English 1550 (Thursday, Dec. 8)

1. Class:

* Karen assigned Minor Writing #10 in class and also allowed students time to finish Minor Writing #10. Both writings were due by the end of class.

* She briefly revisited a quote by Ernest Hemingway from the beginning of the semester: "Sometimes I'm lucky and write better than I can." Although she acknowledged that sometimes the writing process feels that way, she also noted that good writing is often a result of hard work and careful application of skills. Karen also commended her students for working hard this semester and producing some really good pieces of writing ("The work earns the grade.").

2. Class analysis:

Today's class was a great way to wrap up the course and the semester. I liked that Karen devoted the entire class period to letting her students write and reflect on their English 1550 experience. It's also a good way to find out (from a student's perspective) what was helpful and what wasn't, or what worked and what didn't, in order to make effective tweaks to next semester's classes.

3. Class implementation:

For my final English 1550 minor writing assignment, I'd like to ask students to write a reflective essay, similar to the one Karen used in her class. See below for Karen's Minor Writing #10 prompt.

Talk to me about this course. Write a response of more than one page in which you discuss the following topics:

How has your writing changed since taking English 1550? In what way or ways? Be as specific as possible.

Consider various aspects of the course: textbook, class discussions, minor writing assignments, handbook, major writing projects, individual conferences, peer review. What did I forget?

Which elements should I keep? Which should I eliminate?

Which aspects of the course were the most valuable to you? Why? Least valuable? Why? Explain.

To end, consider the three major writing projects more closely. Which of those assignments prompted you to do your best work?

English 1550 (Tuesday, Dec. 6)

In lieu of class today, Karen offered optional conferences.

English 1539 (Friday, Dec. 2)

1. Class:

* Students peer-reviewed one another's argumentative essay rough drafts. Their final drafts are due next week.

2. Class analysis:

Students spent the entire class period workshopping their peers' essays. I liked Nikki's approach to the peer review process. Earlier in the week, she gave students a chart/diagram of an argumentative essay with a break-down of the vital elements: claim, reason, evidence, acknowledgment and response, and warrant. Students had to identify these parts in their own rough drafts. Today, however, students identified these components in others' rough drafts--and also added suggestions for improvement (like issues of grammar/punctuation, non-academic language, and disorganization).

3. Class implementation:

In my two sections of English 1550 in the spring, I'd like to slightly vary my approaches to workshopping rough drafts. Since I will require an argumentative essay, perhaps I'll adapt Nikki's idea to fit my purposes.

English 1550 (Thursday, Dec. 1)

1. Class:

* Students completed the course evaluations, then spent the remainder of time working on their final drafts of Projects 2 and 3--the argumentative essay and the worker portrait, respectively.

2. Class analysis:

I like that Thursday's English 1550 class allowed students time to work on their drafts, especially because quite a few had questions about APA formatting (which is required for Project 2). Additionally, I learned how to make the header different on the first page in Microsoft Word (for both Mac and PC!).

Karen also spent a few minutes discussing an engaging lead ... which was from a Jambar story about a student with epilepsy. She noted how the "writer skillfully wove in quotes."

Instead of formal class on Tuesday, Karen is planning to hold conferences. I like her very hands-on approach to working with her students on very specific assignments.

3. Class implementation:

Honestly, I'm feeling completely overwhelmed right now. I'm not sure if this is a normal condition at this point of the semester, but I feel as though I still have so much to prepare for my classes in the spring ... and that I still can't get it all quite right. I think that I have a good idea of where I'd like my class to go and what I'd like my students to learn from it, but I just can't shake the feeling that I'm not really there yet. For the past week or so, I've been really looking at and evaluating my tentative syllabus and schedule, assignments, and course readings, making changes when necessary. But I'm just worried that there's so much that I'm not anticipating or not prepared for or completely overlooking.

BONUS! Karen's Quotes of the Day:

"Breathe."

"It's not as bad as it first looks."

English 1550 (Tuesday, Nov. 29)

I was unable to attend English 1550 today because of a car accident last night that left me without transportation for the day. However, I did work from home and, via email, provided comments and suggestions on drafts of Project 2 (the argumentative essay) and minor writing assignments.

English 1550 (Tuesday, Nov. 22)

1. Class:

* Students shared the ridiculous projects they found and wrote about for Minor Writing 7. I liked that students brought in pictures or pulled up online images of their products. This sharing spawned a discussion about why people buy things like this and what these projects say about consumerism in the U.S.

* Karen wrote the following topic on the board: smokers' surcharge. She then read part of a New York Times article about employers requiring some employees (like those who smoke or are overweight) to pay more for health care.

* Students were then required to do the following for Minor Writing 8 (an in-class writing assignment):

1. Write your first thoughts.

2. Write (as clear as you can) your initial impulse about this topic. Are you for or against it? Fence-sitting is not permitted.

3. Pose questions. What questions come to mind about the topic? What else would you need to know in order to write intelligently about this topic?

4. Where would you go or what resources would you use to find answers to your questions? Place a star next to what you would do first.

5. Create "yes" list and a "no" list for this topic: Employers should be permitted to charge smokers (etc.) more for health insurances. Doing so helps you figure out what you already know about this topic.

* Karen spent the remainder of class sharing images of old Youngstown postcards she found on eBay (like those depicted in "Steeltown USA"). This led into the unofficial assigning of Minor Writing 9, which requires students to nominate and argue for the adoption of a postcard that brags about something in the greater Youngstown area (but NOT YSU).

2. Class analysis:

During today's class, Karen and I passed out graded/evaluated papers (Minor Writing assignments and rough drafts of argumentative essays). Although I was nervous to start writing on student papers (I've discovered that I prefer hand-commenting with a non-red pen.), it came pretty easily to me once I just jumped in and began. Thanks, three years of Writing Center experience! Surprisingly, I paid very little attention to grammar issues, even though I occasionally marked repeated problems (and supplied some relevant page numbers in the handbook). I suppose this is a good thing, though, as paying too much attention to grammar was one of my fears. I did, however, mark a variety of other things on student papers. For instance, I made several comments noting sentences or ideas I liked, any issues with APA style (since that's what Karen is requiring for this paper), things to work on, etc.

I had a MUCH harder time actually grading the minor writing assignments, which are worth a possible 15 points. I eventually just created a rubric/scoring system in an attempt to be fair, but I found myself still wavering on points. Tricky, tricky.

3. Class implementation:

I really, really like Karen's assignments and activities, particularly Minor Writing 9 (arguing for the adoption of a new postcard for Youngstown). It somehow manages to be a fun activity (I even wanted to do it!) but still teaches students something (effective techniques for argument). Along those same lines, students also had fun presenting and talking about Minor Writing 7 (the ridiculous product). As I try to figure out some of the "non-major" assignments I'd like to use in my course, I'll definitely keep her assignments in mind.

NOTE: Because of Thanksgiving break, I was unable to attend Nikki's English 1539 class this week.

English 1539 (Friday, Nov. 18)

1. Class:

* Friday’s class began with a discussion of student experiences at the Butler Institute of American Art. Students were required to act as “art critics” and visit the Butler to examine one piece of art. Afterward, they had to examine the same piece of art online and write a one-page review, arguing if the piece online is better than the piece in the gallery. Students responded quite positively to the assignment and their experiences at the museum.

* Nikki reviewed the two assignments that will be due on Monday: a proposal and an outline. She also briefly discussed the primary elements of argument (claim, reason, evidence, acknowledgment and response, and warrant).

* Nikki then spent the rest of class reviewing and talking about the assigned readings. This included a great discussion on YSU versus other “more prestigious” schools (and how most don’t offer remedial courses like YSU does).

* Nikki ended class by talking about some potential topics for students’ argumentative essays.

2. Class analysis:

I’ve definitely mentioned the issue of student attendance in 1539 before. However, it hadn’t been as bad as it was on Friday. Six students showed up on time … and a seventh walked in at 10:30 (and the class ends at 10:50). Even the students seemed surprised by the ever-dwindling attendance; a few commented that they hadn’t seen several students since the first few weeks of the semester. I suppose the only thing you can do in this situation is deal with it … but the experience has made me more confused about my attendance policy than ever. I don’t want to be too strict (because I know things happen), but I also want to actually have students to teach in my class.

3. Class implementation:

During discussion of the assigned readings, Nikki talked about the importance of time management. I think that I’m getting better at managing my time more efficiently, but I also think that it will be even more difficult to do so next semester and in the next academic year. Nikki mentioned that when she was in graduate school, she set aside midnight to 3:30 a.m. to work on schoolwork (and took Fridays and Saturday mornings off). I think that having a similar schedule (with designated hours for schoolwork) could be incredibly beneficial.

English 1550 (Thursday, Nov. 17)

1. Class:

*Karen discussed plagiarism (and differences that exist among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing—and emphasized that all require source attribution). This was especially relevant to Project 2 (the argumentative essay), which requires research and documentation.

* Students broke into small groups and discussed which of the sentences on a handout made the most effective use of the source material.

* Karen spent some time discussing a strategy for Project 3: clustering. She explained the basic idea behind the strategy (It’s a non-linear graphic representation of your thoughts and ideas.) and demonstrated the concept on the board. She also handed out blank sheets of paper and encouraged her students to try it.

* At the end of class, Karen announced upcoming deadlines.

2. Class analysis:

I know I’ve mentioned this in my mentoring journal before, but the set-up of Karen’s class constantly impresses me. Practically every in-class activity is relevant and helpful to students. As I work on finalizing my tentative 1550 daily schedule, I’ll keep Karen’s schedule (and how well it works) in the back of my mind.

3. Class implementation:

While students worked on their mind maps for Project 3, Karen mentioned how she used to give her students huge sheets of newsprint and a handful of markers for the clustering activity. Although she stopped doing this once massive sheets of newsprint became more difficult (if not impossible) to find, Karen said her students almost always responded positively to the task and it helped them loosen up. I’ve had a giant roll of craft paper for years; maybe I’ll use it to do something similar with my students.

English 1550 (Tuesday, Nov. 15)

1. Class:

* I briefly explained peer review directions (pair up with a classmate, read drafts of argumentative essays/author’s notes to each other, offer suggestions and comments on handout with questions). Students spent the majority of class peer reviewing.

* Before leaving, students wrote down a two-step plan for their draft of the argumentative essay. Based on their peer review feedback (and anything else they noticed during the workshop), they figured out the next two steps for this assignment.

2. Class analysis:

This peer review workshop differed slightly from the Project 1 rough draft workshop at the beginning of the semester. For instance, instead of having students give feedback on two or three of their peers’ rough drafts, students devoted the entire time to just one draft each. I hope that the feedback was subsequently more thorough and more thoughtful. Additionally, like I’ve done this semester in both Teaching of Writing and Teaching Practicum, students were required to read their rough drafts to their partners—a scary prospect. Even though I initially resisted doing so, the benefits far outweighed any hesitation. First, hearing your writing is much different from silently reading it. Second, reading your work aloud to an audience (even if it’s just one other person) makes you own that writing. I think that’s important, particularly when it’s tempting to hide behind it and almost refuse to take rightful ownership of your work.

3. Class implementation:

While students shared drafts during the peer review workshop, Karen and I reviewed the comments that I’d made on students’ “A&P” essays (Minor Writing Assignment 6). Each minor writing is worth a possible 15 points—so I was surprised that I received only 11 student essays (a bit more than half the class). However, Karen said that’s normal, particularly for the minor writing assignments. I might rethink the point values for these assignments in my 1550 course (especially because mine are valued at just 10 points).

English 1550 (Thursday, Nov. 10)

1. Class:

* Upon Karen's request, students took the first few minutes of class to write a brief status update on their major and minor assignments.

* I led the discussion on John Updike's "A&P" (which included a PowerPoint with key points/quotations/questions and a short film based on the short story).

2. Class analysis:

Honestly, I was surprised by how well "A&P" holds up in the freshman composition classroom, even after more than four decades. The discussion went fairly well, and we talked about some of the short story's themes, important quotations, and general impressions. One of the most interesting points raised during the discussion was how much has changed in forty years ... and how much hasn't (mainly teenage hormones). Several students noted that while reading the short story (and being unsure of the time period/setting), they didn't understand quite why three girls in their bathing suits walking into a supermarket caused such a disruption. They then began discussing how "A&P" could be updated ... and came to the conclusion that not much is shocking anymore. The short film (which stars Sean Hayes from "Will & Grace") provided a nice supplement to the discussion, and students were shocked by the bathing suit styles of the 1960s ... absolutely not racy by today's standards.

3. Class implementation:

Lab days really aren't the most conducive for class discussions. I found it difficult (although not impossible) to properly position myself in the classroom. Additionally, I felt like students found the environment, particularly with the available computers, a bit distracting. I'll keep this in mind when figuring out my class schedule.

English 1550 (Tuesday, Nov. 8)

1. Class:

* Discussed important quotes/ideas from William Zinsser's "On Writing Well."

* Reviewed key points concerning consumerism from Amitai Etzioni's "Working at McDonald's," which students read earlier in the semester.

* Read sections of Bill McKibben's "Pie in the Sky."

* Talked about minor writing assignments six ("A&P") and seven ("Pie in the Sky").

* Looked at and discussed online visuals related to Steeltown USA.

2. Class analysis:

Instructors with mediated classrooms for all class days DEFINITELY have an advantage. I'm a little bit jealous.

I like that Karen used PowerPoint to present the most pertinent quotes from "On Writing Well" to her students. I like also that she put the full text of "Pie in the Sky" on the screen and that she explained the related assignment in the same way. I especially like how she spent the last 20 minutes of class showing and talking about images from Youngstown's steel town past, which also appeared on the screen.

It's going to be a challenge to work with the limitations of a non-mediated classroom, especially when I've drawn a lot of inspiration from an instructor who uses media in almost every class meeting.

3. Class implementation:

Karen does a great job of planning each day of class. In today's class, Karen managed to fit a lot into just an hour and 15 minutes ... and she did it without making her students (at least from what I could gather) feel overwhelmed. The design of her overall course is great as well. As I've mentioned before, I'm also a fan of how Karen continuously makes sure her students know what is going on during each day of class (typically by writing the day's schedule on the board) and in future classes (usually by reminding students of upcoming deadlines). Her course is very organized--and I'd definitely like to emulate her course organization in my own classes.

One minor concern: The student I sat next to in today's class was on her laptop for the majority of class. Although she used it to take notes for a small portion of class, she also checked Facebook several times, responded to some emails, and rearranged photos on her desktop for the greater portion of class. I noticed that practically all of the students around her were distracted and kept looking at her screen. I even found it hard to pay attention since I had to look over her screen to see Karen. What is the best way to respond to this type of situation? Is there anything that an instructor can do (especially if the student is genuinely using the laptop to take notes)?

English 1539 (Monday, Nov. 7)

1. Class:

* Gave short vocabulary quiz (with six words taken from the first eight assigned readings).

* Began discussing readings #9 and #10.

2. Class analysis:

Monday's 1539 class began quite normally. Nikki started class by writing six vocabulary words on the board, and students were required to define and write a sentence about each word. Even though the quiz was originally scheduled for Nov. 2 (and Nikki had given out vocabulary lists around two or three weeks ago), students seemed extremely resistant. One student commented, "I didn't think you were serious about the quiz." Another asked, "What do you do when all your students do bad on the quiz?" probably expecting that Nikki would drop the quiz grade if she complained enough. Additionally, an overwhelming majority of the students continued to complain and eat their lunches (even though Nikki had asked them to not do so last week) throughout the quiz. Four students also walked in extremely late (like by 25 minutes).

It was obvious that Nikki was becoming displeased with the class, and she even admitted it both to the students and, privately, to me. After the quiz, Nikki began to discuss the readings and some techniques used in a good argumentative essay. Students continued to grumble about the quiz and rummage through their lunch bags. Honestly, no one was paying attention. Nikki immediately recognized this and responded accordingly. She knew that, at this point, her students' attitudes were not going to improve, and she subsequently ended class 15 minutes early (and told students that they'd be quizzed Wednesday on the readings).

At this point, 1539 became INTENSE. One of the more vocal students began to complain, shouting that it wasn't fair, that Nikki had tricked them (by being nice), that Nikki couldn't do this. One student, though, said that although she didn't like the policies, Nikki was the instructor and she would listen to her. She added that Nikki had been lenient enough and that students were taking advantage of the situation. A screaming match ensued ... but Nikki immediately asserted her authority as the instructor and stopped the situation before it got out of hand.

3. Class implementation:

Today's class was an eye-opener. Nikki isn't afraid to put her foot down when her students veer off track. She is definitely firm in her policy that doing well in the course is the student's responsibility, although she is willing to do everything she can to help a student. However, she won't do it for him or her, and she maintains that if a student is absent, it is that student's responsibility (not anyone else's) to find out what he or she missed in class.

English 1550 (Tuesday, Oct. 25)

Instead of holding class this week, Karen required students to attend 20-minute conferences with myself, her, or Lindsey. Although I had met with Section 41 students before, I was initially nervous to conference with a few students who weren't in my section. However, my fears were unfounded, as these students seemed just as receptive to my help. It was an experience that reminded me of working at the Writing Center, where I was required to work with students I'd never met or interacted with prior to that moment. Ultimately, today's conferences strengthened my decision to conference twice with my English 1550 students (once in the beginning of the semester, once in the middle of the semester). I think that students are much more willing to ask questions or share their concerns in a one-on-one environment (rather than in front of the entire class), and conferences are also helpful for instructors to make sure their students are all on the same page with coursework and the course schedule.

COMMENTS:

* Guy Shebat: I am not a big conferencer myself (kind of a weakness with my pedagogy, I think), but I certainly see the value of having conferences a couple times in a semester. As long as you have a good structure for the conference – and ask the student to come to the conference prepared in some way (preferably with a written document of some sort) – things will work out well. Having the early conference might also help in generating a good rapport between you and the students, something that can go a long way toward getting/keeping the students engaged in class sessions (and in the overall work for the course).

English 1539 (Monday, Oct. 24)

Because I will be attending the National College Media convention from Wednesday through Sunday, I will only have two journal entries (one for 1539, one for 1550) this week.

1. Class:

* Read key points and reviewed good example of individual essay component (for Literary Analysis and Critical Thinking Assignment).

* Gave presentation tips to students (primarily less reading of slides and more presenting).

* Allowed students the rest of class time to work with their group members on presentations (which begin Wednesday).

2. Class analysis:

I particularly like the way that Nikki emphasizes her advice/guidelines with examples of actual student work. For instance, as noted above, she used a former student's individual essay (with the name blacked out, of course) to illustrate what she wanted to see in her current students' essays. Additionally, instead of reading through the entire essay with her class, she noted and explained several key points, like the great title and the strong thesis statement. This way, I think, makes it easier for students to understand exactly what was good about the essay. It also gives them the opportunity to take these techniques and model their own essays after them. She also used this approach to explain the difference between a good PowerPoint presentation and a bad PowerPoint presentation. Her other 1539 class began their presentations today (and she required students to submit full-page printouts of the slides), so she showed students one page/slide that was covered with paragraphs and paragraphs of text. In this instance, too, the student presenters had actually read the slides word for word. Nikki also noted that these students hadn't acted like professionals during the presentation, and she emphasized that knowing how to effectively present will benefit them in future classes. However, she also mentioned some positives of student presentations in the previous class. For example, one group incorporated video clips into its presentation.

3. Class implementation:

Again, several students were noticeably absent from class today. Subsequently, this made group work difficult for some students, and students who were absent on Friday were confused about upcoming assignments. Nikki emphasized that college--particularly a college-level writing course--is the ideal time for students to learn about responsibility ... including their responsibility to attend class (or understand and deal with the consequences). As noted before, I'm thinking about somehow reworking my attendance policy and perhaps also incorporating a presentation/group work component into my course.

COMMENTS:

* Guy Shebat: Sample papers are a good idea – but you want to be careful about not giving the students too much of a script or model to follow. In the past I have sometime created a ‘dummy’ sample paper/draft of my own, one that is less than stellar, and used it as a way to get the students to think critically about a draft for a particular assignment. But it takes more time to write up one’s own dummy draft than to pull one in from a previous course (I wouldn’t let the students keep the sample, though). Group work is a good idea, but, given the weather early in the Spring semester, your best bet will be to hold off on group work until after Break – when a) you have good weather and b) you have pretty much a ‘working roster’ of regularly participating students.