English 615: Composition Instruction -- Pedagogy & Theory
Spring 2005
Course Goals
English 615 is designed to provide immediate help and a foundation for continuing development as a teacher of writing. The course strives to
• Support you as you develop a general philosophy about teaching and prepare specific materials for use when you teach English 101 or a similar writing course
• Provide enough information, via quantitative and qualitative research articles, and via your participation as a student and leader in the seminar, to help you become more aware of a variety of options and reasonings for writing and teaching writing well
• Allow opportunities to practice, question, adapt, challenge, and compare the writing pedagogy strategies you read about, see, and imagine, particularly in ways that let you connect "theory" to "practice" in a wide range of situations
• Support collegial, reflective conversations about teaching as a practical, theoretical, scholarly, creative, and collaborative exercise -- and thus encourage the questioning and reflection that fosters successful, ever-improving teaching
• Encourage you to value composition teaching and teaching in general as a scholarly and creative enterprise equal in complexity of thought and action to any other that you undertake in graduate school or your professional life, and thus one worth your continuing interest and efforts
Four Further Considerations:
See Assignments Page
Other Policies of Note:
Attendance is expected. A strict late work policy is inappropriate, given our emphasis on drafting and revising through the semester, though I expect that you'll keep up with both the reading and the writing. The one exception concerns the Collaborative Inquiry Project: although I don't expect problems, if your procrastination adversely affects your team members' work, you will earn a grade-deduction on your individual project grade.
Although it goes without saying, sometimes saying it is important, especially for a workshop class: you are expected to maintain an attitude of professional respect and courtesy -- if not always agreement -- toward other class members.
Students with disabilities: Students with documented disabilities are legally entitled to certain accommodations in the classroom. Students requesting such accommodation must present faculty with a contact sheet from the Disability Resource Center (703-993-2474). I will be happy to work with students and the DRC to arrange fair access and support.
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