Teaching Statements:

Over the semester, you will write 2 teaching statements (one-page, single-spaced). At the beginning and at the end of the semester, you will write an initial statement of your teaching philosophy in the light of your current teaching practice and academic experience with composition theory. At the end of the semester, the second statement should be written in the light of your reading and thinking over the semester. Theoretically, the way you think about your practice should change over the course of the semester. It may be the case that your practices don't change, but that you have a new theoretical foundation to support those practices. Or you may see ways that you think your practice could or will change. The statements should document this rethinking.

Short Papers:

Over the semester, you will write 3 short papers (2-page double-spaced or 1-page single-spaced) that summarize and respond to the readings from the previous two weeks. The papers should look closely at the material and provide a clear articulation of the ideas and practices discussed before responding. Negative critique is not the only way to respond. An affirmative approach that links past ideas to current ones, remakes or refashions older ideas for contemporary contexts, or uses other ideas and practices as jumping off points to invent new ones is typically more rewarding. The short papers are there for you to make these kinds of connections that may start your thinking about the final paper.

Final Paper:

The final paper (8-10 double-spaced pages) should identify and respond to an issue within the field of rhetoric and composition. We will be covering a long history in a short amount of time. As we do, look for issues and arguments that you could research further and develop a position on. You might take up a past issue and flesh it out in more detail, identify a contemporary issue and situate yourself with respect to it, or take up an emerging issue and discuss how it will change the practice of composition. There are many possibilities and we will try to address them throughout the semester. There are also many online journals and databases that should facilitate this extra research without too much trauma.

Participation:

Your participation grade will include:

• Attendance: Even though this is a graduate class, attendance is critical. The point of the class is to develop a foundation for your thinking, research, and teaching. Attendance is necessary for this development.
• Discussion: As with attendance, discussion is necessary to develop a basis for deriving a research project. Most discussion will be in class, but some listserv discussion will be required.
• Sentences: Each week I will ask you to summarize each reading in one sentence. If we read four articles, you will write four sentences, one that summarizes the argument of each article or chapter. At the beginning of class we will discuss the readings, and then after break we will go around the room and read the sentences as jumping off points for thinking about the previous discussion. The first half of class will be more formal and detailed in an attempt to understand the readings more fully; the second half of class more open and exploratory in an attempt to apply the readings to our current situatedness.
• Presentations: Each of your short papers will be read aloud in class on the day that it is due. We will discuss the papers as much as time permits.
• Proposal: In weeks 13 and 14 you will begin to think more specifically about a possible paper topic. In week 13 you'll bring in a short 250 word abstract of your topic idea instead of sentences on the readings. We'll discuss paper topics in the second half of class. As you do more work on the topic, you'll be asked to write up a more formal proposal for week 14. This proposal will more directly establish your argument, not just your topic or issue. I will provide a more formal assignment at that time.
• Peer reviewing: We will do a little peer reviewing this semester of the proposals in week 14 during class, but also of drafts of the final paper outside of class in week 15. I'll put you in groups of 3 and have you exchange papers via email. The peer reviews will be included with the final papers and will count toward the reviewer's participation grade. I'll provide a formal review sheet at that time.

Percentage Breakdown:

Statements	10 %
Short Papers	35%
Final Paper	45 %
Participation	10 %
	-------
	100 %