ENGL 095

135 Pages·2007·0.48 MB·English

ENGL 095:

Fundamentals of
Writing

Handbook for Faculty

DRAFT

Brookdale Community College
English Department
2006

1
2
Table of Contents

Introduction....................................................................................................7
How This Guide Was Created.......................................................................................9
Intended Audience and Purpose...................................................................................9
Future Updates...............................................................................................................9
Part 1: ENGL 095 and the Writing Process ...............................................11
Who Can You Ask for Help?.......................................................................................13
What is ENGL 095?.....................................................................................................14
Course Overview......................................................................................................14
Catalogue Description..............................................................................................14
The Course Syllabus................................................................................................14
The Role of the Writing Center...............................................................................15
Types of Assignments...............................................................................................15
Building Skills: HOCs and LOCs for ENGL 095...................................................15
What 095 Is Not or What to Avoid in......................................................................16
Understanding ENGL 095 Students............................................................................17
How Was the Student Placed in ENGL 095?..........................................................17
Students’ Paths Through Writing Courses.............................................................17
Diversity of Students................................................................................................18
Previous Educational Experiences..........................................................................18
The Process Approach to Writing...............................................................................19
What is the Process Approach?...............................................................................19
Responding to Students’ Writing Rather than Grading.........................................20
How Does the Process Approach Benefit Students?..............................................20
Part 2: Planning Your Semester..................................................................21
The Semester at a Glance............................................................................................23
Before the Semester Starts...........................................................................................25
Finding Your Stuff...................................................................................................25
Reviewing Your Rosters...........................................................................................25
Setting Your Office Hours.......................................................................................27
Getting Copies of the 095 Syllabus..........................................................................27
Developing Your Own Course Objectives...............................................................27
Visiting the Writing Center......................................................................................27
Familiarizing Yourself with Available 095 Materials and Resources...................28
Planning Your Assignments....................................................................................28
Selecting Texts and Readings..................................................................................29
The First Couple of Class Meetings............................................................................30
Reviewing the Departmental Syllabus and Your Own Course Obejctives.............30
Checking Your Roster..............................................................................................30
Breaking the Ice.......................................................................................................31
Notifying Students of Disability Services and Collecting Alert Forms..................32
Taking Your Class to a Writing Center Orientation...............................................33
Giving the Writing Diagnostic.................................................................................33
Evaluating the Diagnostic.......................................................................................34
3
Placing Students You Think Were Misplaced in 095.............................................34
Giving Feedback on the Diagnostic........................................................................35
Deciding How to Use the Diagnostic Once You Evaluate It..................................36
Contacting Students Who Missed the First Day.....................................................36
Explaining the Writing Process...............................................................................36
Explaining Assessment vs. Grading........................................................................37
Throughout The Semester...........................................................................................38
Addressing Retention..............................................................................................38
Working with the Writing Center............................................................................38
Addressing Attendance............................................................................................39
Using Monitoring Letters........................................................................................40
Addressing Problems in the Classroom...................................................................41
Mid-Semester................................................................................................................42
Giving a Midterm Evaluation and Self-Assessment Assignment...........................42
End of the Semester.....................................................................................................43
Scheduling Time for Your Observation and SORs.................................................43
Advising Students About Registration for Next Semester......................................43
Giving Instructions for Portfolios...........................................................................44
Assigning a Portfolio Letter.....................................................................................45
Collecting Portfolios................................................................................................45
Preparing for the In-class Final Essay...................................................................46
Arranging Accommodations for Students with Alert Forms.................................46
Giving the In-class Final Essay...............................................................................46
After the Last Day........................................................................................................48
Evaluating the In-Class Final Essay and Portfolios..............................................48
Deciding the Next Placement..................................................................................49
Completing the ENGL 095 Referral Form.............................................................51
Preparing Portfolios for ENGL 094 and ENGL 097 Placements..........................51
Conferencing With Students....................................................................................52
Entering Semester Grades.......................................................................................52
Leaving Portfolios....................................................................................................52
Following Up with Students in ENGL 094 and ENGL 097...................................53
Part 3: Teaching Strategies.........................................................................55
Developing Retention Strategies..................................................................................57
Working With the Writing Center...............................................................................58
Pacing the Three Hour Class......................................................................................59
Warm Up Writing Activities.....................................................................................59
Large Group Discussions.........................................................................................59
Writing Practice and Individual Instruction..........................................................59
Sharing and Commenting........................................................................................60
Break.........................................................................................................................60
Composing, Revising, and Responding ..................................................................60
Summary and Reflection.........................................................................................60
Pacing Split Classes.....................................................................................................61
Assigning Journal Writing..........................................................................................62
Journal Topics..........................................................................................................62
4
Commenting on Journals........................................................................................62
Hidden Benefits of Journal Writing........................................................................62
Using Readings............................................................................................................63
Using the Process Approach........................................................................................64
Starting a Topic Search...........................................................................................64
Discovering Topics – Another Approach................................................................65
Topic Search for Issues and Opinions....................................................................66
Topic Search for the Process Essay........................................................................67
Getting Started with Prewriting Activities...................................................................68
Freewriting...............................................................................................................68
Clustering.................................................................................................................69
Cubing......................................................................................................................68
Developing a Draft.......................................................................................................69
Commenting on Students’ Drafts................................................................................70
Use the Process Approach When Commenting......................................................70
Ask Questions...........................................................................................................70
Commenting on Sentence Structure and Mechanics.............................................71
Give Summary Comments.......................................................................................71
Workshopping..............................................................................................................72
Revising........................................................................................................................74
Addressing HOCs and LOCs...................................................................................74
Grammar and Mechanics........................................................................................74
Incorporating Critical Thinking Strategies................................................................75
Part 4: Best Practices and Favorite Resources...........................................77
Best Practices...............................................................................................................79
Why I Use Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie in the ENGL 095 Classroom...79
Smoke Signals” and Descriptive Writing................................................................81
Different Perspectives on Art...................................................................................83
Favorite Resources.......................................................................................................85
Books........................................................................................................................85
Short Stories.............................................................................................................85
Essays.......................................................................................................................85
Movies.......................................................................................................................85
Campus Events.........................................................................................................85
Art and Photography Exhibits.................................................................................86
Appendix A: ENGL 095 Course Syllabus...................................................87
Appendix B: Disability Services Alert Form...............................................95
Appendix C: Basic Skills Waiver Form ......................................................99
Appendix D: 095 Referral Form ...............................................................103
Appendix E: Extended List of Journal Topics .........................................109
Appendix F: Sample Essay with Instructor Comments............................117
Appendix G: Sample Passing Final Portfolio Essay................................121
Appendix H: Sample Portfolio Essays That Are Not Passing .................125
Selected Bibliography.................................................................................129
5
6
Introduction
7
8
How This Guide Was Created

This is a working draft. Marcia Krefetz-Levine’s 2001 guide appears in its entirety in
various portions of this updated version. I used Marcia’s work as the basis of this guide
and added information I thought would be helpful to new instructors based on questions
that came up during some pedagogical discussions on ENGL 095. Working on this
project helped give me more insight into teaching ENGL 095; I hope reading through it
helps you as much as compiling it helped me.

Intended Audience and Purpose

This guide is helpful for full-time or adjunct instructors who are teaching ENGL 095 for
the first time. It provides lots of background information on ENGL 095, the students, the
process approach, and semester milestones. It also gives suggestions on how to structure
your semester and great ideas from your colleagues on possible assignments.

If you have taught ENGL 095 before, hopefully you will find lots of new ideas and
inspiration from your colleagues in this guide.

This handbook is in no way meant to be a book of rules and regulations. Rather, it is
intended as a guide to provide new instructors with ideas, models, and suggestions.

Future Updates

Ideally this should be a collaborative project. Our department has so much wisdom and
experience to share. I hope that more faculty will contribute. Please jot down any
questions, clarifications, and suggestions you have as you use this guide and send to me
anything you think would be helpful to others. You can do this through email or hard
copy, whichever is easier for you.

Kathleen Kennedy
[email protected]
LAH 233D

9
10