Composition Theory and the Teaching of Writing (EN825:Fall 2001)

This course is designed (1) to prepare graduate students to teach introductory, college-level writing courses; (2) to introduce students to central issues, problems, and theories in composition studies; and (3) to examine ways in which both our experience as practicing writers and our knowledge of contemporary critical theory can shape the teaching and study of composition. Though the emphasis is on the central, nuts-and-bolts tasks in the teaching of writing (e.g., designing assignments, responding to student essays; selecting topics and texts for discussion; and so on), this is not simply a prescriptive "how to" course. Instead I’ll ask you to consider pedagogical issues in Composition from a variety of personal and theoretical (e.g., feminist, psychoanalytic, cultural, etc.) perspectives.

Required Texts

Blitz and Hurlbert, Letters to the Living

Corbett, Myers, and Tate, The Writing Teacher's Sourcebook

Kitchen and Jones, In Short

Newkirk, The Performance of Self in Student Writing

Tate, Rupiper, and Schick, A Guide to Composition Pedagogies

Tobin and Donovan-Kranz, Fresh Ink

Reserve

various articles

In this course you will each develop a portfolio of nonfiction prose which will include some informal writing and four, more formal writing projects (see below). You will be allowed and encouraged to revise any writing in the portfolio right up until the day it is due — December 12th. I will not grade any individual piece in the portfolio, but I will read and respond to your essays throughout the semester. When you submit the final portfolio, you must include an introductory section in which you designate the three pieces that you believe represent your strongest work in this course; when I finally grade the portfolio, I'll count those three the most heavily. Here are brief descriptions of the four required writing projects (I'll give you longer descriptions and examples later in the semester):

(1) A personal narrative or meditation on any topic or subject

My goal for this assignment is not only to help you write a strong essay; it is also to provide a working model for you to consider when you teach narrative in your own course. Therefore, I will try to make your experience writing this essay as similar as possible to the experience your students will have writing in your class: you will revise your narrative several times before handing it in for assessment at the end of the semester; meet with me in one-to-on conferences to discuss your drafts; discuss your revisions with other members of the class; keep a journal about writing it; and publish a draft of it in a class magazine.

(2) A theoretically-informed, textual analysis of one or more student essays

I want you to show that you are thinking of student essays as texts; that is, I want you to apply the sort of critical knowledge, interest, sophistication, and strategies that you apply to literary texts and material culture to one or more of the essays in Fresh Ink. What, for example, would a feminist, postcolonial, psychoanalytic, or new historical analysis of student writing look like?

(3) A prospectus for a scholarly essay on a controversial issue in writing instruction

Visit an FWS class for two weeks. Do the assignments. Sit in a few conferences. Keep a journal of your reflections on the experience. Keep your eyes and ears open for an issue (the role of grammar instruction, the effectiveness of non-directive teaching, the relationship between gender and authority, the forms of student resistance, etc.) that interests you about the writing classroom. Do a literature review on the topic. Read some of the key articles. Finally, write a prospectus for a scholarly article that you’d like to write on this topic.

(4) A statement of teaching philosophy and an annotated syllabus for a college writing course

Since this course is designed to prepare you to teach next year, I want you to begin making choices about the reading and writing assignments you will give your own students. Throughout this course, we will talk about the philosophical, pedagogical, and political implications of those choices. Though I will make some specific recommendations about selecting texts, designing assignments, grading, etc., it will be up to you make your own informed decisions. For this assignment, I want to see what texts and topics you will choose for reading and writing; I want to get some sense of how you will structure your class; and I want to know how you will assess student work. The explanatory essay which accompanies the syllabus should explain and defend the materials and methods of your syllabus.

Informal Writing (to be included in the portfolio)

• Monthly Reading Responses: at least once each month, you must write a one- or two-page response to the day’s reading assignments. These responses should be informal and may include personal reactions; narratives of your reading experience; questions for further discussion; etc.

• Journal Entries: as you draft, revise, and workshop your first essay, I’d like you keep a journal in which you comment on strengths and weaknesses of this composing and teaching process.

• Peer Review Responses: copies of your responses to your classmates’ evolving drafts

• Misc. Prompts, Exercises, Instances, etc.: I will often sak you to respond in writing to a particular question or prompt

Grading

Your grade will be based primarily (75%) on your portfolio. The rest of your grade will be based on your overall participation in the course.

Schedule

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