English 455A
Methods of Teaching Composition & Grammar
3 credit hours
Spring 2016
T 4:30-7pm, 308 Jennings
Dr. Kristi Richard Melancon
Office: 318 Jennings
Phone: 925-3325
Email: kmelancon@mc.edu
Office Hours: W 9:30am-3pm
or by appointment
Catalog Description:
Prerequisite: Completion of English core requirement
A study of the theories and methods of teaching grammar and composition designed for those planning to
teach at the middle school level or above.
Texts:
Anderson, Jeff. Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer’s
Workshop. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2005. Print.
Blasingame, Jim, and John H. Bushman. Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2005. Print.
Tate, Gary, et al. A Guide to Composition Pedagogies. New York: Oxford UP, 2014. Print.
Other Course Materials:
Username and password for Mississippi College email account and Moodle
Access to printing for supplemental materials and work to turn in
Folder for Unit Portfolio
Background Check
Rationale: English 455 is a course required for those completing the B.A. degree in English Education.
This course prepares those who wish to teach English in the theory and practice of teaching writing in
secondary schools. The class will emphasize planning, selecting, and evaluating instructional strategies
and materials to be used in middle school and high school language arts classrooms. Throughout our
study you will reflect on both your own writing process and your methods of teaching writing. You will
also simulate classroom teaching. Through the reading of professional journals and books as well as
through completion of a research project and unit portfolio you will analyze and apply theories of
teaching composition in the English classroom. Ultimately, this class will aid in your preparation for a
successful professional career, using your talents and abilities in service to God and others as a secondary,
English teacher.
Methods: The course consists of discussions stemming from readings from the texts and other written
resources; writing workshops; mini-lessons by and for students; observations of local, secondary, ELA
classes; in-class activities; homework; and participation in a pen-pal assessment project.
Objectives: Students in ENG 455 will:
 Research and engage in conversations about current issues and trends in the teaching of language
arts and develop practical applications of composition theory;
 Develop language arts curriculum, including thematic units and writing projects, and present
those lessons to others;
 Apply knowledge acquired in class to observations and participation in classroom teaching
situations and reflect upon those same situations;
 Examine methodology, strategies, resource materials, and instructional technology and learn how
to select those materials best suited for a given teaching and learning situation;
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Determine appropriate and effective methods of assessment that gauge student understanding and
provide instructional feedback or evaluation as well as appropriate intervention strategies;
Develop ways to incorporate family and community into the language arts classroom;
Demonstrate respect for the worth of all learners and appreciate the needs of a culturally and
ethnically diverse student population; and
Model Standard Edited English in all spoken and written communications.
ENG 455 will address the following NCTE/NCATE Standards for Initial Preparation of
Teachers of Secondary English Language Arts, Grades 7-12
Approved October 2012:
II. Candidates demonstrate knowledge of English language arts subject matter content that specifically
includes language and writing as well as knowledge of adolescents as language users.
Element 1: Candidates can compose a range of formal and informal texts taking into consideration the
interrelationships among form, audience, context, and purpose; candidates understand that writing is a recursive
process; candidates can use contemporary technologies and/or digital media to compose multimodal discourse.
Element 3: Candidates are knowledgeable about how adolescents compose texts and make meaning through
interaction with media environments.
IV. Candidates plan instruction and design assessments for composing texts (i.e., oral, written, and visual) to
promote learning for all students.
Element 1: Candidates use their knowledge of theory, research, and practice in English Language Arts to plan
standards-based, coherent and relevant composing experiences that utilize individual and collaborative approaches
and contemporary technologies and reflect an understanding of writing processes and strategies in different genres
for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Element 2: Candidates design a range of assessments for students that promote their development as writers, are
appropriate to the writing task, and are consistent with current research and theory. Candidates are able to respond to
student writing in process and to finished texts in ways that engage students’ ideas and encourage their growth as
writers over time.
Element 3: Candidates design instruction related to the strategic use of language conventions (grammar, usage, and
mechanics) in the context of students’ writing for different audiences, purposes, and modalities.
Element 4: Candidates design instruction that incorporates students’ home and community languages to enable
skillful control over their rhetorical choices and language practices for a variety of audiences and purposes.
VI. Candidates demonstrate knowledge of how theories and research about social justice, diversity, equity,
student identities, and schools as institutions can enhance students’ opportunities to learn in English
Language Arts.
Element 1: Candidates plan and implement English language arts and literacy instruction that promotes social justice
and critical engagement with complex issues related to maintaining a diverse, inclusive, equitable society.
Element 2: Candidates use knowledge of theories and research to plan instruction responsive to students’ local,
national and international histories, individual identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender expression, age, appearance,
ability, spiritual belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and community environment), and
languages/dialects as they affect students’ opportunities to learn in ELA.
VII. Candidates are prepared to interact knowledgeably with students, families, and colleagues based on
social needs and institutional roles, engage in leadership and/or collaborative roles in English Language Arts
professional learning communities, and actively develop as professional educators.
Element 1: Candidates model literate and ethical practices in ELA teaching, and engage in/reflect on a variety of
experiences related to ELA.
Element 2: Candidates engage in and reflect on a variety of experiences related to ELA that demonstrate
understanding of and readiness for leadership, collaboration, ongoing professional development, and community
engagement.
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Assignments: The following major assignments are required in English 455:
*Complete unit plans will be provided for each major essay/project.
You are a writer. Teachers need to see themselves as writers and be able to write to the standards in
order to teach the standards.
Literacy Narrative (10%): The literacy narrative assignment asks you to reflect on your personal
experiences with writing. Your challenge is to answer, to the best of your ability, this question: How did
you develop whatever relationship you have to writing? Due: February 21
Adolescent Literacy Behaviors Project (10%): Each of you will write a rhetorical summary of 3
scholarly articles from academic journals, explaining to your audience the current state of the
conversation surrounding how adolescents compose texts and make meaning through interaction with
media environments. You will each choose a focused question to research (such as the use of a specific
electronic writing space). In the second half of the report, you’ll develop a classroom practice, activity, or
assignment and a short rationale based on what you discovered. Due: March 13
Unit Rationale (10%): A rationale is the argument that you make to justify your selection of a unit topic
and its contents: its theme, materials, activities, assessments, etc. (It’s not a summary of the unit.) Your
rationale should be 2-3 double-spaced pages (or equivalent)—so a substantial justification for your unit
plan. You should use at least 2 justifications from Smagorinsky and 2-3 journal articles in your rationale.
Show that you know best practices as you make your case for your unit plan. Due: April 3
You are a future teacher. Everything teachers do needs to be grounded in professional reading and
theory.
Designated Driver/Teacher for the Day (10%): You will plan and lead one 30-minute mini-lesson of
your choosing, simulating a lesson on a particular trait of good writing within one of the genres we will
be studying: narrative, informative, or argumentative. You must fill out a lesson plan and later reflect on
your lesson, acknowledging its strengths and weaknesses.
Thematic Unit Plan (10 classes) (30%) (including presentation to the class):
After reading and discussing selections from Peter Smagorinsky’s Teaching English by Design as a class,
each of you will plan a conceptual unit for a secondary English classroom based on a theme of your
choosing. Your unit should be informed by your research and should employ best practices that you have
picked up during the semester from your observations, reading, or class discussion. We will discuss a
common format for lesson plans and a list of particular items to include in your plan. You will turn in
individual pieces if your unit plan throughout the semester for feedback. Due: Tuesday, May 3 @
4:30pm
You are a member of a local, school, and professional community.
Observations (10%): You must observe in a middle or high school English classroom 10 hours during
the semester. We will be observing at Clinton Junior High. After each visit, I ask that you compose a
field journal entry describing your visit, but also reflecting on it in a critical fashion. I will provide
further instructions before you begin. Half of your observations are due by midterm, and the remaining 5
should be completed before the end of the semester.
Grammar Tests (10%): You will be tested twice during the semester on the grammar rules covered in
our class text, Mechanically Inclined.
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Performance and Professionalism (10%): Please see the attached Writing Program addendum. We will
meet at midterm and then at the end of the semester to discuss your Dispositions Evaluation. You will
also be expected to act professionally during our pen-pal assessment project, during which we will
provide written feedback on non-fiction texts written by students in actual English classrooms to help us
learn best strategies for responding to student writing. Completion and quality of inquiries/reading
responses, homework, in-class writing and drafts will be factored into this part of your final grade.
Grading Scale:
A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=0-59
Undergraduate Grading System: For final semester grades, the English Department adheres to the
University’s Undergraduate Grading System as described in the current catalog. According to that system:
 A is reserved for work which is definitely superior in quality.
 B is given for work which is consistently good and which manifests sufficient interest, effort, or
originality to lift it above average work.
 C is given for average work and shows that basic requirements in class assignments have been
met.
 D earns credit but is below the standard required for graduation.
 F indicates failure and naturally carries no credit.
Attendance & Participation: Attendance and preparation for class are crucial to the success of this
class, as the class will be based on student discussion. Participation in such discussion and your ability to
engage in class conversations will be recorded and will contribute to the student’s grade.
The English Department adheres to Mississippi College’s attendance policy as outlined in the current
Undergraduate Catalog:
Class attendance is an essential part of university education, and students are expected to attend regularly
and punctually all classes and laboratories for which they are registered.
Cumulative absences may
result in a lowered grade or loss of credit for the course. Tardiness is also subject to penalty, as is any
failure to complete required class work on time. Although some specific requirements may vary
according to the nature and structure of the course, the following guidelines summarize university policy:
1. Class attendance is required, and accurate records are kept.
2. Students must not accumulate excessive absences. A student receives a grade of F in a course
immediately upon accumulating the following number of absences, whether
excused or unexcused:
4 in semester classes meeting 1 time per week.
For lesser numbers of absences, the student should expect a lowered grade in the course, with the
maximum penalty of one letter grade for each week of UNEXCUSED absences (in a semester) or the
equivalent.
Absence Appeal. If a student misses more than the number of class periods specified in university policy
and believes that there are reasonable explanations for the absences, he/she may appeal the absences to
the dean of the school in which the course is being taught. Students may obtain a Student Absence Appeal
Form from the office of the appropriate dean.
Late Papers Policy: Assignments that are due in class (such as inquiries, in-class activities, homework
and drafts, pen-pal feedback, and grammar tests) will not be accepted after the class’s regular meeting
time unless a student has written documentation of an excused absence or has notified the teacher
beforehand.
The English Department has established the following policy for late work submitted in upper-level and
graduate English courses:
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No major papers or projects (thematic unit plan and mini-lesson) will be accepted after the
due date except in the case of your hospitalization or death of an immediate family member; you
may appeal your case, if necessary, to a departmental committee after filling out an appeals form
available from the department chair.
Grades for other assignments (observations and genre papers) will be reduced according to the
following schedule:
 after time due and up to 24 hours late: one letter grade;
 after 24 hours and up to 48 hours late: two letter grades;
 after 48 hours and up to 72 hours late: three letter grades;
 after 72 hours, any paper turned in will be given an “F.”
Failure to turn in an assignment will result in a grade of zero on that assignment.
Academic Integrity & Civility: The English Department adheres to Mississippi College’s academic
integrity policy as outlined in the current Undergraduate Catalog:
Mississippi College students are expected to be scrupulously honest. Dishonesty, such as cheating or
plagiarism, or furnishing false information, including forgery, alteration or misuse of University
documents, records or identification, will be regarded as a serious offense subject to severe penalty,
including, but not limited to, loss of credit and possible dismissal. See the current Mississippi College
Student Handbook or University Policy 2.19 for specific information regarding penalties associated
with dishonest behavior at Mississippi College.
Academic civility will be required, as students must show respect for their classmates during discussions.
All cell phones, pagers, I-pods, and other electronic devices (other than laptops/Ipads used for
instructional purposes) should be turned off or silenced during class. There will be no texting in the class.
If students are caught using these electronic devices during class, they will not receive any participation
points for that day.
Student Assistance:
A. Early Alert System
Mississippi College has adopted the practice of finding students early in the semester who may be
exhibiting behaviors that could ultimately have a negative impact on their academic progress. These
behaviors are often called “red flag” behaviors and include, but are not limited to, excessive absences,
poor test grades, and lack of class participation or evidence of non-engagement. Identifying these
behaviors early gives the instructor the opportunity to raise the “red flag” on behalf of a particular student
so that the student can take the appropriate action to redirect his/her progress. The system alerts the
student, the student’s advisor, and the Office of Student Success.
These messages are intended to help a student recognize an area of concern and to encourage him/her to
make some choices to improve the situation. When a student receives an Early Alert message, the student
should quickly make an appointment to talk with his/her professor about the situation. Also, students can
make full use of the Office of Student Success to set academic goals and connect to campus resources.
B. Students with Disabilities
In order for a student to receive disability accommodations under Section 504 of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, he or she must schedule an individual meeting with the Director of Student Counseling
Services immediately upon recognition of their disability (if their disability is known they must come in
before the semester begins or make an appointment immediately upon receipt of their syllabi for the new
semester). The student must bring with them written documentation from a medical physician and/or
licensed clinician that verifies their disability. If the student has received prior accommodations, they
must bring written documentation of those accommodations (example Individualized Education Plan
from the school system). Documentation must be current (within 3 years).
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The student must meet with SCS face-to face and also attend two (2) additional follow up meetings (one
mid semester before or after midterm examinations and the last one at the end of the semester). Please
note that the student may also schedule additional meetings as needed for support through SCS as they
work with their professor throughout the semester. Note: Students must come in each semester to
complete their Individualized Accommodation Plan (example: MC student completes fall semester IAP
plan and even if student is a continuing student for the spring semester they must come in again to
complete their spring semester IAP plan). Student Counseling Services is located on the 4th floor of
Alumni Hall or they may be contacted via email at mbryant@mc.edu . You may also reach them by
phone at 601-925-7790. Dr. Morgan Bryant is director of MC Student Counseling Services.
Performance and Professionalism:
At the end of the semester, your professor will review your daily work (including informal
responses, drafts, and other occasional daily assignments), along with your preparation for,
engagement in, and contributions to the class. She or he will then assign a “Performance and
Professionalism” score, which reflects the overall impression you presented during class. This score
contributes up to ten points toward your final grade.
The following descriptions will help you understand how the Performance and Professionalism
points are determined:
Description
Points
EXCEPTIONAL: Consistently makes substantial contributions to class and is
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exceptionally engaged in class activities. Highly responsible and maintains
professional interactions with professor and other students. All work is of
exceptional quality, fully completed and submitted on time.
STRONG: Usually makes substantial contributions to class and is solidly
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engaged in class activities. Highly responsible and maintains professional
interactions with professor and other students. All work is high quality, fully
completed and submitted on time.
GOOD: Usually makes substantial contributions to class and is solidly engaged
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in class activities. Responsible and maintains professional interactions with
professor and other students. All work is good quality, fully completed and
submitted on time.
ACCEPTABLE: Occasionally makes useful contributions to class and is
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generally engaged in class activities. Usually responsible and professional in
interactions. Work is usually good quality, fully complete, and submitted on
time.
INCONSISTENT: Contributions to class and engagement in class activities
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may vary. Somewhat responsible and sometimes professional in interactions.
Work may vary in quality, completeness, and/or on-time submission.
WEAK: Contributions to class and participation in class activities are sporadic;
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not always responsible or professional in interactions. Work may vary in
quality, completeness, and/or on-time submission.
POOR: Is usually weak in contributing to class and/or disengaged in class
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activities. Not always responsible or professional in interactions. Work tends to
be below average quality and/or incomplete and/or late.
UNACCEPTABLE: Contributions to and participation in class may be very
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weak and/or work tends to be very low quality, late, or missing.
lower
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Portfolio and Program Assessment: Students majoring in English with the Writing
Concentration, as well as Writing minors possibly interested in completing English 471, should
retain electronic and hard copies of all major essays/projects submitted for courses that count
toward their major (or Writing minor). English 471 will include a capstone portfolio project which
will be built, in part, from papers completed for previous courses.
Note that student work may be retained and used by the English Department for the purposes of
course and program assessment and improvement. Individual student work will not be published
by the department without the student’s permission.
Writing Center Tutoring: The MC Writing Center offers sessions by appointment and on a walk-in
basis. Students can also sign up for standing, weekly appointments with a specific tutor. Stop by the
Writing Center on the first floor of Leland Speed Library, visit mc.mywconline.com, or call 601-9257289 to schedule your appointment.