TIPS for teaching ENG 115
Reading
-don’t overdo it
-fewer novels, more stories/poems/short-form works
-think what is reasonable to read from one class to the next (balance – 50 pages?)
Theme
-pick something that will interest the students and be accessible to them
-pick a theme that aids in constructing assignments
-(The monster in ____ is a metaphor for ____).
Assignments
-re-visit the “college paper” over and over
-it is a writing class as much (if not more) than a literature course; instruction there is useful
-I found it helpful to have the students write the “same” paper several times
-RECOMMEND: several (4) shorter papers (3-4 pages) and one longer final paper (5-6 pages)
Expectations
-focus on growth in two key areas (writing analysis and critical reading)
-don’t overwhelm the students (perhaps no critical research or presentations)
-do other things together (we would read critical research as a class, discuss it, and students would use that for their final paper)
-teach students how to write good papers (like how to use quotes from research, how to set up an analytical body paragraph [EEE], etc.)
-even if they learned something in 108, don’t expect them to remember how to do it
(review, not redo)
Remember, the class adheres to the WI program guidelines!