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Composition Instructor
Handbook
English Department
Northern Michigan University
2014
Composition Instructor
Handbook
Copyright2013
MorghanMinnick,AlyssaBersine,ThorinBurkhard‐Horn,ShelbySegerstrom,&KaityKrengel
NorthernMichiganUniversity
University
ii
Table of Contents
I. Welcome to NMU's English Department ............. 1
FormsandDocumentsYouWillNeed................................2Keys....................................................................................................2WildcatCard...............................................................................2‐3Of iceSpace.....................................................................................3Of iceTelephone...........................................................................3Classroom........................................................................................4Paychecks........................................................................................4Supplies............................................................................................4Perks..................................................................................................5Printing/Copying..........................................................................5
Parking.............................................................................................5LaptopsandEmail.......................................................................5II. Structure of Composition Courses ...................... 6
Curriculum..................................................................................6‐7EN080...........................................................................................7‐8EN090...........................................................................................8‐9EN109.....................................................................................10‐11EN111.....................................................................................11‐12EN211.....................................................................................12‐13EnglishCompositionCourseOverviewChart........14‐15EN211ExitExpectations......................................................16
III. The First Week and Beyond .............................. 17
EnrollmentCaps........................................................................17DiagnosticWritingSample....................................................17Drop/Adds...................................................................................18AutomaticWithdrawal............................................................18Plagiarism.....................................................................................18
iii
AbsencefromClass...................................................................19PreparingforSnowDays................................................19‐20Counseling.............................................................................20‐21StudentConferences................................................................21
IV. End of the Semester .......................................... 22
FinalExaminations...................................................................22TurninginFinalGrades..........................................................23GradeChanges............................................................................24Withdrawals................................................................................25EvaluationforContingentStaff....................................26‐27HowtoDoIt.................................................................................28
V. Teaching Assistants ........................................... 29
EN509,TeachingColloquium.....................................30‐32EN509TeachingPortfolio....................................................32EvaluationByDirectorofComposition...........................33FineTuningYourPerformance...........................................34EffectiveTeachingAssignments..................................35‐37
VI. Appendices…………………………………………38 AppendixA:SyllabiandLessonPlans...........................38‐39AppendixB:SampleSyllabus............................................40‐50AppendixC:SampleLessonPlan.............................................51
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I. Welcome to NMU’s English Department Ifyouhaven’tbeenherebefore,the irstthingyouwilldouponyourarrivalatNorthernMichiganUniversity(NMU)istointroduceyourselftothestaffintheEnglishDepartment’smainof ice.Theyhavetheanswertoal‐mostallnewinstructorqueriesandcantellyouwhototalktoforthequestionstheydon’t.Theof icestaffwillhelpyouaccomplisheverythinginthissection.Wheth‐eryouarenewtoNMUorfamiliarwiththeuniversity,youmustunderstandtheissuesinthissectionbeforeyoubeginpreparingtoteach.Togetyoustartedinyournewrole,youwillneedtoreturnyourContract,W4form,andOathcardifyouhaven’tdonesoalready.Thefollowinglistprovidesanoverviewofeverythingthissectioncovers:
FormsandDocumentsYouNeedtoHave WildcatCard Keys Of iceSpace Of iceTelephone Supplies Classroom Paychecks Parking Perks
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Forms and Documents You Need To Have TakeyourcompletedW4formtotheOf iceofHu‐
manResources(ServicesBuilding).IfyouhavenotreceivedyourW4bytheweekpriortothe irstweekofclass,talktotheEnglishDepartmentof icestaff.
SigntheoaththatcamewiththeW4formpromisingtoupholdtheConstitutionofStateofMichiganandfaithfullydischargeyourresponsibility.
ReturntheoathcardtotheOf iceofAcademicAf‐fairs,610Cohodas,wheretheof icestaffwillnota‐rizeit.Ifyouhavenotreceivedyouroathbytheweekpriortothe irstweekofclass,talktotheEng‐lishDepartmentof icestaff.
Keys Afterbeingassignedanof ice,theof icestaffwillletyouknowwhenyourof icekeyisreadytopickupatthePublicSafetyBuilding.Thiskeyopensyourof ice,thework/copyroom.,andtheprofessionaldevelop‐mentroom.
Wildcat Card AllNMUstudents,andemployeeshaveaWildcatidenti‐icationcard.Thiscardisusedforcheckingoutlibrarybooks,enteringeventsatstudentrates,enteringJamrichHallandtheEnglishDepartmentsuitewhentheyareclosedtothegeneralpublic,andcon irmingthatyouareassociatedwithNMU.
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Office Space Askoneoftheof icestaffonyour irstvisitwhereyouhavebeenassignedanof ice.Youwillbebesharingof‐icespacewithuptothreeotherteachingassistantswhileacontingentinstructorwillbegivenanof icewithatleastoneothercontingentinstructor.
Office Telephone Youwillneedtoobtainyourof icephonenumberfromtheEnglishDepartmentof icestaff.Yourphonewillnotbeactivateduntilyoustarttoteach.Youwillshareyourphonewithyourof icemates;however,therewillbeadifferentringtoneanddifferentnumberforeachofyou.Also,youwillbeabletouseNMU’sdigitalvoicemailsystemandinstructionscanbefoundatwww.nmu.edu/adit/node/8Remember,youmustpress9beforecallinganyoffcam‐pusphonenumbers.Finally,youcannotuseyourof icephonetomakelongdistancecalls.SuppliesNMUwillprovidebasicsuppliessuchaspaperandpens.Staplersorelectricpencilsharpenersareavaila‐bleinthedepartmentworkroom.YoumayasktheEng‐lishDepartmentsecretariesaboutanyitemyouareun‐sureof,butasaruleofthumbyouwillberesponsibleformostofyoursupplies.
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Classroom Visityourclassroombeforeyourclassmeetstofamil‐iarizeyourselfwithitslocation,layout,andtechnologyaccess.
Paychecks NMUhasbi‐weeklypayperiodsthatbeginonSun‐dayandendonthefollowingSaturday.PaydayisonaThursday12daysafterthepayperiodends.Thepayrollcalendarcanbefoundatwww.nmu.edu/paydates.NMUpayrollhastwoconvenientoptions‐directdeposittoyourbankaccountoraVisapaycard.Youmustchooseoneofthesetwooptionsatleastoneweekpriortoyour irstpaycheck.InformationonhowtosetupDirectDepositviaMyNMUcanbefoundat:webb.nmu.eduDirectDepositInformation.html.InformationregardingtheVisapaycardandtheauthorizationformcanbefoundat:webb.nmu.eduPayCardInformation.html.
Supplies Youwillbesuppliedwithbasicof icesuppliessuchas:paper,pens,pencils,highlighters,indexcards,paperclips,post‐itnotes,andonegradebook.
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Perks Instructor perks include, but are not limited to, the fol-lowing: receiving complimentary text books from pub-lishers, applying for funding for student travel to confer-ences and events, having faculty library borrowing priv-ileges, using the refrigerator and microwave in the de-partment kitchenette.
Printing/Copying Youareallowed1000copiespermachinepercoursepersemester.Teachingassistantsshoulduseprinter1andfaculty/contingentstaffshoulduseprinter2.Ifyoumaxoutyourallotment,youmayusetheotherprinter.
Parking Youwillbeprovidedwithafreeparkingpermit.Eachpermitisonlyvalidinspeci icparkinglotsaroundcampus.
Laptop and Email Whenyoureceiveyourlaptop,youwillbegivenaneight‐letteremailaddress.Thisemailaddresswillmostlikelyconsistofyour irstinitialandyourlastnameorthe irstsevenlettersifyourlastname.AsaninstructoratNorth‐ern,youwillbegivenanIBMThinkPadforuseinyourclasses.
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II. Structure and Purpose of the Composition Sequence and Courses
Curriculum
Essentially,NMUoffers ivecoursesinthecompositionsequencewhich,dependinguponthestudents’academicpaths,maydifferforvariousindividuals.Eachcourseaddressescoreskillsofwrittenexpression.Asstudentsmovethroughthecompositionsequence,theywillbeexpectedtogaingreatermasteryofhigherorderaswellaslowerorderconcerns.
EN080,ReadingandWriting,and090,DevelopmentalComposition,areremedialanddevelop‐mentalcourses.ForstudentsplacedinEN080andEN090whoareseekinganassociateorbachelor'sdegree,thesecoursesdonotcountwithintheirprogram;how‐ever,thesecoursesdocounttowardscertaindiplomasorcerti icatesaswellasfor inancialandsemestercreditcounts.
EN111,CollegeCompositionI,and211,CollegeCompositionII,arethetwotraditionalcoursesmoststudentstaketocompleteDivisionIoftheLiberalStudiesprogramastheyarerequiredcoursesforallstudentsseekingbachelor’sdegrees.
Anewbridgecourse,EN109,IntensiveCollegeComposi-tion,anditsone‐creditworkshop,EN109W,areanalter‐nativeoptionforinternationalanddomesticstudentswhotestinthiscourse.StudentswhocompleteEN109withaBorhighercanusethecoursetosatisfytheir irstoftheirtwoDivisionIcoursesandcanmovedirectlyto
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EN211,CollegeCompositionII,offersstudentsavarietyofspecializedsections:211A,WritingandLiterature;EN211B,NarrativeandDescriptiveWriting;EN211D,Tech-nicalandReportWriting;andEN655E,CriticalThinkingandWriting.
Althoughallful illthesamebasicrequirement,studentsmayhavequestionsastowhichsectionbestsuitsthepaththeyareplanningandshouldconsultwiththeirad‐visors.
EN 080 Reading and Writing (4 Credits)
Thiscourseprovidesanintensive,integratedreviewofreadingandwritingskills,studystrategies,andvocabularydevelopment.Studentswillbeexpectedtohavenumerous,varied,shortreadingandwritingassignments.Theminimumamountofwordsforthecourseintheformofjournals,prewriting,anddraftswouldbe3,000words. Goals: 1. Engagestudentsinthewritingprocess.Exampleswouldbeprewriting,drafting,revising,andediting2. Developstudents’abilitiestoreadwithfluencyandincreasedawarenessofmainideasandsignificantdetails3. IntroduceStudentstostudyskillsstrategiesandvo‐cabularydevelopment
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Performance Objectives: Content(focusanddevelopment)AppropriatetopicselectionStructure(organizationandtransitions)AdequatetopicsentencewithprimaryandsecondarysupportingsentencesStance(audienceawareness)RecognitionofvariousaudiencesConvention(grammar,usage,punctuation,spelling)EmergingcontrolofwritingconventionsIncorporationanddocumentationofsourcesintoessaysUnderstandingofintroductoryresearchmethodsandabilitytointegrateonesourceusingMLA EN 090 Developmental Composition (4 Credits) Thiscoursedevelopsstudents’abilitiestowritesentences,paragraphs,andbriefessayswithincreasedfluencyandgreateraccuracy.Studentswillbeexpectedtowritefouressaysandtohavewrittenaminimumof4,000words,intheformofjournals,prewriting,anddrafts.
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Goals: 1.Engagestudentsinthewritingprocesswithprewriting,drafting,revising,andediting2.Developstudents’abilitiestoread,createsentences,shortfocusedparagraphs,andessays3.Introducestudentstothecraftofnarration,description,andexplanation Performance Objectives: Content(Focusanddevelopment)Satisfactoryfocusandsufficientideas.Theuseofexam‐plesandevidence.Structure(organizationandtransitions)Adequatedevelopmentofcentralideaortheme,effectiveintroductionandconclusion,competentusoftransitionsStance(audienceawareness)Acceptablelevelof(in)formalityandreasonableperspectiveConvention(Grammarusage,punctuation,spelling)SatisfactorycontrolofwritingconventionsIncorporationanddocumentationofsourcesintoessaysUnderstandingofintroductoryresearchmethodsandabilitytointegrate2+sourcesusingMLA
EN 109 Intensive College Composition and Workshop (4 credits) + (1 credit) Thiscourseprovidesthetime,coursework,andsupportnecessaryforstudentstodeveloptheirwritingskillsoverasustainedperiodoftimewithtutorialassistance.Studentswillwrite,read,anddiscussparagraphsandessaysaboutsignificantsubjects.Inadditiontothefour‐creditcourse,therequiredtutorialcomponent,isworthonecreditStudentswillparticipateinweekly,faculty‐supervised,tutor‐ledworkshops.Allgradingandar‐rangementoftheworkshopswillbedonebythefacultymember.Studentswillbeexpectedtocompletefivees‐says,andaminimumof5,000wordsintheformofjour‐nals,prewriting,anddrafts.Goals: 1.Engagestudentsinthewritingprocess:prewriting,drafting,revising,andediting2.Developstudents’abilitiestoread,discuss,andwritewell‐developedparagraphsandessaysaboutsignificantsubjects3.Introduceandextendstudents’understandingofnar‐ration,description,andexplanation.Introducestudentstothecraftofpersuasionandargument Performance Objectives: Content(focusanddevelopment)Consistentfocusandgoodideas,examples,andevidence
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Structure(organizationandtransitions)Logicaldevelopmentofcentralideaortheme,successfulintroductionandconclusion,andeffectiveuseoftransitionsStance(audienceawareness)Controlledlevelof(in)formalityandclearperspectiveConvention(grammar,usage,punctuation,spelling)VerygoodcontrolofwritingconventionsIncorporationanddocumentationofsourcesintoessaysUnderstandingofresearchmethodsanddemonstrateabilitytointegrate4+primaryandsecondarysourcesusingMLAacrossmultipleassignmentsEN 111 College Composition I (4 Credits) Thiscoursedevelopsstudents’abilitiestowrite,read,anddiscussparagraphsandessaysaboutsignificantsub‐jects.Studentswillbeexpectedtowritefiveessays,andwillneedtowriteaminimumof5,000wordsintheformofprewriting,journals,anddrafts.
Goals: 1.Engagesstudentsinthewritingprocess:prewriting,drafting,revising,andediting
2.Developstudents’abilitiestoread,discuss,andwritewell‐developedessaysaboutsignificantsubjects
3.Extendstudents’understandingofnarration,description,andexplanationIntroducestudentstothecraftofpersuasionandargument
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Objectives: Content(focusanddevelopment) Consistentfocusandgoodideas,examples,andevidence Structure(organizationandtransitions) Logicaldevelopmentofcentralideaortheme,successfulintroductionandconclusion,andeffectiveuseoftransi‐tions Stance(audienceawareness) Controlledlevelof(in)ormalityandclearperspective Convention(grammar,usage,punctuation,spelling) Verygoodcontrolofwritingconventions Incorporationanddocumentationofsourcesintoessays Understandingofresearchmethodsanddemonstrateabilitytointegrate4+primaryandsecondarysourcesusingMLAacrossmultipleassignments EN 211 College Composition II (4 credits) Thiscoursecontinuesthedevelopmentofstudents’abilitiestowritecarefully,toreadclosely,andtodiscusscritically.Writersexpandtheirstylisticrange,awarenessofform,andabilitytodealwithcomplexissues.Studentswillwritelongerpaperswithatleastonepaperusinginformationfromothersources.Studentswillbeexpectedtocomplete6‐7essays,docu‐ments,orprojects.Theywillalsoneedtocompleteamin‐imumof6,000wordsintheformofjournals,prewriting,anddrafts.
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Goals: 1.Engagestudentsinthewritingprocess:prewriting,drafting,revising,andediting2.Developstudents’abilitiestocriticallyanalyzeandcreatetexts3.Extendstudents’understandingofnarration,description,explanation,persuasion,andargument.IntroducestudentstocriticalanalysisObjectives: Content(focusanddevelopment)Insightful,clear,focused,andwell‐developedideas,examples,andevidenceStructure(organizationandtransitions)Exceptionaldevelopmentofcentralideaortheme,engag‐ingintroductionandconclusion,andexcellentuseoftran‐sitionsStance(audienceawareness)Keenlevelof(in)formalityanddistinctiveperspectiveConvention(grammar,usage,punctuation,spelling)Verygood/outstandingcontrolofwritingconventionsIncorporationanddocumentationofsourcesintoessaysUnderstandingofresearchmethodsanddemonstrateabilitytointegrate6+primaryandsecondarysourcesusingMLA
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Course EN 080 Reading and Writing (4 Credits) EN 090 Developmental Composition (4 Credits)
Bulletin Description Thiscourseprovidesaninten‐sive,integratedreviewofread‐ingandwritingskills,studystrategies,andvocabularydevelopment.
Thiscoursedevelopsstudentsabilitiestowritesen‐tences,paragraphs,andbriefessayswithincreasedluencyandgreateraccuracy
Tutorial Component N/A N/A
Number of Essays Numerous,varied,shortreadingandwritingassignments
4essays
Minimum Words (journals, prewriting, and drafts)
3000words 4000words
Goal One: Writing Process
Engagestudentsinthewritingprocess:prewritingdrafting,revising,andediting
Engagestudentsinthewritingprocessprewriting,drafting,revising,andediting.
Goal Two: Development
ReadingProcess:Developstu‐dents’abilitiestoreadwithluencyandincreasedaware‐nessofmainideasandsigni icantdetails.
Developstudents’abilitiestoread,createsentencesandshort,focusedparagraphsandessays
Goal Three: Genre
Introducestudentstostudyskillsstrategiesandvocabularydevelopment.
Introducestudentstothecraftofnarration,descrip‐tion,andexplanation
Performance Objective One: Content (focus and develop-ment)
Appropriatetopicselection Satisfactoryfocusandsuf icientideas,examples,andevidence
Performance Objective Two: Structure (organization and transitions)
Adequatetopicsentencewithprimaryandsecondarysupport‐ingsentences
Adequatedevelopmentofcentralideaortheme,effec‐tiveintroductionandconclusion,competentuseoftransitions
Performance Objective Three: Stance (audience awareness)
Recognitionofvariousaudienc‐es
Acceptablelevelof(in)formalityandreasonableperspective
Performance Objective Four: Convention (grammar, us-age, punctuation, spelling)
Emergingcontrolofwritingconventions
Satisfactorycontrolofwritingconventions
Performance Objective Five: Incorporation and Documen-tation of Sources into Essays
Understandingofintroductoryresearchmethodsandabilitytointegrate1sourceusingMLA
Twounderstandingofintroductoryresearchmethodsandabilitytointegrate2+sourceusingMLAacrossmultipleassignments
EN211 Exit Expectations Upon inishingthesequence,students'achievementsatdifferinggradelevelsshouldmatchthoseonthefollowingchart.
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III. The First Week and Beyond Nowthatyouhavecompletedeverythingnecessarytostartteaching,sectionthreewillcoverwhatyoucanexpectforthe irstweekofclassesandintothesemester.The irstweekofclasscreatesunexpectedchallengesandunforeseenresponsibilities.Thefollowingsuggestions,procedures,andtipsshouldhelpyouproceedsmoothlyandarecoveredinthissection.
Enrollment Caps TheEnglishDepartmentcapsthemaximumnumberofstudentsallowedineachEN111class,andthatnumberiscurrently25.YoumaynotaddstudentsabovethiscapwithouttheexplicitpermissionoftheEnglishDepartmentHead.Ifstudentsasktobeaddedandtheclassisalreadyfull,explainthatthisisthedepartment’spolicy.YoucanencouragestudentstokeepcheckingbackonMyNMUortocontacttheEnglishDepartmentof ice.
Diagnostic Writing Sample Duringyour irstfewdaysofclass,assignandreviewadiagnosticwritingsampletoensurethatyourstudentsareatanappropriatelevelofskillandknowledgetocompleteEN111.Testyourstudents’writingwithatimedwritingexercisetocompleteinclass.Allowfourorivetopicsforthestudentstochoosefromandreservetheclassperiodforthestudentstocompletetheessay.Onceyouhavehadachancetoreadeachofyourstudents’essaysandreviewthemaccordingtothedepartmentalrubric,bringanyyouareconcernedabouttotheDirectorofCompositiontoreviewforpossibleplacementchanges.
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Drop/Adds Studentsmayusewww.mynmu.nmu.edutoaddthemselvestoclassesthathaveopeningsandcanalsodropclassesbeforetheallotteddeadline.Afterthedropdeadlinepasses,studentsmustcallregistrationtowith‐drawfromclassesandmustalsounderstandallconse‐quencesofdoingso.Automatic Withdrawal If,withinthe irstfullweekofclass,youhaveanystudentsonyourrosterwhohaveneverattendedclass,youshould illoutanautomaticwithdrawalformtohavethemremoved.TheautomaticwithdrawalformscanbefoundontheEnglishDepartmentwebsiteunderthe“Forms&Info”tabandunderthefacultytab(www.nmu.edu/english)butpleasenotetheirsubmis‐siondeadlineistheTuesdayofthesecondweekofclass.
Plagiarism Academicdishonestyisanimportantissueandistreat‐edveryseriouslyintheEnglishDepartmentatNMU.Thestudenthandbook’spolicyonplagiarismstates:“Nostudentshallsubmitashisorherowntoanin‐structoranyworkwhichcontainsideasormaterialstakenfromanotherwithoutfullacknowledgementoftheauthorandsource.”Ifyoususpectoneofyourstudentsisguiltyofacademicdishonesty,contacttheDirectorofCompositionimmediately.Thedirectorwilladviseyouonhowtodealwiththesituationandthestudent.
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Absence From Class Onoccasion,youmaymissclassduetoillnessoremer‐gencies.Youshouldavoidmissingclasswheneverpos‐sible,butifyoumustmissclass,followthesesteps: CalltheEnglishDepartmentof icetoinformthe
of icestaffat227‐2711or227‐2712(onlyleaveavoicemailifyoucannotreachanyof icestaffmem‐ber).
FilloutanAbsenceFromClassformwhenyoureturnwhichcanbefoundintheDepartmentof ice.
Note:SubmitAbsenceFromClassformsanytimeyouarenotgoingtobephysicallypresentintheclassroom.Evenifyoudecidetoholdconferencesinyourof iceduringclasstime,itmustbereportedonanAbsenceFromClassformpriortotheconferences.Theonlytimeanabsencefromclassmaybesubmittedafterthefactiswhenyoucallinsick.Ifyoumissclasstoattendaprofessionalconference,trytoarrangewithanotherinstructorforcoverageofthemissedclass.
Preparing for Snow Days Duetoinclementweather,NMUmaycancelclasses;ifitdoesso,anoticewillpopuponyourNMUlaptop,andyouwillreceiveane‐mailfromNMUPublicSafety.IftheUniversityisnotclosedbuttheroadsareunsafefordriving,youmaydecidenottocomein.Rememberthatifyoucancelclass,youmustcontacttheEnglishDepart‐mentandyourstudents.
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Yourstudentsfollowthesamepolicyforsevereweatherconditions.Thesevereweatherpolicyispost‐edontheNMUwebsiteatthefollowingaddress:www.nmu.edu/publicsafety/node/35
CounselingStudentsoftenfeelcomfortablesharingtheirproblemswithfaculty.Therefore,youmaybethe irstpersontonoticebehavioralchangesinstudentsthatmaysignalpsychologicaldistress.Watchforthefollowingchangesinbehavior:
Withdrawingfromsocialinteractions Becomingeasilyargumentative Missingclasses Havingtroubleconcentrating Allowinggradestofalldrastically Beingpreoccupiedwithormakingreferencesto
death
AccordingtotheNMUCounselingCenter’swebsite(www.nmu.edu/counselingandconsultation/node/1),youshouldtakethefollowingstepsifyoususpectastudentisinpsychologicaldistress:
Takeanytypeofmessageaboutsuicideseriously.Ifyoubelieveastudentisindangerofharminghimself/herself,immediatelycontactPublicSafety.
Referthestudenttotheappropriateof iceoncampus.TheNMUCounselingCenter(3405Hedgcock)providescon identialcounselingforallNMUstudentsfreeofcharge.
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InformHousingandResidenceLifeifanon‐campusstudentseemstobeat‐riskforself‐destructivebehavior.
Student Conferences Student‐instructorconferencesprovideopportunitiesforindividualstudentsandtheirinstructorstocom‐municatetheirideas,concerns,andfeelings.Forconfer‐ences,setasideanappropriateamountoftime(dependingonclasssize)andmeetwitheachstudentinaspeci icclassduringthetimeperiodtodiscusscoursematerial.Spendsuf icienttimepreparingforaswellasholdingtheseconferences.Considerthesesug‐gestionswhenplanningyourstudentconferences:
Creategoalsthatconferencingwillachieve. Designaconferencesystemincorporatingrules
andrequirementsforstudentsinconference. Plansuf icienttimeforstudentconferences. Reservespaceinthedepartmentorworkwith
yourof icematestoensurecollegiality. Explainanddiscusstheconferenceswithyour
studentsandestablishmeetingtimeswitheach. Evaluateanddesigntheconferenceenvironment
towelcomeyourstudentswithoutdistractingthem.
Sincestudentsmayfeelnervousduringconferences,greetthemwarmlyandpersonally.Studentsmayoftenfearconferencesthatinvolvegrading,soremainsupportiveandencouragingthroughoutthemeeting.
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IV. End of the Semester Astheendofthesemesternears,youshouldbegincompleting inalpaperworkandtieuplooseends.Thissectionaddressesthefollowingissues:
Finalexaminations TurninginFinalGrades Gradechanges Evaluations
Final Examinations NMUpolicyrequiresthatallclassesmeetduringtheirscheduled inalexaminationperiods.MostinstructorsrelyononeofthefollowingFinalExamweekstrategies:
In‐classessayexaminations Take‐home inalcompositions Exitconferences
In‐classessayexaminationsrequireastudent’sresponsetoaquestionortopicpresentedduringanexaminationperiod.Becauseexaminationtimesusuallylimittheresponsesto300‐400words,considerusingtopicsandissuesthatstudentsacknowledgeandunderstandsothestudentscanadequatelyplantheirresponses.Take‐home inalcompositionsoftenresembletypicalcoursecompositions,usuallyincorporatingmanywritingconceptsandstrategiestaughtthroughoutthesemester.Finalcompositionassignmentsarealsousuallylengthyanddetailed.Theseexaminationsoftenbene itstudentsthatwriteslowlyorrequireextraconcentrationwhenwriting.Inlieuoftesting,someinstructorsscheduleexitconferenceswitheachoftheirstudentstogoovertheirinalgradesandtoreturnsubmittedwork.
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Turning in Final Grades Allfaculty,includingTAsandcontingentfaculty,arerequiredtodogradingonline.Youwillnotreceivepa‐pergradingrostersforthecoursesyouteach.Thefollowingisalistofthestepsyoumusttaketoturninyourgrades:
1. Linktohttp://mynmu.nmu.edu2. EnteryouremailIDandpassword,inlowercase,
under“NMULogin”andclick“OK”.3. Onthenextscreen,clickonthe“Faculty
Services”tab.4. Onthenextscreen,clickon“clickhereto”under
the“AcademicServices”tab.5. Under“FacultyServices,”clickon“Webfor
Faculty.”6. Then,under“MainMenu,”click“Facultyand
Advisors.”7. Finally,clickon“FinalGrades.”
Youwillnowbeabletoselectthetermandproceedwithfacultyoradvisorservices.
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Grade Changes Instructorsalterstudents’gradesonlywhenextenuat‐ingcircumstancespreventteachersfromaccuratelygradingtheirstudents.Thesecircumstancesincludemathematicalerrorswhencalculatinggradesandmisplacedwork.However,changingstudentgradescancauseconsiderablediscontentamongtheNMUregistrationstaff,soavoidtheproblemwithpropercareandplanning.Mostgradechangesresultfrommathematicalmistakesmadebeforesubmitting inalgrades.Considerthefollowingsuggestionsbeforecalculatingyour inalgrades:
Ensurethatyouhavecollectedandgradedallsubmittedwork.
Allowenoughtimetocompletethegrading. Beforesubmittingyourstudents’ inalgradesat
theendofthesemester,checkyourcalculationstwiceforeachstudent.
Despitethoroughpreparationandreview,someerrorsmaypersist.Ifyou indanerrorina inalgrade,obtainaChangeofGradeformlocatedontheEnglishDepartmentwebsiteunder“Forms&In‐fo”(www.nmu.edu/english).Thecompletedformrequiresthefacultyassignedgrade,theaccurategradetobeassigned,andanexplanationofthechange’snecessity.GiveyourcompletedformtotheEnglishDepartmentof icestaffandtheywillthencirculateittothedepartmenthead,and inallytotheDeanoftheCollegeofArts&Sciences.Uponsignedapproval,thedepartmentheadandDeanwillmakethedocumentof icial,aswellasthegradechange.
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Withdrawals Studentscandecidetowithdrawalfromacourseuptothe10thweekofclass.Thiswouldresultinthestudentreceivinga(W)gradeandwouldnotcountagainsttheirGPA,agoodoptionforstudentswhomayhaveal‐readyfallentoofarbehindintheircoursework.Itmustbenoted,however,thatdroppingaclassmaycauseastudenttofalloutof“full‐time”status(whichforunder‐graduatesis12credits),whichmaycausethemtoloseouton inancialaid,insurancecoverage,orotherim‐portantthings.Encourageallstudentsconsidering(W)gradestoseea inancialaidcounselortodiscusstheirindividualcircumstances.Anincomplete(I)canbeassignedtoastudentthatfacesanextremelydif icultsituation,suchasinjuryorafamilymember’sdeath,preventingthemfrom inishingassignedworkbythesemester’send.Instructorsonlyofferincompletesastemporarysubstitutesforgrades,allottingtime‐extensionstosuchstudentssothattheycan inishtheirworkwhenable.Instructorscanonlyassignincompletesnearthesemester’send;studentsfacingdif icultcircumstancesbeforethelastmonthofthesemestermustappealtotheDeanofStudents.
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Evaluation for Contingent Faculty (FromMasterAgreementbetweenAAUPandNMUAdministration)5.4.1.d.Contingentfacultymustsubmitevaluationsdocumentingtheiraccomplishmentsonlyintheareaofassignedresponsibilities(usuallyteaching).Thiswillinclude:
1.Narrative/self‐evaluation2.Colleagueevaluation3.Studentratings
Contingentfacultymayalsodocumentservice,scholarship,professionaldevelopment,andotherrelevantinformation,butarenotrequiredtodoso.Allmaterialsforeachcourseshallbereviewedonceperyearusingthescheduleof5.4.1.1.1.Morefrequentevaluationsmayberequiredifrequestedbythedepartmentheadordepartmentalfacultyevaluationcommittee.5.4.1.1.1Evaluationforotherthanpromotionortenurereviewshallbeconductedinaccordancewiththefollowingschedule:
February1:Thefacultymembersubmitstheevaluationtothedepartmentalevaluationcommittee.
April1:Thedepartmentalevaluationcommitteesubmitstheevaluationtothedepartmenthead.
April30:Thedepartmentheadsubmitsthedepartmentalevaluationstogetherwitha
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statementofconcurrenceornon‐concurrencetothefacultymemberforreviewandcomment.
May15:Thefacultymembersubmitsthesignedevaluationtothedepartmentheadwithcommentsasappropriate.
May20:Thedepartmentheadsubmitsthefacultyevaluationstothedean.
June30:TheDeansignsthefacultyevaluationsandsubmitscomments,ifany,tothefacultymember.
September15:ThefacultymembermayrespondtoanycommentsmadebytheDean.
Shouldthefacultymember,evaluationcommittee,departmenthead,orDeanfailtoadheretotheprecedingschedule,theprocessshallproceedtothenextstepunlessanextensionisgrantedbytheadministratororcommitteeatthenextstep.Failuretoreceivetheappropriateevaluationmaterialswillbenotedinwritinginthenextevaluator’sstatementandbecomepartofthecumulativerecordforpromotionsandtenure.
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How to Do It: OnorbeforeFebruary1,submittotheDepartmentOf icethefollowingthreedocuments: YourNarrative/self‐evaluationstatement,
commentinguponyourteaching.Thisshouldnotexceed300words.
YourcolleagueorPeerTeachingEvaluation:‐EDECwillassignanevaluatorofequalor
higherrank,whoisonafull‐timeorterm(notcontingent)appointment.
‐PeerTeachingEvaluator:Pleasecommentontheteachingeffectivenessofyourcolleague,keepinginmindclassroomorganization,clarityofcommunication,studentengagementandresponsiveness,classroomatmosphere,varietyandeffectivenessofclassroomactivities,etc.Theevaluationshouldnotexceed300words.
StudentRatings,usingtheelectronicdepartment
form.(Youmayattachanadditionalformforstu‐dentratings,ifyourstudentscompleteone.)
Yourserviceoncommittees,scholarshipandprofessionaldevelopmentisentirelyoptional.Ifyouperformanyoftheseadditionalactivities,simplyattachalistoranabbreviatedCV(CurriculumVitae)ofnomorethantwopagestoyourNarrative/self‐evaluation.
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V. Teaching Assistants
TAsshouldrefertothissectionofthehandbooktobesuretheyhavecompletedallrequirementsforEN509andbeyond.Thepagesthatfollowincludevaluablein‐formationTAswillbeabletouseinpreparationforandre lectionupontheirteaching.Thefollowingissueswillbeaddressedinthissection:
EN509,TeachingColloquium
Evaluation
Finetuningyourperformance
EffectiveteachingassignmentsforformerEnglishDepartmentTAs
If,atanytime,TAsorContingentFacultywouldlikeas‐sistancewiththeirteaching,theirstudents,orotherre‐latedmatters,pleasecontacttheDirectorofComposi‐tion.
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EN 509, Teaching Colloquium
YouwillaccomplishmostofthepreparationforyourirstsemesterofteachingwhileattendingEN509TeachingColloquium.ThisclassbeginsbeforetheregularNMUfallsemesterandcoversawidevarietyofsubjectsrelatedtoyourexperienceasateachingassistant.Someofthethingsyoucanexpecttocoverinthisclassare:
Syllabus–DuringtheweeksofEN509priortothestartofthefallsemester,youwillbegivenallofthenecessaryinformationandtrainingtocompleteyourownsyllabus.Youwillalsobegivenachecksheettomakecertainallthenecessaryelementsareincludedinthesyllabusyougivetoyourstudents.
DiagnosticWritingSamples–The irstfewweeksofEN509willprepareyoutogiveyourstudentsadiagnosticwritingsampletodeterminetheirstrengthsandchallengesinwriting.
Grading–TheEN509instructorwillgiveyouadviceonhowtoread,respond,andevaluateEN111students’writing.
Text(s)–NewteachingassistantswillusethetextbookandmaterialsselectedbytheCompositionCommittee,theDirectorofComposition,andexperiencedteachingassistants.Forthesecondyearofyourassistantship,youwillbeallowedtochose
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yourownmaterials.YouwillreceiveguidancefromtheDirectorofCompositioninpickingyourownmaterialsanddesigningyoursyllabi.
SexualHarassmentPolicy–Someofyoumaybearoundthesamegeneralageasmanyofthestudentsyouwillbeteaching.Sexualharassmentissuestendtocomeupslightlymoreofteninasettingwhereinstructorandstudentarecloseinage.Pleasekeepthisinmindasyouconductyourselfinyourclassandone‐on‐onewithyourstudents.
Con identiality‐Also,youmayrequireyourstu‐dentstokeepjournals.Ifso,thisinformationistobekeptcon idential.Forinformationaboutthisandotherpoliciesgotowww.nmu.edu/equalopportunities.
Plagiarism–PlagiarismwillbecoveredinEN509andthatitistakenveryseriouslyatNMU.Formoreinformationonplagiarismanditsconsequences,seepage18.
Extra509Events–BesidesyourregularEN509curriculum,teachingassistantsarealsoexpectedtoattendavarietyoforientationandinformationalpresentationsaswellasprofessionaldevelopmentsessionsthroughouttheacademicyear.Youwillbeinformedoftheseeventsassoonasinformationisavailable.
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CopyMachines–TAswillreceiveinstructionasagroupduringtheorientation/509process.Youwillbeassignedafourdigitcodethatwillallowyoutousethecopymachine.Don’tforgettoclearyourcodewhenyouaredonecopying.Formoreinformationoncopyingprocedures,seepage5.
EN 509 Teaching Portfolio
Sometimeduringyour irstsemesterofteaching,theDirectorofCompositionwillrequireyoutosubmitateachingportfolio.MoreinformationonthiswillbegiveninEN509;however,thefollowingmaterialshouldbeincluded:
YourTeachingPhilosophy
CopyofFallEN111Syllabus
DirectorofComposition’sClassroomObservation
PeerObservations
SamplesofStudents’Assignments
SamplesofStudents’GradedWork
WeeklyLessonPlans
Re lectiveTeachingJournals
FinalRe lectiveEssay
Evaluation By Director of Composition
Atleastonceduringyour irsttermofteaching,theDirectorofCompositionwillvisitoneofyourclasssessions.Thedirectorvisitstheclassroomtocheckyourteaching,yourclassroomatmosphere,andyourinteractionwithyourstudents.Thisisnotlimitedtoyourirstsemester,andmayoccuragainwhileyouTAatNMU.
Thevisitshouldnotmakeyounervous;itismerelyawayfortheDirectorofCompositiontomonitorhowtheteachingassistantsareevolvingduringthesemester.Viewthevisitassomethingtolookforwardto;theDirectorofCompositionwillgiveyousomegoodtipsthatwillhelpyourteaching.
YoualsoareencouragedtovisitotherTAsclassrooms.Peervisitsarehelpfulforseveralreasons:youmaylearnfromanotherTAsteachingstyle,youmaysharetipsandideaswitheachother,andyouwillseehowotherTAsareapproachingtheir irstsemester.
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Fine Tuning Your Performance
Attheendofthesemester,yourstudentswillhave illedoutendofthesemesterevaluations.EnglishDepartmentsecretarieswillrecordtheseevaluations.Then,theDepartmentHeadandDirectorofCompositionwillreviewthembeforegivingtheresultstoyou.
Whenyoureceivetheevaluationresults,noteanyareasofstrengthandweaknessandthinkabouthowyoumayimproveyourteachingnextsemester.Studentsareencouragedtowriteadditionalcommentsontheirevaluations,andyouwillbegiventhesecommentsaswell.Oftenthecriticismthatstudentsgivecanbeveryhelpfultoyouinimprovingyourperformance.
Trynottotakeittoopersonallyifastudenthasanegativecommentaboutyourclass.Somestudentsreactnegativelytorequiredclasses,andtheircommentsmayre lectthisattitudemorethanyourperformanceasaninstructor.
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Effective Teaching Assignments
ThefollowingsectionlistssomeeffectiveteachingmethodsandassignmentsthatwerecollectedfromteachingassistanceintheEnglishDepartmentatNMU.
“Afterbrie lylecturingonargument/persuasion,usingthe“MountainSurvivalProblem”exerciseforstudentstoputtheirarguingskillstothetesthasworkedwonderfullyeverysemesterI’vespentatNMU.Thougheachofmyclassesapproacheditalittledifferentlyandaskedavarietyofquestions,itprovedtobefun,dif icult,effective,andatruebondingexperienceeachsemester.”
“My irsttwoassignmentsencouragestudentstodevelopanownershipintheirlearning.I irstaskthemtomakealistoffuturewritingneedsintheirpersonal,professional,andspirituallives,sothattheyunderstandwherewriting itsin.ThenextdayIhavethemwriteuptheirphilosophiesofwriting(whytheywrite),generalgoals,andspeci icgoalsforthesemester.During,andattheendofthesemester,theyrefertothesegoalsastheyre lectontheirprogressinwrittenform.I indtheirlevelsofengagementwiththebasicsofEN111andtheirownwritingmuchenhancedbyassigningtheseeasyandquicktasksduringthe irstweek.”
“Askingstudentstorespondtoreadingassignmentswrittenbyprofessionalsandhavingthemdiscusswhat
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makesthemstandoutasgoodandbadexamplesofwritinghasworkedtoshowthemwhattodoandwhatnottodo.Also,readinginitselfcanteachstudentsbyprocessofosmosis.TheMacmillonReaderisatextthatprovidesshort,precisede initionsofdifferentgenres,but,moreimportantly,theessaysallowstudentstoseetheresultsofthosede initions.”
“TogetstudentsthinkingaboutaudienceIhavestudentswriteadescriptionofhowtotieashow(in-classwriting).Whentheyaredone,Ihaveavolunteerreadhis/herdescriptionwhileItrytofollowinstructions.Iamveryignorantaboutthingslike“bow,”“loop,”“over,”and“through,”sotheprocessdoesnotworkwell,andIendupwithamess.ThenIinvitethemtotryagainwithmoreexplanation.”
“InEN211,themosteffectiveteachingassignmentsIhaveusedwerethosethathadstudentswriteinstructionsaboutsimpletasks,thentestoneanother’sinstructions.Ididthiswithsettingmousetrapsadwithtyingshoes.Inbothcasesthestudentsleanedalotaboutaboutprocessanalysis.Theyweremadetothinkaboutafamiliarorsimpletaskasiftheydidnotalreadyknowhowtodoit.”
”InEN111,themosteffectiveassignmentsIgavewerethe100-150wordsummary/responsepiecesIhadmystudentswriteaboutonceeachweek.Theseassignmentswereusefulbecausetheytaughtbothreadingandwritingskills;studentslearnedhowto
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singleoutwhatwasimportantinapieceofwriting,andhowtoexpresstheirideasconcisely.”
“OneofthehardestthingsforsomeEN111studentstodoisputhimorherselfinsomeoneelse’spointofviewandactuallyempathizewithanotherperson.Itellthemthattomakeaneffectiveargument,theymustbeabletounderstandtheopposition’sargument.Inordertohelpthemtakethatimaginativeleap,Ibringinapoemcalled‘Skinhead,’whichisfromthepointofviewofanangryskinhead.Afterwediscussthepoem,ItellthemitwaswrittenbyanAfrican-Americanwoman,PatriciaSmith,andforaminuteortwo,theyareunsureoftheirworld—howanAfrican-Americanwritesuchathing?Ithenaskthemtowritedownthenameofapersonwhotheyhate,orstronglydislike.Theyhemandhawforawhile;noonelikestoadmittheyhatesomeone.Whenthey’ve inallydecidedonaname,Iaskthestudentstowriteaparagraphfromthepointofviewofthatperson,inorderthatthereadermayempathizewiththatperson.At irst,theyhateit.Butaftertheinitialshockofdoingsomethingforforeign,theygetwrappedupinit,andit’shardtomakethemstopwriting.Thisassignmenthasbeenoneofmymosteffectivebecauseitpushedtheenvelopeofstudents’imaginationandmakesthemwanttowrite.”
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VI. Appendices Appendix A: Workshopping Syllabi and Lesson Plans The purpose of this workshop is to gain both complimentary and construc ve feedback from your peers in order to enhance the clarity, cohesion, and completeness of your syllabus and later, your lesson plans. Syllabi Peer Review Please spend me going through your syllabi and devote approximately 20 minutes for each individual’s document. Begin by reading through the document silently. Next, review the prompts below and then jot down your wri en feedback directly on the dra syllabus for your peer. Completeness— Iden fy any areas of informa on that
are missing. Note any areas that need further explana-on or clarifica on. How do the descrip ons of assign-
ments, essays, and other work meet the departmental objec ves? Are descrip ons provided?
Coherence— Examine the flow of assignments and instruc on. How has the author structured the semester? How is this structure conveyed to students?
Clarity – Jot down any areas that are unclear. This is par cularly important in the sec on(s) on the following: a endance, classroom policies and/or rules, and grade calcula on. How enforceable and realis c are these areas and others? Iden fy any areas where you feel the language needs reworking.
Concision – Mark any areas where the author can state things more directly and be more economical with
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language. Remind one another to use back to back prin ng of final syllabi copies.
Further, be sure to consider whether the author’s syllabus has each of the following:
Tenta ve dates for Library and Wri ng Center tours (and that requests are made)
At least two sessions of individual conferences with students
A final examina on date and me Lesson Plan Review
When reviewing your peers’ lesson plans, provide feedback on the following topics: Concision of topic or subject (short phrase(s) of major
focus or topics) Daily sessions that connect and build on one another
throughout the week Objec ves stated from point of view of what students
will learn, do, or experience using Bloom’s Taxonomy language
Methods briefly but clearly wri en that show a session that includes instruc on, modeling, and guided prac ce to prepare students for independent prac ce
Methods that promotes student engagement and ac ve learning experiences
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Appendix B: Sample Syllabus
Syllabus Fall 2012
EN 111 College Composi on, 4 credits.
Course Sequence Number: _____ Instructor: Class Time/Days Room: Office: Office Hours: Phone: Email: NMU Bulle n Descrip on for EN 111: College Composi on,
The first of two required courses in Division 1 – Founda ons of Communica on “This course will prepare students to develop their abili es to read and discuss and to write paragraphs and short essays about significant subjects.” Students who complete EN 111 should be able to “generate ideas for wri ng; organize ideas logically; and use correct and effec ve grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctua on.” During the semester, students will complete at least five evalu-ated assignments and will write a minimum of 5000 words. NOTE: You must receive a grade of C or higher in order to enroll in EN211, the second composi on
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course in Division I – Founda ons of Communica on.
Required Texts
Ruszkiewicz, John J. How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference, 2e. Boston: Bedford/St. Mar ns. 2012.
Gorokhova, Elena. A Mountain of Crumbs: A Memoir. New York: Simon and Schuster. 2011.
Performance Objec ves for EN 111
Wri ng Process: Engage in prewri ng, dra ing, revis-ing, and edi ng
Development: Read, discuss, and write well-developed paragraphs and essays
Genre: Prac ce narra on, descrip on and explana on as well as persuasion and argument
Content: Maintain consistent focus and provide good ideas, examples, and evidence
Structure: Use logical development of central idea or theme, employ successful introduc ons and conclusions, make effec ve use of transi ons
Stance: Control level of formality or informality, pro-vide clear perspec ve
Conven on: Show good control of wri ng conven ons (grammar, usage, mechanics)
Incorpora on and Documenta on: Be able to incorporate four to five credible sources using MLA
Late Work Policy
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All work or dra s must be turned in hard copy of the beginning of the hour on the specified due date. Please use double-spaced Times New Roman 12 point font and MLA forma ng. Any work submi ed late will be reduced by one full le er grade for business day it is late. Plagiarism Academic dishonesty is an important issue and is treated very seriously in the English Department at NMU. The per nent sec ons of the NMU Student Handbook Student Code on academic dishonesty are listed below. 2.2.3 Academic Dishonesty (penalty: not less than disciplinary proba on; not more than expulsion) This regula on does not preclude an academic penalty imposed by an instructor as provided for in Student Rights and Responsibili es, Sec on 1.2.3. .02 No students shall submit as their own to an
instructor any work which contains ideas or materials taken from another without full acknowledgement of the author and the source.
.03 No students shall submit as their own any work or assignment which contains content falsified by the student or content the student knows to be false.
.06 No students shall knowingly par cipate in, or otherwise facilitate, the academic dishonesty, as described above, of another student.
A endance/Tardiness/Decorum Policy You are expected to a end class every day, arrive on me, have your assigned work completed, and par cipate in classroom ac vi es and discussions. You are also expected to be respec ul towards your professor and your
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classmates. If you do not abide by the above condi ons, I will instruct you to leave the classroom and to meet with me in my office before I will permit you to return to class. If you have a legi mate, documented excuse for your absence or tardiness, please no fy me immediately. You will be allowed to miss four class sessions without penalty; however, each addi onal absence will lower your final grade by one step on the grading scale (i.e. from a B to a B-). Laptop/Cell Phone Policy Please keep your laptops closed in class unless I instruct you to open them for use. You may use your laptop to take notes during class; however, if at any point I find you cha ng, e-mailing, checking websites, or the like, you will be told to leave and to meet with me in my office before you can return to class. Further, your cell phones must be turned off during class. Any cell phone use, including tex-
ng, will result in your removal from class and mee ng with me in my office. ADA Statement If you have a need for disability-related accommoda ons or services, please inform the Coordinator of Disability Services in the Disability Services Office at 2001 C. B. Hedgcock (227-1700). Reasonable and effec ve accommoda ons and ser-vices will be provided to students if requests are made in a
mely manner, with appropriate documenta on, in accord-ance with federal, state, and University guidelines. Inclement Weather Policy On occasion, the University may cancel classes due to inclement weather. To find out if classes are being held,
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check the NMU website, or call 227-BRRR (2777), the weather line for NMU. Final Examina on Period: You are required to come to my office during our final examina on me to pick up your graded work. Grading Scale A 92 – 100% C 72 – 77% A‐ 90 – 91% C‐ 70 – 71% B+ 88 – 89% D+ 68 – 69% B 82—87% D 62 – 67% B‐ 80—81% D‐ 60 – 61% C+ 78 – 79% F 0 – 59% Grading Criteria A/A‐ Paper
� Sharp, dis nct focus � Substan al, specific, and/or illustra ve content,
sophis cated and well-developed ideas � Obviously controlled and/or subtle organiza on � Writer’s voice apparent in tone, sentence structure
and word choice � Few mechanical, gramma cal and usage errors
B+/ B/ B‐ Paper
� Clear focus � Specific and illustra ve content � Logical and appropriate organiza on � Precision and variety in sentence structure and word
choice
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� Some mechanical and usage errors C+/ C/ C‐ Paper
� Adequate focus � Sufficient content � Appropriate organiza on � Some precision and variety in sentence structure and
word choice � Mechanical and usage errors not severe enough to
interfere with the writer’s purpose or the reader’s understanding of content and message
D+/ D Paper
� Vague focus � Content limited to lis ng repe on, or mere
sequence of idea � Inconsistent organiza on � Limited sentence variety and word choice � Mechanics and usage errors that interfere with the
writer’s purpose Failing Paper
� Absence of focus � Absence of relevant content � Absence of organiza on � No apparent control over sentence structure and
word choice � Mechanical and usage errors that seriously interfere
with the writer’s purpose Adapted from: Richmond, Kia. “Por olio Assessment Guidelines.” NMU, Fall 2001 Strickland, Kathleen and James. Reflec ons on Assessment: Its Purposes, Methods, and
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Effects on Learning. Portsmouth, NH. Heinemann, 1998. Sample of How Grades are Determined/Descrip on of Assignments from Zarah Moeggenberg Classroom Par cipa on: 5% ‐‐ 40 points (up to .75 point per day) Par cipa on is essen al for your success in this class. Your par cipa on will be assessed through the following: Class a endance Punctuality Willingness to ask ques ons Willingness to volunteer answers Engagement in discussion Contribu ons to fellow students during wri ng
workshops A tude and enthusiasm In-class assignments, one-on-ones, panel discussions Steps and Reading Response: 22.5%‐‐225 (15 x 10 points each and 5 x 15 points each) 250 words each Steps help me guide you toward bigger papers and act as building blocks. They also work as a resource for me to see how well the class understands key concepts, processes examples, and addresses higher and lower order concerns. Throughout the semester you will submit responses to prompts that are constructed from discussions and ac vi es inside and outside of class, as well as from The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon. These steps will be an opportunity for you to develop your wri ng and cri cal thinking skills. The journals are not weighted as heavily on your final grade as the papers, but they should be treated with the same dedica on and will be graded under the
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same expecta ons. These steps will be discussed, and it will be expected that each student will read from me-to- me what they have come up with. Workshops: 10%‐‐100 points (4 x 25 points each) Throughout the semester you will workshop the first or second dra of each paper with your classmates. For workshops, you must bring a completed hard copy dra for each member of the workshop group and submit a hard copy dra to me as well (this will account for half of the workshop points). Cri cal Reading Workshop Guides will be filled out and given to each group member during the work-shop (this will account for the other half of workshop points). Papers: 60%‐‐600 points (see breakdown below) During this course you are expected to turn in five polished papers in EN 111.
Papers must be double spaced, in size 12 Times New Roman font, with 1 inch margins
Papers must include assignment informa on (name, professor, class, date, assignment tle) in the top le hand corner. It must also include a page number and your last name on all pages. See MLA guidelines in How to Write Anything p471‐473 to format your paper correctly.
Papers must be stapled. Please do not paperclip. The wri ng process is as important as the final product,
and you will have the op on and are encouraged to revise your essays for your por olio.
All grades on papers are tenta ve, meaning that you may revise heavily as many mes as you wish to receive a possibly higher grade on them. Any
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previous dra s must accompany that revised paper. I will only accept revisions un l Thursday, December 8th, 2011
Handouts will be given out with lengthy detail on the following papers you will be required to write. The following shows small summaries of each paper re‐quired.
Essays Paper 1: Personal Narra ve Essay (500‐750 words) 75 points
This paper allows you to present yourself to readers by telling a story from your past that discloses something significant about you. By shaping your memories and feelings, you should be able to create a compelling story that conveys the meaning and importance of the experience. Please submit in MLA format.
Paper 2: This I Believe Essay (500‐750 words) 75 points
This type of essay presents a personal belief. It uses narra ve to illustrate the belief. In this essay you will take a belief you have and ground it in the events of your life. You will consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story could be serious or funny, but certainly real. Make sure your story es to the aesthe cof your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.
Paper 3: Proposal (Persuasive) (1000 to 1500 words) 125 points
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A proposal is a persuasive essay that iden fies and explains a problem, offers a solu on, and presents steps for implemen ng the solu on. Proposals appear in newspapers, magazines, and online. You will be required to use 2‐3 sources and follow MLA guidelines/format.
Paper 4: I‐Search ( 4 parts: approx 200, 500, 800 and 1500) 175 points
We will discuss various topics, themes, issues, and reader responses related to The Lazarus Project by Alexandar Hemon throughout the semester. You will be required to choose one of these, narrow the scope, and perform an I‐Search. The project consists of four parts: proposal, working bibliography, annotated bibliography, summaries, and commentary. The purpose of the assignment is to focus on the research process. You will develop skill in loca ng, assessing, and understanding secondary materials, and in properly documen ng them.
Final Paper: Cultural/Rhetorical Analysis Paper (1500 words) 150 points
Explore a cultural trend or phenomenon that you discover to be significant and revealing about our culture. This could be something that has been around for a while or something completely new. It should be something that our culture embraces, perhaps a trend, fad, or obsession. For example, you could choose low cut women’s shirts, leggings, saggy men’s pants, using celebri es, Facebook, Twi er, UP bumper s ckers, a top‐of‐the‐chart song, flags…the list goes on and on. You should analyze your topic, offering your own observa ons, and those of experts
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to convince your reader of its significance and the ques ons it raises. You must use and integrate a minimum of six sources. 600 points total
EVALUATION: Four Essay Dra Workshops (25 points each) 100 points possible _____ Five Papers 600 points possible _____ ‐Personal Narra ve Essay (75) ‐This I Believe (75) ‐Proposal (125) ‐I Search (175) ‐Cultural Analysis (150) 2 One‐on‐One Conferences (25 points each) 50 points possible _____ 15 Steps (10 points each) 150 points possible _____ 5 Reading Responses (15 points each) 75 points possible _____ Par cipa on 25 points possible _____ Total 1000 points possible ____
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Tuesday September 7
Wednesday September 8
Thursday September 9
Topic or subject
Show; Don’t Tell.
Revision, Research, and Reports Avoiding Plagiarism. MLA. Picking a Topic.
Objectives to reach goals “The students will…”
- Construct sentences that use showing details - Compare and con-trast showing and telling sentences - Critique sentences, justifying which sentences build a stronger narrative Invent a brief story that uses only show-ing details
- Compare and contrast “editing” and “revising” a paper - Explain the significance of report writing - Critique the quality of some given web sources
- Define plagiarism - Develop sentences that properly incorporate outside sources - Write a topic proposal for the report paper
Materials needed
- “Show; Don’t Tell” Sample Sentences Chalkboard and Chalk
- Samples of “edited” versus “revised” paragraphs. - “Evaluating Web Sources” Handout - Sample Web Sources to be Evaluated
- Samples of sentences that plagiarize - “How to Use Outside Sources” Handout - Paper 2 Proposal Form - Computer and Projector
Methods to be used
- Using the “reporter’s ques-tions,” we will dis-cuss how to make better “showing” sentences. - In groups, students will discuss sentences they have made and critique what makes one better than anoth-er. - In pairs, students will address “telling” verbs in their rough drafts, pointed out by partners. - Individually, stu-dents will work on rewriting their “telling” sentences to make stronger narra-tives.
- Discussion about the difference between revision and editing, using the sample paragraphs. - Discussion of the significance of Report Writing with an emphasis on practical application, introduc-ing Paper 2 to the group. - Brief lecture on evaluating the quality of a web source. - Overview of the “2 Sources Analysis” assignment, due tomor-row.
- A brief lecture over the importance of academic hon-esty and ways to avoid pla-giarism. - Discussion over the differ-ence between plagiarizing and citing a source. - Using sample sentences individually then as a group, we will discuss appropriate use of outside sources and punctuation. - I will introduce the Paper 2 Proposal assignment, due Monday.
Homework or exten-sion activities
- Paper 1 Final Draft - How to Write Anything p. 424 – 427 Analysis of 2 Sources
- How to Write Anything p. 45 – 46; 325 – 327 - Paper 2 Proposal
Appendix C: Sample Lesson Plan Lesson Plans for Week 3 TA:
