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Introduction
  One of Those
   Days

Chapter 1
  Introduction to the Program

Chapter 2
  Teaching in the Program

Chapter 3
  Teaching 1301

Chapter 4
  Teaching 1302

Chapter 5
  Evaluating
    Writing

Addendum I
   ESL Issues

Addendum II
   Computers and
   Writing

Addendum III
   Academic
   Integrity

Syllabus Templates
  1301  1302

Editing Credits

Downloadable Formats
   PDF Format
   Word Format

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chapter 2 section b

Teaching Expectations

Appointment and Reappointment

Graduate Teaching Assistants are appointed by a committee composed of English Department faculty. GTAs may not hold another job either on or off campus while they teach for the Program. Reappointment is determined based upon satisfactory participation in training and supervisory programs, satisfactory progress in University degree programs, a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and a generally satisfactory performance as an instructor. GTAs may expect to have their work assessed by members of the FYC Committee; the Director of FYC may arrange for classroom visits and reviews of sets of graded essays. This supervision allows for ongoing feedback and training as teachers and provides students with a quality and relatively uniform experience in FYC. You might also want to request a written observation from the Director of FYC if, for example, you are preparing to go on the academic job market.

Required Training

In addition to participating in this ongoing supervision, GTAs complete coursework designed to acquaint them with the most up-to-date pedagogical theories in the field and to train them in the specific pedagogy of the Program. Before they begin teaching in September, all new GTAs must register for English 5389 for Summer Session II. The course is taught over a span of three weeks during the last Summer Session. Students do extensive reading in current reading and composition theory/pedagogy. We strongly suggest that you study the assigned works well in advance of the beginning of GTA training.  If you don’t, and especially if you are not at all familiar with composition theory, completing the requirements for GTA training will be exceptionally difficult.  During the training, students also familiarize themselves with the texts and readings that they will assign in their English 1301 courses. The coursework includes mastery of composition theory through completion of summary/response papers for each assigned reading, writing a typical 1301 essay, organizing a resource notebook for 1301, and writing a final paper that describes a general course plan for the fall semester.

In the fall, all new GTAs must enroll for English 5359, which introduces them to argument theory, which they will teach the following semester in English 1302.  The course is comprised of readings in both classical and contemporary rhetoric. Coursework generally includes mastery of relevant argument theory through completion of summary/response papers for each assigned reading, writing typical 1302 essays, organizing a resource notebook for 1302, and writing a final paper that describes a general course plan and syllabus for the spring semester. In addition, all new instructors must participate in a teaching practicum, for both the fall and spring semesters. In this once-a-week, one-hour meeting, instructors come together with the Director and/or Associate Director to share problems and insights and discuss specific topics such as grading, generating discussion in class, or any other topics that warrant discussion.

Attendance

Instructors should obviously make every effort to meet every one of their scheduled classes and to be on time. If instructors must be absent, they should arrange in advance for another instructor to teach their classes. At the beginning of the Fall semester, the Associate Director will create and circulate a list of instructors who have volunteered to cover classes for their colleagues who need to be absent. If an emergency comes up, please call the English Department immediately so that a secretary can meet and dismiss the class or post a “walk.” In general, keep classes for the full scheduled time; avoid canceling more than one class for “library work” or conferences. Instructors may set their own attendance policies and must give their policies to the students in writing on the syllabus. Most instructors allow up to six absences for a MWF class, or four absences for a TTH class, before penalizing a student’s grade for absences. Instructors may not drop students for any reason. Instead, instructors should warn students when they are approaching or have used all allowable absences that their grade is in danger of being lowered. Instructors’ policies in this regard must be clearly stated in all syllabi. Instructors may wish to give students an absence notice when a dangerous absence level is reached. This leaves students without room for miscounting or raging after the fact.

Grade Disputes

Occasionally, a student will dispute a final grade with the instructor or the department. It is extremely important to keep attendance and grade logs (and backups of grading software) as well as copies of written warnings or emails to students in case of a dispute. Remind students to keep all graded work until their final grades are posted.

Office Hours

Instructors are expected to keep at least three office hours a week. Students and the English Department should be advised of your office hours, and, obviously, you should be in your office during those hours. Please determine your office hours by the end of the first week of class. Make sure your students know how to reach you.

Teaching Evaluations

Near the end of each semester, students in all classes at the University have an opportunity to evaluate their courses and instructors. The English Department will provide self-explanatory forms, one required by the university and one required by the department. Set aside time during class, at least fifteen to twenty minutes at the beginning of a class during dead week at the end of a semester, for students to complete these forms, and encourage them to take evaluations seriously. Discuss with students the value of descriptive feedback as opposed to simple yes / no answers to the questions on the forms, and assure students that evaluations will not be seen until after final grades have been received. The forms are turned in to the English Department, where they are tabulated by staff members, reviewed by members of the FYC Committee and the GTA Committee, and then returned to instructors for them to keep. #2 pencils are needed for these forms and are available in the English office. Please ask students to return them.

Suggested Grading Standards for English 1301 and 1302

Here are descriptions of the possible grades in these courses, offered to promote consistency:

• In A essays, the main idea is significant and shows evidence of a writer’s personal engagement with a specific subject. Organization is strong; there is a clear overall pattern of development, necessary and orderly steps, clearly explained connections between ideas. Information is abundant and pertinent to the main idea; in general, support provided for the essay’s ideas is under the control of the writer; it is directed to his or her purpose. Language is not only correct but interesting and strongly communicative. Sentences are varied in structure, original and vivid in word choice; the writer’s personality and presence are apparent. The essay is relatively free of grammar and spelling errors. An A paper is not flawless; there is no such thing in writing. But it reflects a writer who is in full control of both material and language. Control is the key word here. The reader feels expert guidance.
• In B essays, the main idea is fairly original and out of the ordinary, if somewhat dispassionate. Organization is good and an overall scheme controls the essay, though transitions may be a bit mechanical. The details reveal good reading or research, and though their presentation may be uninspired, they are all used to support the main idea explicitly. The language is at least clear and correct, if rather ordinary. There may be a tendency toward wordiness or technical language over which the writer may not exercise good control.
• In C essays, the main idea is not terribly original, but it is adequate to control the content of the essay. Organization is in evidence but loose. The topics of paragraphs and the rationale of their order may not be immediately apparent, though they can be deciphered; transitions may be weak. Details abound, most of them relevant to the main idea, though there may be statements unsupported by details or details whose relevance to the main idea isn’t clear. The language is for the most part correct, though it may imitate a highly “generic” voice. There may be problems with word choice, levels of diction, and awkward wording. A C paper will do; it’s adequate. But it gives the reader an impression of fuzziness and lack of assurance on the part of the writer. The reader has to work to understand what he or she is reading.
• In Z essays, there may be no apparent main idea, or if one is stated it fails to control the content of the essay. There may be details, but few of them support a main idea in any clear way. Paragraphing is a problem; paragraphs may be too long or too short, some may have no apparent topic while others have several. The language may be peppered with errors, unidiomatic phrases, frustrating vagueness and other infelicities that impede comprehension. A Z grade implies to the student that the essay is still “in progress,” as it has not yet reached a level of focus or comprehensibility that would allow the teacher to assign it a passing grade.
• Some teachers reserve the F grade for work that is not attempted. Others assign an F to work that wholly does not meet the assignment due to inattentiveness or laziness, rather than due to misunderstandings, in which case they assign a Z.

Team Teaching

GTAs who have not completed at least 18 hours of graduate coursework in English will be required to team teach with another instructor who has completed over 18 hours of coursework. Although the two instructors may split the class for the purposes of group work or smaller discussion sessions, major presentations should be given by the team. Moreover, the syllabus, course content, assignments, and readings should be the same. Do not just split the class in half the first day and never meet together again. How much time teaching separately should be decided based on the level of experience of the new person. The purpose of the mentor is to provide guidance and support both in and out of the classroom. Most people learn to teach by watching others teach and then slowly developing their own style and confidence. As we know, this takes time, and cannot be accomplished only after a three-week intensive training course. If a new instructor is simply thrown into a classroom without experience or support, both the instructor and the students suffer tremendously. The experience of teaming is thus crucial for both instructor and students.

There are many things to think about when preparing how you are going to guide and assess your students’ progress. Several sample systems for individual assignments are included in this Guide, but here is a basic checklist that a team might use to begin negotiating the development of a syllabus. Both members should produce a tentative syllabus or a class schedule from a past semester so that the collaborative syllabus will be a good mix of each member’s teaching ideas.

Grading:

• What system will be used to assess papers? Will you assign points or letter grades?
• How will assignments be graded—individually when they are submitted or in a portfolio submitted at one or more times during the term? Will grades on re-writes replace the initial grade or be averaged with the initial grade?
• How will papers be divided by instructors in order to be graded?
• Will each instructor grade papers by the same students?
• Will students get feedback from both instructors at different times?
• Will any assignments be graded numerically such as quizzes?
• How will assignments other than major essay projects be graded?
• What major qualities will A, B, C, and Z papers have?
• How will students’ final grades be determined? How will each assignment be weighted?

Assignments:

• Other than major essay projects, what kinds of written assignments will be given?
• What will be the minimum requirements for these assignments?
• What readings will be assigned?
• How will students be held accountable for these readings?
• Will they complete summary-response papers, create discussion questions, or take quizzes?
• How much time will your team need to respond to a round of student papers?

Policies:

• What will be the attendance policy?
• What will you do about students who are tardy?
• How will you deal with students who do not complete assignments such as essays, summary-response papers, journal entries, quizzes, peer response drafts, etc.?
• How long will students have to complete re-writes? How many re-writes may they do per semester? Per paper?
• How will you divide your students?
• When will you meet separately, and when will both classes meet together?

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