Philosophy of the English Department

The English Department at Newark High School believes that traditional communication skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) are not only positive contributions to human experience but also necessary to human existence.  Although instruction should, therefore, concentrate on skills required of the literate person in today’s competitive word, it should also develop critical thinking, engender an awareness of the beauty of language, expose the student to ideas and instill within him a sense of his cultural and historical past.  Thus, this experience should provide the student with training that not only meets his immediate needs but also encourages him to believe that his “reach should exceed his grasp.”

The English Department further believes that the teacher functions best when permitted reasonable flexibility in achieving basic goals and that the student profits most when exposed to the best of traditional and innovative instructional methods. 

Consequently, in keeping with the belief that the curriculum should stress basic skills as well as incorporate the less tangible appreciation of the values and esthetics of good literature, the English Department provides a program of varied curricular choices to fit the student’s interests and ability as well as training that will have ultimate value beyond the classroom and even beyond the marketplace.

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