The following information
should help you design your class and understand
the structure and requirements of our writing program:
Course
Information Sheet/Syllabi: All teachers in the program must address
the objectives and requirements outlined in the 1101 and 1102 common syllabi.
Copies can be found in the workroom file cabinet).
You are responsible for
distributing these to students on the first day of classes.
We require teachers to create their own
supplemental sheets which address
information such as absence policies, office hours, evaluation methods,
classroom activities, conference policies, homework assignments, etc.
The more specific information you include in these materials the better. All
teachers should submit a copy of this additional information to the Writing
Program Director and the Department Secretary the first week of classes.
Textbooks:
All teachers have the opportunity to choose from a list of approved
textbooks. The textbooks range in approach but all address the program objectives
outlined in the syllabi. Sample copies of
these textbooks can be checked out
from the main office. All textbook orders
need to be completed the semester before
you are to use them in your classes. You may
order textbooks from the SPSU Bookstore web page: http://www.bkstore.com/spsu.
All sections of 1101 and 1102 are
required to use the same handbook: Harcourt
Brace Brief College Handbook, Revised 13th Edition. It
is your responsibility to
include this title on your textbook order form.
Workroom: You will find the teacher workroom located in the
main office. You will
be assigned a mailbox with your name on it where you will receive important correspondence
regarding the program. It is your
responsibility to check the
mailbox on a regular basis and respond to all applicable information. In the
workroom you will find supplies and files that contain grade sheets, forms, course
syllabi, etc.
Email: Much of the correspondence regarding the
Composition Program takes
place through e-mail. Please submit your
email address to the Writing Program
Director before the start of classes. Email
accounts are available on campus if you
do not have one.
Copies:
Although the textbooks provide a teaching apparatus with writing
pedagogy and exercises, teachers often supplement this material with their own
handouts or samples of student writing. In
order to use the copy machine, which
is in the workroom, you must get a code from Donna McPherson. Donna can
also give you a quick lesson on the workings of the copy machine.
Student
Assistants: We are fortunate to have the help of student assistants in our
main office. One of their duties is to make
copies for teachers in our program. If
you would like to have your copies made by the assistants please fill out the job
request form (found on the table with the fax) and leave it in their box at least 24
hours before you need the job completed. The student assistants' hours will be
posted each semester in the workroom.
Conferences
and Office Hours: Current writing pedagogy suggests that it is
important that teachers communicate regularly with students on an individual basis
through written comments and conferences. All students should have regular
opportunities to meet with their teachers to discuss their writing and progress in
the class. You should make yourself available
through both regular, drop-in office
hours and at least one mandatory scheduled conference per student per semester.
Grades: It is within the discretion of the individual
teacher to assign grades and
establish their own methods of response and evaluation.
These criteria, of course,
should support the goals of the first year writing program (ENGL
1101 and 1102
Syllabi) It is important to clearly communicate (in writing) your criteria and
methods
of grading. All students should be aware of
their progress in the class before the
drop date (listed in the Registration Bulletin). Near
the end of the semester, Donna will notify you how to enter your students' grades into the
computer. Adjuncts are discouraged from giving incompletes in the first year writing
sequence. If you are considering an
"Incomplete" please consult the
Writing Program Director.
Diagnostic
Essays: At the beginning of each semester it is important to get a
baseline writing sample from students. Sometime
during the first week have
students write an introductory sample to help you diagnose their writing skills
and strategies. During the Fall Semester of
each year you will need to copy
these essays and leave them in the designated box in the workroom. They
will be used for program and campus wide assessment.
Regents’
Testing: All students in the University System of Georgia are required
to pass the Regents' Exam. It is our
responsibility to prepare students to take
the essay portion of this test. You can find
this information and test taking
strategies in the Learning Resources Center or online at the Regents' testing site http://www.gsu.edu/rtp. Pass this site on to your students. It is recommended
that you participate as a Regents' grader to get a better understanding of the
methods of scoring. The test is administered
each semester and you must
announce the dates and times to your classes (See Registration Bulletin or web
site for administration dates). Regents’
Instruction should be covered before the
test date each term.
Final
Exams: All teachers are responsible for designing and administering their
own final exams. These exams should be
in-class, timed writings that ask
students to demonstrate their learning and progress in the class. All exams
must be administered according to the times and dates listed on the back page
of the Registration Bulletin
Attendance:
Because of the participatory nature of the first year writing
classroom, it is important that students attend class.
Teachers should clearly
state and enforce an attendance policy that values the importance of in-class
participation.
It is also important to hold all classes
according to the university schedule.
If you have to cancel a class you need to have it approved by the Department
Head. Please notify the Writing Program
Director and the Department Secretaries
of your absence. All official
University holidays are listed in the Registration Bulletin.
Learning
Resources Center: The
Learning Resources Center, directed by Jeff
Orr, is located in Room J-253. If you feel
students need additional help with their
writing you can refer them to the LRC. Students
should be made aware of the
hours, goals, and procedures of the LRC. Although
tutors will help students with
editing the LRC should not be viewed as a fix-it shop.
Instead, it should be seen
as a productive extension of our writing program's goals and objectives.
Computer
Writing Classroom: We are very fortunate to have a networked
computer writing classroom in which to teach
some of our classes. If you are
assigned to teach in this classroom (J-214) you will need to familiarize yourself
with the hardware and the software. The
software, Daedalus Integrated Writing
Environment, is designed specifically for the writing classroom and involves
students in the processes of thinking and writing. We
encourage teachers to use
this classroom in innovative ways that go beyond a collection of word processors.
If you are teaching in this classroom you will need to review a copy of the
Daedalus teaching manual. You might
also consider talking to other teachers
working in the classroom or consulting the on-line teacher support for Daedalus
at http:// www.daedalus.com/
If you experience problems with the
machines, you will need to report them to
the Computer Writing
Classroom Administrator, Mark Stevens.
Please report all
requests and problems on the form provided in the classroom and put it in Mark's
mailbox. Make sure to specifically note the
problem and the machine number.
If there is an emergency in the classroom please contact the main office. All
supplies are in the metal closet. Donna will
give you a key to this cabinet. Please
notify the administrator if supplies are low. For
security purposes this classroom is equipped with an alarm.
You can get the alarm code from Donna in the main office.
Please alarm the room each time you leave. Have
students shut down their
programs at the end of each class period.
Library
Instruction: Library instruction is offered through the reference department
for all 1102 classes. Contact Steven Vincent at X7471
to set up a time and date.
You might consider supplying librarians with your research assignment and
some
sample topics to help them tailor their presentations.
In order to make this instruction
more useful it is recommended that students come to the library with their chosen
topics.
TEACHER SUPPORT
We understand that teaching is an
evolution of ideas and strategies. Our
program
values innovation and purposeful experimentation in our writing classes. We offer
support for teachers looking to improve their teaching by way of our teacher
mentor program, teacher resource files, teacher conferences, and professional
development opportunities.
Teacher Mentor Program: In order to help with supervision and evaluation of all
contracted instructors and adjuncts we have established the Teacher Mentor program guidelines. Each semester all
instructors and adjuncts will be paired with a full-time faculty member who will
offer teaching support and observe classes. It
is the teachers' responsibility to provide mentors with materials that will help
contextualize their observations. Each
semester mentors will provide feedback in the form of an observation memo and individual
conference following the observation. These
memos and materials will be added to your teaching files and stored in the office of the
Writing Program Director.
Writing Program Director: The Writing Program Director, Kim Haimes-Korn,
is available to discuss and support innovative teaching ideas. Please feel free to contact Kim to receive
additional help and advice on curriculum design, classroom practices, department policies,
or student problems.
Teacher Resource File: The
teacher resource files are located in room J-344. They
contain current articles and exercises on teaching theory and practice. These articles/exercises are the masters. Please copy them and return them immediately to
the file. Our library also has an impressive
collection of holdings on composition research and pedagogy.
Continuing Training/ Inservice Workshops: During the course of the year you
will be offered opportunities to participate in discussion groups and inservice workshops. Please try to make yourself available for these
opportunities.
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