but also to guide them through different levels of writing, from informal to formal tasks.

The structure of the curriculum reflects my expertise in scaffolding essential English skills (Corner, 2020; Bilyeu, 1982; Graham & Perin, 2007). It begins with informal writing, such as creating a picture book. Students apply their understanding of narrative elements, including plot, character development, and themes, in a creative way while still receiving step-by-step guidance. This helps build foundational writing skills in a low-pressure context, encouraging creativity and reinforcing their understanding of literary elements. As students progress, they move toward more semi-formal writing tasks, such as responding to a book, which helps them practice analysis while incorporating their personal interpretations.

The final stage of the curriculum focuses on formal writing, culminating in an argumentative essay—a critical skill for upper-level English education. This essay is written in parts, with a focus on understanding the structure and logic of argumentation. I guided students through the process of constructing clear, evidence-based arguments while teaching them how to analyze literary texts and connect those analyses to their thesis. The first step was learning what is considered good evidence accompanied with watching a dystopian movie (Picture # 1). The second step is learning how to write an introduction based on the inverted pyramid model (Pictures # 2). The same steps are followed for the body paragraphs, adding evidence and conclusion where students are presented to the format, get to see examples, practice the format and then apply to their own work (see pictures # 3).The step-by-step feedback (students get to discuss what they are writing and I read their writing and give feedback at every stage of the writing process)students received during the drafting process reflects my understanding of how to teach the formal structure of writing while ensuring that students feel supported at every stage (Tomilson, 2017; Ur, 2013; Geerts & Kralingen, 2018). This kind of formal writing is crucial not only for success in higher-level English but also in other subject areas that require analytical thinking and structured writing (Ernst, Hodge & Yoshinobu, 2017; McTighe & Wiggins, 2013). 

Throughout the curriculum, my expertise in English language content is evident in the way I guide students through the development of their reading comprehension, literary analysis, and writing. Each stage of the curriculum is carefully designed to help students build their skills progressively, providing a strong foundation for the advanced literary studies they will encounter in the upper levels. By the time they complete the curriculum, students are not only familiar with the critical literary elements needed for advanced analysis but also equipped with the writing skills required to express their ideas clearly and effectively (Ernst, Hodge & Yoshinobu, 2017; McTighe & Wiggins, 2013).

This curriculum reflects my deep subject expertise in English, particularly in the areas of literary analysis, reading comprehension, and formal writing. It is built on my understanding of how these skills interact and how they can be taught in a way that is accessible to students while challenging them to grow. The clear progression from informal to formal writing, with a strong emphasis on feedback and structure, ensures that students are prepared not only for upper-level English but also for other academic subjects that require critical thinking and effective communication.

Literary choices (Reading and Writing Curriculum)

In designing my English curriculum, I chose a novel-independent structure to ensure that learning objectives remained accessible and relevant to all students, regardless of their reading habits. A survey indicated that students often felt they lacked the time to read novels or found reading too time-consuming. Many teachers also recognize that not every student will complete assigned readings, yet they still need a way to engage and learn in class (Brave New Teaching, 2022). With this in mind, I structured the curriculum around broader learning goals that could be achieved with or without full novel readings. This approach allows students to still gain and apply key skills—such as analyzing literary elements, making connections between extracts, building arguments, and developing writing techniques—even if they have not completed the book.

In building this curriculum, I created three units, each with a unique theme, literature selection, and skill focus to enhance engagement, skill-building, and student autonomy. In the first unit, I introduced narrative writing through the use of picture books. For each lesson and topic, I created a list of picture books that could be used (either a different book per station or a book choice per station) (see Teacher's Manual for an overview) Picture books serve as an accessible entry point, offering a low-threshold way to engage students with reading in a format that encourages frequent, short reading exposures, which builds reading fluency and motivation (Corner, 2020). With multiple stories per lesson, students could observe narrative elements through varied examples, enhancing their understanding without the initial hurdle of a long text. Additionally, students wrote their own picture books, an activity that allowed them to demonstrate their grasp of narrative elements while expressing creativity. This approach to narrative elements not only made the lessons inclusive but also increased purposeful input by analyzing authors' craft, as Corner (2020) notes, which helps students transfer reading skills to writing.

In the second unit, I focused on literary elements and selected Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt, 1975) as the core text. This novel was chosen for its balanced difficulty level, engaging plot, and rich vocabulary, all of which make it an excellent bridge between simpler texts and more complex ones. By exploring themes and literary elements in Tuck Everlasting and supplementary short stories, students practiced close reading and response writing, gaining insight into how literary elements function in a variety of formats (see Teacher's Manual & Hand out). This unit prepares students for upper-level literary analysis by introducing these elements in an approachable way, while short stories help them apply new skills across different contexts.

The final unit explores dystopia and utopia, topics that resonate with young adult readers and provide rich ground for critical thinking and discussion. Students chose between two novels, The Giver (Lowry, 1993) and Prodigy (Lu, 2013), to examine how authors portray dystopian and utopian themes. Giving students this choice increased engagement and fostered a sense of ownership over their learning. This theme not only engaged students but also served as the foundation for teaching argumentation, with students developing their own arguments and writing structured essays on related topics. Inquiry-based learning further encouraged students to transition from “reading like a reader” to “reading like a writer,” as they analyzed authors' techniques and learned how to integrate similar techniques into their own writing (Brave New Teaching, 2022; Ernst, Hodge & Yoshinobu, 2017).

This novel-independent and theme-based curriculum creates an adaptable framework that accommodates diverse reading levels, interests, and classroom realities. By focusing on skills over specific texts, I can guide students toward greater autonomy and critical thinking, ultimately fostering a deeper, more personal connection to literature and writing.

Adapting lessons to different educational levels

Over the years, my subject expertise has grown through my experience teaching English across multiple levels—gymnasium, HAVO, HAVO/VWO, and TTO. Each of these levels required a unique approach to teaching grammar, and I adapted my lessons and PowerPoints accordingly to meet the needs of my students, ensuring that they could engage with the material in a way that was accessible and meaningful to them.

For gymnasium students, I found that minimal slides with very few words worked best. In these classes, I would often use just one to three simple slides to explain complex grammar concepts. Since these students were more advanced, I encouraged them to deduce rules through inquiry-based learning, where they would for example analyze sentences to guess the rule of verb tenses (Ernst, Hodge, & Yoshinobu, 2017). My slides included the basic rule and some key examples, but I supplemented this with structured note sheets that allowed students to keep their notes organized (Guided Notes: Improving the Effectiveness of Your Lectures, n.d.; Biggers et al., 2020). Even though my instruction was in English, I had first-year students translate key points to ensure they fully understood the content (see pictures).

On the other hand, teaching TTO HAVO students required much more detailed explanations and simpler language. My PowerPoints for these classes included more text and step-by-step grammar explanations (See pictures). I adapted the materials by providing students with copies of the PowerPoints where key terms were blanked out, helping them stay engaged and actively participate by filling in the blanks during the lesson. This method supported students’ note-taking skills while reinforcing grammar rules (Guided Notes: Improving the Effectiveness of Your Lectures, n.d.; Biggers et al., 2020).

For HAVO/VWO students, particularly in first-year classes, I needed to rely on visual aids and repetition. These students required additional support, so I explained grammar in Dutch and used visual examples to break down each grammar step. I scaffolded the instruction by providing examples and walking students through each part of the lesson multiple times. As their understanding grew, I progressively shifted back to English instruction, but always with plenty of repetition and examples to ensure comprehension (Ur, 2012; Geerts & Kralingen, 2018, Hughes, 1989). (See pictures)

My approach to grammar instruction evolved significantly as I gained more experience. In my first year, I would cover two tenses at once—focusing on the rule, how to form questions, and making negatives in a single lesson. Over time, I realized this was overwhelming for first-year students. By my second year, I split these lessons, teaching one tense at a time and dividing the instruction into smaller segments—first covering the rule and its use, and then focusing on forming questions and negatives in subsequent lessons. This scaffolded approach gave students more time to absorb each concept and reduced anxiety during lessons (Ur, 2012; Tomilson, 2017; Hughes, 1989).

This year, I’ve refined this approach further, focusing on even smaller skills. For example, I now teach the rule and use of a tense first, allowing students to master this skill before moving on to forming different types of questions or applying the tense in more complex contexts (Ur, 2012; Tomilson, 2017; Hughes, 1989).. I also incorporate choral responding and repetitions during lessons to ensure students stay focused and engaged (Lemov, 2015; Engagement Strategies - Choral Responses, n.d.; CIBRS, 2022). This progression in my teaching practice has led to calmer, more focused classrooms, with students demonstrating a stronger grasp of grammar by the end of each lesson.

The consistent adaptation of my PowerPoints and lessons for different levels reflects my deep understanding of English grammar and my ability to tailor my teaching based on the needs of diverse learners. This evolution not only shows my subject expertise but also highlights my ability to reflect on and improve my instructional strategies to ensure students' success (Ur, 2012; Hughes, 1989; Tomilson, 2017).