Coaching the Craft of Writing
Office hours are Mondays 12:00-1:00 in PCYN 249
Contact: lizlosh (at) ucsd (dot) edu
Are you curious about why writing presents such a unique challenge to UCSD's population of high-achieving students? Work with Elizabeth Losh from Sixth College to gain knowledge about how people learn to write, how to help people learn to write, and effective practices for coaching CAT 1 writers. You will then put that knowledge to work by coaching CAT 1 students in the college's Writing Studio. In the process, your reflections on your own writing and writing-voice will be enriched.
A requirement of the course is that you tutor CAT 1 students up to 6 hours per week, to be scheduled. In addition, you will be reading some classic works in the field of composition studies and some CAT 1 readings to facilitate your tutoring. You will be asked to submit journals on your tutoring activities each week, and complete a final report with recommendations.
This course is open to students in all majors. If you are considering the possibility of becoming a teacher, this CAT course is the place to explore the work of teaching!
Possible Benefits
Grading
10%: Publicity Campaign
40%: Weekly Reflections
30%: Seminar Participation
20%: Final Research Report
Syllabus
Week 1:
9/27 Tuesday
Meeting with Last Year's Practicum Students
Reading: Anne Lamott, "Shitty First Drafts"
9/29 Thursday
Weekly Reflection One Due
Week 2:
10/4 Tuesday
Literacy Narratives and Media Outreach
Reading: Mike Rose, "I Just Wanna Be Average"
10/4 Thursday
Weekly Reflection Two Due
Week 3:
10/11 Tuesday:
Talking about Critical Reading
Reading: Elizabeth Losh and Jonathan Alexander, "Strategic Reading" from Understanding Rhetoric
10/13 Thursday
No Class
Week 4:
10/18 Tuesday:
Talking about Thesis Development
Reading: Janet Emig, "Writing as a Mode of Learning"
10/20 Thursday
Weekly Reflection Three Due
Week 5:
10/25 Tuesday:
Talking about Instructor Feedback
Reading: Summer Smith, "The Genre of the End Comment"
10/27 Thursday
Weekly Reflection Four Due
Week 6:
11/1 Tuesday
Second Language Learners
Reading: Guadalupe Valdés
11/3 Thursday
Weekly Reflection Five Due
Week 7:
11/8 Tuesday
Talking about Error
Reading: Patrick Hartwell, "Grammar, Grammars, and the Teaching of Grammar"
11/10 Thursday
Weekly Reflection Six Due
Week 8:
11/15 Tuesday:
Reading: Stephen North, "The Idea of a Writing Center" and "Revisiting 'The Idea of a Writing Center'"
11/17 Thursday
Week 9:
11/22 Tuesday:
Effecting Systematic Change
Reading: Donald Bartholomae, "Inventing the University"
Draft of Report Due
11/24 Thursday
Thanksgiving
Week 10:
11/29 Tuesday
Effecting Systemic Changes
12/1 Thursday
Final Report Due