Lecture Notes for The Reid Guide for College Writers, 12th Edition
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Instructor’s Resource Manual
For
The Reid Guide for College Writers
Twelfth Edition
Stephen P. Reid, Colorado State University
Dominic DelliCarpini, York College of Pennsylvania
Prepared by
Dominic DelliCarpini, York College of Pennsylvania
For
The Reid Guide for College Writers
Twelfth Edition
Stephen P. Reid, Colorado State University
Dominic DelliCarpini, York College of Pennsylvania
Prepared by
Dominic DelliCarpini, York College of Pennsylvania
iii
CONTENTS
Author’s Notes v
PART I: Teaching Guide
Teaching Resources, Objectives, and Guidelines 1
Objectives for First-Year Composition 2
Rhetorical Knowledge 2
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing 2
Processes 3
Knowledge of Conventions 3
Basic Guidelines for Teaching Writing 4
Course Syllabi, Policy Statements, Lesson Plans 6
Administrative Matters and Policy Statements 6
Policy Statement 7
Writing Lesson Plans 9
Classroom Management Strategies 15
Collaborative Learning and Writing Activities 16
Sample Workshop Questions 21
Sample Workshop Sheets 23
Collaborative Writing Groups 34
Collaborative Learning Groups 34
Critical Reading and Writing 35
Write-to-Learn Activities 38
Designing Writing Assignments 40
Responding to and Evaluating Student Writing 44
Responding to Student Writing 44
Responding During Class 45
Responding During Conferences 45
Responding to Written Drafts 51
Evaluating Student Writing 52
Grading Criteria 53
Marginal and Summary Comments on Essays 60
CONTENTS
Author’s Notes v
PART I: Teaching Guide
Teaching Resources, Objectives, and Guidelines 1
Objectives for First-Year Composition 2
Rhetorical Knowledge 2
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing 2
Processes 3
Knowledge of Conventions 3
Basic Guidelines for Teaching Writing 4
Course Syllabi, Policy Statements, Lesson Plans 6
Administrative Matters and Policy Statements 6
Policy Statement 7
Writing Lesson Plans 9
Classroom Management Strategies 15
Collaborative Learning and Writing Activities 16
Sample Workshop Questions 21
Sample Workshop Sheets 23
Collaborative Writing Groups 34
Collaborative Learning Groups 34
Critical Reading and Writing 35
Write-to-Learn Activities 38
Designing Writing Assignments 40
Responding to and Evaluating Student Writing 44
Responding to Student Writing 44
Responding During Class 45
Responding During Conferences 45
Responding to Written Drafts 51
Evaluating Student Writing 52
Grading Criteria 53
Marginal and Summary Comments on Essays 60
iii
CONTENTS
Author’s Notes v
PART I: Teaching Guide
Teaching Resources, Objectives, and Guidelines 1
Objectives for First-Year Composition 2
Rhetorical Knowledge 2
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing 2
Processes 3
Knowledge of Conventions 3
Basic Guidelines for Teaching Writing 4
Course Syllabi, Policy Statements, Lesson Plans 6
Administrative Matters and Policy Statements 6
Policy Statement 7
Writing Lesson Plans 9
Classroom Management Strategies 15
Collaborative Learning and Writing Activities 16
Sample Workshop Questions 21
Sample Workshop Sheets 23
Collaborative Writing Groups 34
Collaborative Learning Groups 34
Critical Reading and Writing 35
Write-to-Learn Activities 38
Designing Writing Assignments 40
Responding to and Evaluating Student Writing 44
Responding to Student Writing 44
Responding During Class 45
Responding During Conferences 45
Responding to Written Drafts 51
Evaluating Student Writing 52
Grading Criteria 53
Marginal and Summary Comments on Essays 60
CONTENTS
Author’s Notes v
PART I: Teaching Guide
Teaching Resources, Objectives, and Guidelines 1
Objectives for First-Year Composition 2
Rhetorical Knowledge 2
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing 2
Processes 3
Knowledge of Conventions 3
Basic Guidelines for Teaching Writing 4
Course Syllabi, Policy Statements, Lesson Plans 6
Administrative Matters and Policy Statements 6
Policy Statement 7
Writing Lesson Plans 9
Classroom Management Strategies 15
Collaborative Learning and Writing Activities 16
Sample Workshop Questions 21
Sample Workshop Sheets 23
Collaborative Writing Groups 34
Collaborative Learning Groups 34
Critical Reading and Writing 35
Write-to-Learn Activities 38
Designing Writing Assignments 40
Responding to and Evaluating Student Writing 44
Responding to Student Writing 44
Responding During Class 45
Responding During Conferences 45
Responding to Written Drafts 51
Evaluating Student Writing 52
Grading Criteria 53
Marginal and Summary Comments on Essays 60
iv
PART II: Chapter Commentary, Teaching Tips, and Answers to Discussion Questions
Chapter 1: Forming a Writer’s Habits of Mind 62
Chapter 2: Situations, Purposes, and Processes for Writing 64
Chapter 3: Reading as a Writer 69
Chapter 4: Analyzing and Composing Multimedia Texts 75
Chapter 5: Observing and Remembering 79
Chapter 6: Investigating 83
Chapter 7: Explaining 88
Chapter 8: Evaluating 94
Chapter 9: Arguing 99
Chapter 10: Problem Solving 103
Chapter 11: Responding to Literature 109
Chapter 12: Researching and Chapter 13: Research Writing 113
Handbook Answers to Exercises 117
PART III: A Select Bibliography for Writing Teachers
Writing Process 124
Rhetorical Backgrounds 124
Reading/Writing Connections 125
Collaborative Learning and Writing 125
Revising 125
Responding to Writing 125
Conferencing with Students 126
PART II: Chapter Commentary, Teaching Tips, and Answers to Discussion Questions
Chapter 1: Forming a Writer’s Habits of Mind 62
Chapter 2: Situations, Purposes, and Processes for Writing 64
Chapter 3: Reading as a Writer 69
Chapter 4: Analyzing and Composing Multimedia Texts 75
Chapter 5: Observing and Remembering 79
Chapter 6: Investigating 83
Chapter 7: Explaining 88
Chapter 8: Evaluating 94
Chapter 9: Arguing 99
Chapter 10: Problem Solving 103
Chapter 11: Responding to Literature 109
Chapter 12: Researching and Chapter 13: Research Writing 113
Handbook Answers to Exercises 117
PART III: A Select Bibliography for Writing Teachers
Writing Process 124
Rhetorical Backgrounds 124
Reading/Writing Connections 125
Collaborative Learning and Writing 125
Revising 125
Responding to Writing 125
Conferencing with Students 126
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Author’s Notes
Thanks
The authors are grateful for the contributions of the composition faculty and students at Colorado State
University and York College of Pennsylvania. We are also in the debt of scores of researchers in Writing
Studies, whose work has contributed to the knowledge base and teaching practices of our field.
Author’s Notes
Thanks
The authors are grateful for the contributions of the composition faculty and students at Colorado State
University and York College of Pennsylvania. We are also in the debt of scores of researchers in Writing
Studies, whose work has contributed to the knowledge base and teaching practices of our field.
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6
PART I: Teaching Guide
Teaching Resources, Objectives, and Guidelines
Most beginning teachers of composition are no longer handed a textbook, pointed toward a classroom,
and given a wave of the hand and a cheery “Good luck!” Now teachers often enroll in a class in the
teaching of composition, take seminars on teaching, and have the support of composition faculty who
teach composition themselves and know how to help beginning teachers. Even with a support group,
however, beginning teachers should take advantage of the wealth of published information about teaching
composition.
First, there is an abundance of material related to teaching composition available online. The Council of
Writing Program Administrators, at wpacouncil.org, has several important position statements, including
their “WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition,” “The Framework for Success in Postsecondary
Writing” and their especially helpful statement on plagiarism, “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA
Statement on Best Practices.” In addition, online writing centers such as the Purdue Online Writing Lab, at
owl.english.purdue.edu, and Colorado State University’s Online Writing Center, at writing.colostate.edu,
are valuable resources. At the CSU site you can access the Teaching Exchange at the WAC Clearinghouse,
which has information on teaching resources, sample class syllabi, class activities, and reading suggestions.
Finally, most schools have their own syllabi, lesson plans, and teaching ideas online at sites easily found
through search engines such as Google.
Next, many books on teaching writing are wonderful resources for both new and experienced teachers.
In Part 3 of this Instructor’s Manual is a brief bibliography of a few of the more popular introductory books
on teaching writing. Most of these give helpful advice on subjects such as teaching critical reading, designing
assignments, evaluating writing, using portfolios, conducting effective conferences, designing peer group
workshops, or responding to ELL (English Language Learning) students.
Finally, becoming a member of NCTE and its Conference on College Composition and Communication
and/or the Council of Writing Program Administrators and attending one of the many regional or national
conferences and workshops will continue the dialogue established in the teaching seminar on problems
and questions about contemporary issues in composition teaching.
PART I: Teaching Guide
Teaching Resources, Objectives, and Guidelines
Most beginning teachers of composition are no longer handed a textbook, pointed toward a classroom,
and given a wave of the hand and a cheery “Good luck!” Now teachers often enroll in a class in the
teaching of composition, take seminars on teaching, and have the support of composition faculty who
teach composition themselves and know how to help beginning teachers. Even with a support group,
however, beginning teachers should take advantage of the wealth of published information about teaching
composition.
First, there is an abundance of material related to teaching composition available online. The Council of
Writing Program Administrators, at wpacouncil.org, has several important position statements, including
their “WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition,” “The Framework for Success in Postsecondary
Writing” and their especially helpful statement on plagiarism, “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA
Statement on Best Practices.” In addition, online writing centers such as the Purdue Online Writing Lab, at
owl.english.purdue.edu, and Colorado State University’s Online Writing Center, at writing.colostate.edu,
are valuable resources. At the CSU site you can access the Teaching Exchange at the WAC Clearinghouse,
which has information on teaching resources, sample class syllabi, class activities, and reading suggestions.
Finally, most schools have their own syllabi, lesson plans, and teaching ideas online at sites easily found
through search engines such as Google.
Next, many books on teaching writing are wonderful resources for both new and experienced teachers.
In Part 3 of this Instructor’s Manual is a brief bibliography of a few of the more popular introductory books
on teaching writing. Most of these give helpful advice on subjects such as teaching critical reading, designing
assignments, evaluating writing, using portfolios, conducting effective conferences, designing peer group
workshops, or responding to ELL (English Language Learning) students.
Finally, becoming a member of NCTE and its Conference on College Composition and Communication
and/or the Council of Writing Program Administrators and attending one of the many regional or national
conferences and workshops will continue the dialogue established in the teaching seminar on problems
and questions about contemporary issues in composition teaching.
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Objectives for First-Year Composition
The following guidelines for composition courses appear in the “WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year
Composition” (Version 3.0, approved 17 July 2014). The Reid Guide is designed to help students and teachers
meet all of these outcomes.
Rhetorical Knowledge
Rhetorical knowledge is the ability to analyze contexts and audiences and then to act on that analysis in
comprehending and creating texts. Rhetorical knowledge is the basis of composing. Writers develop rhetorical
knowledge by negotiating purpose, audience, context, and conventions as they compose a variety of texts for
different situations.
By the end of first-year composition, students should
• Learn and use key rhetorical concepts through analyzing and composing a variety of texts
• Gain experience reading and composing in several genres to understand how genre conventions
shape and are shaped by readers’ and writers’ practices and purposes
• Develop facility in responding to a variety of situations and contexts calling for purposeful shifts
in voice, tone, level of formality, design, medium, and/or structure
• Understand and use a variety of technologies to address a range of audiences
• Match the capacities of different environments (e.g., print and electronic) to varying rhetorical
situations
Faculty in all programs and departments can build on this preparation by helping students learn
• The expectations of readers in their fields
• The main features of genres in their fields
• The main purposes of composing in their fields
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate ideas, information, situations,
and texts. When writers think critically about the materials they use—whether print texts, photographs,
data sets, videos, or other materials—they separate assertion from evidence, evaluate sources and evidence,
recognize and evaluate underlying assumptions, read across texts for connections and patterns, identify and
evaluate chains of reasoning, and compose appropriately qualified and developed claims and generalizations.
These practices are foundational for advanced academic writing.
By the end of first-year composition, students should
• Use composing and reading for inquiry, learning, critical thinking, and communicating in various
rhetorical contexts
• Read a diverse range of texts, attending especially to relationships between assertion and evidence, to
patterns of organization, to the interplay between verbal and nonverbal elements, and to how these
features function for different audiences and situations
• Locate and evaluate (for credibility, sufficiency, accuracy, timeliness, bias and so on) primary and
secondary research materials, including journal articles and essays, books, scholarly and
professionally established and maintained databases or archives, and informal electronic networks
and internet sources
• Use strategies—such as interpretation, synthesis, response, critique, and design/redesign—to compose
texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with those from appropriate sources
Faculty in all programs and departments can build on this preparation by helping students learn
Objectives for First-Year Composition
The following guidelines for composition courses appear in the “WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year
Composition” (Version 3.0, approved 17 July 2014). The Reid Guide is designed to help students and teachers
meet all of these outcomes.
Rhetorical Knowledge
Rhetorical knowledge is the ability to analyze contexts and audiences and then to act on that analysis in
comprehending and creating texts. Rhetorical knowledge is the basis of composing. Writers develop rhetorical
knowledge by negotiating purpose, audience, context, and conventions as they compose a variety of texts for
different situations.
By the end of first-year composition, students should
• Learn and use key rhetorical concepts through analyzing and composing a variety of texts
• Gain experience reading and composing in several genres to understand how genre conventions
shape and are shaped by readers’ and writers’ practices and purposes
• Develop facility in responding to a variety of situations and contexts calling for purposeful shifts
in voice, tone, level of formality, design, medium, and/or structure
• Understand and use a variety of technologies to address a range of audiences
• Match the capacities of different environments (e.g., print and electronic) to varying rhetorical
situations
Faculty in all programs and departments can build on this preparation by helping students learn
• The expectations of readers in their fields
• The main features of genres in their fields
• The main purposes of composing in their fields
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate ideas, information, situations,
and texts. When writers think critically about the materials they use—whether print texts, photographs,
data sets, videos, or other materials—they separate assertion from evidence, evaluate sources and evidence,
recognize and evaluate underlying assumptions, read across texts for connections and patterns, identify and
evaluate chains of reasoning, and compose appropriately qualified and developed claims and generalizations.
These practices are foundational for advanced academic writing.
By the end of first-year composition, students should
• Use composing and reading for inquiry, learning, critical thinking, and communicating in various
rhetorical contexts
• Read a diverse range of texts, attending especially to relationships between assertion and evidence, to
patterns of organization, to the interplay between verbal and nonverbal elements, and to how these
features function for different audiences and situations
• Locate and evaluate (for credibility, sufficiency, accuracy, timeliness, bias and so on) primary and
secondary research materials, including journal articles and essays, books, scholarly and
professionally established and maintained databases or archives, and informal electronic networks
and internet sources
• Use strategies—such as interpretation, synthesis, response, critique, and design/redesign—to compose
texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with those from appropriate sources
Faculty in all programs and departments can build on this preparation by helping students learn
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• The kinds of critical thinking important in their disciplines
• The kinds of questions, problems, and evidence that define their disciplines
• Strategies for reading a range of texts in their fields
Processes
Writers use multiple strategies, or composing processes to conceptualize, develop, and finalize projects.
Composing processes are seldom linear: a writer may research a topic before drafting, then conduct additional
research while revising or after consulting a colleague. Composing processes are also flexible: successful
writers can adapt their composing processes to different contexts and occasions.
By the end of first-year composition, students should
• Develop a writing project through multiple drafts
• Develop flexible strategies for reading, drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising, rewriting,
rereading, and editing
• Use composing processes and tools as a means to discover and reconsider ideas
• Experience the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes
• Learn to give and to act on productive feedback to works in progress
• Adapt composing processes for a variety of technologies and modalities
• Reflect on the development of composing practices and how those practices influence their work
Faculty in all programs and departments can build on this preparation by helping students learn
• To employ the methods and technologies commonly used for research and communication within
their fields
• To develop projects using the characteristic processes of their fields
• To review work-in-progress for the purpose of developing ideas before surface-level editing
• To participate effectively in collaborative processes typical of their field
Knowledge of Conventions
Conventions are the formal rules and informal guidelines that define genres, and in so doing, shape readers’
and writers’ perceptions of correctness or appropriateness. Most obviously, conventions govern such things
as mechanics, usage, spelling, and citation practices. But they also influence content, style, organization,
graphics, and document design.
Conventions arise from a history of use and facilitate reading by invoking common expectations between
writers and readers. These expectations are not universal; they vary by genre (conventions for lab notebooks
and discussion-board exchanges differ), by discipline (conventional moves in literature reviews in Psychology
differ from those in English), and by occasion (meeting minutes and executive summaries use different
registers). A writer’s grasp of conventions in one context does not mean a firm grasp in another.
Successful writers understand, analyze, and negotiate conventions for purpose, audience, and genre,
understanding that genres evolve in response to changes in material conditions and composing technologies
and attending carefully to emergent conventions.
By the end of first-year composition, students should
• Develop knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling, through
practice in composing and revising
• Understand why genre conventions for structure, paragraphing, tone, and mechanics vary
• Gain experience negotiating variations in genre conventions
• Learn common formats and/or design features for different kinds of texts
• The kinds of critical thinking important in their disciplines
• The kinds of questions, problems, and evidence that define their disciplines
• Strategies for reading a range of texts in their fields
Processes
Writers use multiple strategies, or composing processes to conceptualize, develop, and finalize projects.
Composing processes are seldom linear: a writer may research a topic before drafting, then conduct additional
research while revising or after consulting a colleague. Composing processes are also flexible: successful
writers can adapt their composing processes to different contexts and occasions.
By the end of first-year composition, students should
• Develop a writing project through multiple drafts
• Develop flexible strategies for reading, drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising, rewriting,
rereading, and editing
• Use composing processes and tools as a means to discover and reconsider ideas
• Experience the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes
• Learn to give and to act on productive feedback to works in progress
• Adapt composing processes for a variety of technologies and modalities
• Reflect on the development of composing practices and how those practices influence their work
Faculty in all programs and departments can build on this preparation by helping students learn
• To employ the methods and technologies commonly used for research and communication within
their fields
• To develop projects using the characteristic processes of their fields
• To review work-in-progress for the purpose of developing ideas before surface-level editing
• To participate effectively in collaborative processes typical of their field
Knowledge of Conventions
Conventions are the formal rules and informal guidelines that define genres, and in so doing, shape readers’
and writers’ perceptions of correctness or appropriateness. Most obviously, conventions govern such things
as mechanics, usage, spelling, and citation practices. But they also influence content, style, organization,
graphics, and document design.
Conventions arise from a history of use and facilitate reading by invoking common expectations between
writers and readers. These expectations are not universal; they vary by genre (conventions for lab notebooks
and discussion-board exchanges differ), by discipline (conventional moves in literature reviews in Psychology
differ from those in English), and by occasion (meeting minutes and executive summaries use different
registers). A writer’s grasp of conventions in one context does not mean a firm grasp in another.
Successful writers understand, analyze, and negotiate conventions for purpose, audience, and genre,
understanding that genres evolve in response to changes in material conditions and composing technologies
and attending carefully to emergent conventions.
By the end of first-year composition, students should
• Develop knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling, through
practice in composing and revising
• Understand why genre conventions for structure, paragraphing, tone, and mechanics vary
• Gain experience negotiating variations in genre conventions
• Learn common formats and/or design features for different kinds of texts
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• Explore the concepts of intellectual property (such as fair use and copyright) that motivate
documentation conventions
• Practice applying citation conventions systematically in their own work
Faculty in all programs and departments can build on this preparation by helping students learn
• The reasons behind conventions of usage, specialized vocabulary, format, and citation systems in
their fields or disciplines
• Strategies for controlling conventions in their fields or disciplines
• Factors that influence the ways work is designed, documented, and disseminated in their fields
• Ways to make informed decisions about intellectual property issues connected to common genres
and modalities in their fields.
Basic Guidelines for Teaching Writing
If you are new to teaching composition, these guidelines will make more sense as you gain experience
and confidence in the classroom, so read these before you begin teaching and again after you have taught
for a few weeks. The following sections of this guide develop each of these ideas with specific strategies
and handouts for your class.
On Your Role as Teacher
! In the classroom, be absolutely honest about what you know or don’t know. To be a good writing
teacher, you don’t necessarily have to assume the role of the expert or writing guru. Students already know
quite a bit about the language. Let them teach you—and the rest of the class—what they already
know (or need to know). And this includes multimodal composing, in which students might well have
more experience than us—but less critical distance from it than we can supply.
! Resist the temptation to transmit ways to write by lecturing. To be a good writing teacher, you don’t
have to lecture about the aesthetics of nonfiction prose or the intricacies of passive voice, parallelism,
or topic sentences. Students learn to write better by writing and through feedback. To teach writing
effectively, you do need to listen to your students and carefully read what they are writing.
! Writing teachers should be coaches. A writing teacher helps other writers communicate their ideas. A
writing teacher gradually makes himself or herself dispensable by teaching writers to recognize and
solve the problems they confront during the writing process.
! Writing teachers should write. They should model for their students not just their completed essays or
products but their own processes for writing—however halting, recursive, or stumbling those processes
may be. Writing teachers should be part of the community of writers that they guide; you might even
complete the assignments you give students to see what it feels like—and perhaps even share that writing
(and the related struggles) with them.
On the Structure of Your Class
! A writing class should be a laboratory or workshop. Simply transforming a class into a workshop,
however, does not make it easy to plan and run. Start with learning outcomes, and then spend your
preparation time designing sequences of writing, reading, discussion, or workshop activities that will
enable students to achieve those outcomes.
! Be sure to connect any “lesson” or material to be covered to students’ own writing. If you are discussing
pieces written by professionals, focus not only on the content, but on the writer’s strategies and choices in
• Explore the concepts of intellectual property (such as fair use and copyright) that motivate
documentation conventions
• Practice applying citation conventions systematically in their own work
Faculty in all programs and departments can build on this preparation by helping students learn
• The reasons behind conventions of usage, specialized vocabulary, format, and citation systems in
their fields or disciplines
• Strategies for controlling conventions in their fields or disciplines
• Factors that influence the ways work is designed, documented, and disseminated in their fields
• Ways to make informed decisions about intellectual property issues connected to common genres
and modalities in their fields.
Basic Guidelines for Teaching Writing
If you are new to teaching composition, these guidelines will make more sense as you gain experience
and confidence in the classroom, so read these before you begin teaching and again after you have taught
for a few weeks. The following sections of this guide develop each of these ideas with specific strategies
and handouts for your class.
On Your Role as Teacher
! In the classroom, be absolutely honest about what you know or don’t know. To be a good writing
teacher, you don’t necessarily have to assume the role of the expert or writing guru. Students already know
quite a bit about the language. Let them teach you—and the rest of the class—what they already
know (or need to know). And this includes multimodal composing, in which students might well have
more experience than us—but less critical distance from it than we can supply.
! Resist the temptation to transmit ways to write by lecturing. To be a good writing teacher, you don’t
have to lecture about the aesthetics of nonfiction prose or the intricacies of passive voice, parallelism,
or topic sentences. Students learn to write better by writing and through feedback. To teach writing
effectively, you do need to listen to your students and carefully read what they are writing.
! Writing teachers should be coaches. A writing teacher helps other writers communicate their ideas. A
writing teacher gradually makes himself or herself dispensable by teaching writers to recognize and
solve the problems they confront during the writing process.
! Writing teachers should write. They should model for their students not just their completed essays or
products but their own processes for writing—however halting, recursive, or stumbling those processes
may be. Writing teachers should be part of the community of writers that they guide; you might even
complete the assignments you give students to see what it feels like—and perhaps even share that writing
(and the related struggles) with them.
On the Structure of Your Class
! A writing class should be a laboratory or workshop. Simply transforming a class into a workshop,
however, does not make it easy to plan and run. Start with learning outcomes, and then spend your
preparation time designing sequences of writing, reading, discussion, or workshop activities that will
enable students to achieve those outcomes.
! Be sure to connect any “lesson” or material to be covered to students’ own writing. If you are discussing
pieces written by professionals, focus not only on the content, but on the writer’s strategies and choices in
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relation to students’ drafts . T h e n y o u c a n ask students to apply what they learned to their own
drafts. If you are reviewing punctuation or usage, cover a few rules and then ask students to look for
those usage issues as they edit their own—and others’—writing.
relation to students’ drafts . T h e n y o u c a n ask students to apply what they learned to their own
drafts. If you are reviewing punctuation or usage, cover a few rules and then ask students to look for
those usage issues as they edit their own—and others’—writing.
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! Writing improvement is achieved by both individual practice and collaborative writing and learning.
Use collaborative groups to balance (but not eliminate) writing performed by a single person.
! Use writing-to-learn as one of your teaching strategies. Before discussing an essay, for example, ask
students to describe, in their journals, their own experiences with or knowledge of its topic. At the end
of a discussion session, ask students to write one question they still have. When students read each
other’s papers, ask them to write a short summary of the paper before offering feedback to the writers.
! Remember that individual students have different learning styles. Some learn quickly by reading, some
through discussion, some by hands-on experience, some by drawing or diagramming, some by reading
aloud or listening, some by a combination of styles. Draw on a variety of these styles as you plan your
classes, and help the class members become a kind of writer’s group.
On Your Role as Audience and Evaluator
• Establish clear standards and criteria for your evaluation of writing. (Students can help generate
and articulate these criteria.) Encourage students to use these criteria as they revise their own and
other students’ writing. There should be no “hidden agendas” in the evaluation of writing. And be
sure that your comments focus on the criteria that you set.
• Give your most careful written responses to mid-process drafts, when students can test and apply your
suggestions and comments. Your intervention during the writing and revising process should, along
with peer responses, receive more emphasis than comments on final drafts.
• Let your responses to drafts and final products be guided by the writer’s sense of purpose, audience,
context, and genre/mode. Your evaluation should begin by estimating how successfully the writer
has achieved his or her purpose for that particular audience and context.
• Although you may feel torn between your “enabling” role as a coach and your “judgmental” role
as evaluator, the roles are not really in conflict. As a coach, you encourage students during the
writing process by offering advice, pointing out weak areas, and suggesting revision strategies.
As an evaluator of a written product, you praise strengths and note weaknesses. You work just as
hard communicating your high standards for writing as you do encouraging students to do their
best. Excellence is a single standard.
! Writing improvement is achieved by both individual practice and collaborative writing and learning.
Use collaborative groups to balance (but not eliminate) writing performed by a single person.
! Use writing-to-learn as one of your teaching strategies. Before discussing an essay, for example, ask
students to describe, in their journals, their own experiences with or knowledge of its topic. At the end
of a discussion session, ask students to write one question they still have. When students read each
other’s papers, ask them to write a short summary of the paper before offering feedback to the writers.
! Remember that individual students have different learning styles. Some learn quickly by reading, some
through discussion, some by hands-on experience, some by drawing or diagramming, some by reading
aloud or listening, some by a combination of styles. Draw on a variety of these styles as you plan your
classes, and help the class members become a kind of writer’s group.
On Your Role as Audience and Evaluator
• Establish clear standards and criteria for your evaluation of writing. (Students can help generate
and articulate these criteria.) Encourage students to use these criteria as they revise their own and
other students’ writing. There should be no “hidden agendas” in the evaluation of writing. And be
sure that your comments focus on the criteria that you set.
• Give your most careful written responses to mid-process drafts, when students can test and apply your
suggestions and comments. Your intervention during the writing and revising process should, along
with peer responses, receive more emphasis than comments on final drafts.
• Let your responses to drafts and final products be guided by the writer’s sense of purpose, audience,
context, and genre/mode. Your evaluation should begin by estimating how successfully the writer
has achieved his or her purpose for that particular audience and context.
• Although you may feel torn between your “enabling” role as a coach and your “judgmental” role
as evaluator, the roles are not really in conflict. As a coach, you encourage students during the
writing process by offering advice, pointing out weak areas, and suggesting revision strategies.
As an evaluator of a written product, you praise strengths and note weaknesses. You work just as
hard communicating your high standards for writing as you do encouraging students to do their
best. Excellence is a single standard.
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Course Syllabi, Policy Statements, Lesson Plans
Administrative Matters and Policy Statements
Any experienced teacher will tell you not everything will turn out precisely as you planned. Essay
assignments may not work; students may disappear and show up a month later; collaborative group
projects may fizzle or explode in your face; and students may challenge your authority. It is also likely that
students will seem obsessed in general about grades and in particular about their grade on the last assignment
or their grade in the course. An explicit policy statement is the best protection against grade complaints by
students. In many cases, the program within which you are teaching will have suggested or require policy
statement language. If that is not the case, or if you have some room for customizing, what follows can be
useful.
A thorough policy statement shows that you have carefully planned your course, determined which
activities or essays are most important, and carefully communicated your learning outcomes and standards to
your students. Think of your policy statement as a contract between you and your students. It spells out the
commitments agreed upon by both teacher and student.
As you write your own policy statement, pay attention to your tone and attitude. Remember that
your policy statement should not be just a legal document describing w h a t m i g h t s e e m l i k e a prison
sentence for your students. Be sure to include your side of the contract: How you will grade, how much
assignments are worth, and when you will return papers. Also, be positive about the value of the course and
your willingness to help. Let students know that you are eager to help them improve their writing.
Perhaps the most important element of the policy statement, and the piece of writing that will be
most generative for you as a writing teacher, is the course description. This will give you the opportunity
to tell your students your expectations for your class. Be sure to also include course learning outcomes.
They may be provided by your program or WPA, or you may need to construct them yourself; but in
either case, they should reflect your own voice as a teacher. The Learning Objectives for each of the chapters
of this edition are listed both in the parent text and in each chapter of Part 2 of this manual.
Use the following sample policy statement as a guide. Revise as necessary for your particular
course and students.
Course Syllabi, Policy Statements, Lesson Plans
Administrative Matters and Policy Statements
Any experienced teacher will tell you not everything will turn out precisely as you planned. Essay
assignments may not work; students may disappear and show up a month later; collaborative group
projects may fizzle or explode in your face; and students may challenge your authority. It is also likely that
students will seem obsessed in general about grades and in particular about their grade on the last assignment
or their grade in the course. An explicit policy statement is the best protection against grade complaints by
students. In many cases, the program within which you are teaching will have suggested or require policy
statement language. If that is not the case, or if you have some room for customizing, what follows can be
useful.
A thorough policy statement shows that you have carefully planned your course, determined which
activities or essays are most important, and carefully communicated your learning outcomes and standards to
your students. Think of your policy statement as a contract between you and your students. It spells out the
commitments agreed upon by both teacher and student.
As you write your own policy statement, pay attention to your tone and attitude. Remember that
your policy statement should not be just a legal document describing w h a t m i g h t s e e m l i k e a prison
sentence for your students. Be sure to include your side of the contract: How you will grade, how much
assignments are worth, and when you will return papers. Also, be positive about the value of the course and
your willingness to help. Let students know that you are eager to help them improve their writing.
Perhaps the most important element of the policy statement, and the piece of writing that will be
most generative for you as a writing teacher, is the course description. This will give you the opportunity
to tell your students your expectations for your class. Be sure to also include course learning outcomes.
They may be provided by your program or WPA, or you may need to construct them yourself; but in
either case, they should reflect your own voice as a teacher. The Learning Objectives for each of the chapters
of this edition are listed both in the parent text and in each chapter of Part 2 of this manual.
Use the following sample policy statement as a guide. Revise as necessary for your particular
course and students.
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Policy Statement English 101 Sec. 19 Spring 2013
Instructor: Ms. Norris
Office: 345 Aylesworth Hall Office Hours: 2–4 MWF & by appt.
Office Ph: 221-6723 Writing Center: 6 Eddy Bldg.
English Office Ph: 221-6420 Computer Lab: 300 Eddy Bldg.
Course Description
English 101 is a workshop class in essay writing designed to prepare you for the college academic community.
It will improve your critical reading skills and teach you processes and strategies for writing expository and
argumentative prose in a rhetorical situation. You will learn to develop and support a main idea or claim for
an audience. You will practice strategies for selecting and focusing on a topic, collecting ideas, shaping and
organizing your thoughts, supporting your ideas with evidence, and revising and editing to strengthen your
writing and clarify your style.
Required Texts and Materials
• The Reid Guide for College Writers, 12/e (Pearson), Reid and DelliCarpini
(Bring this text to every class.)
• A college dictionary
• [As appropriate for your institution] Access to word-processing software and connections to our
Course-Management site OR pocket folder for submission of papers
Prerequisites
To enroll in English 101, you must have taken the English Placement Examination and been placed in E
101. If you have not yet taken the placement examination, go to the English Department, 359 Eddy Bldg.
Course Policies
Attendance: In this course, you are expected to help others with their writing as well as revise your own
writing. You must, therefore, attend all class sessions. Missing class on a day when an essay draft is due
will reduce your essay grade by a full letter. More than three absences will lower your final course grade.
Excessive absence will result in failure of the course. If you miss a class, you are responsible for getting
the assignment from another member of the class. If you know you will miss class because of illness or
another commitment, please call me and leave a message before you miss class. Please do not arrive late
to class.
Late Papers: In order to treat all students fairly, late papers cannot be accepted. The grade will be zero
and the paper is not revisable. In case of a legitimate problem, contact me at least one day before the due
date.
Submitting Essays: On assigned due dates, remember to submit all required materials in a pocket folder
[OR through our Course-Management system]: final draft (typed and double spaced), postscript, rough
draft(s), workshop sheets, revision plans, photocopies of sources, collecting notes, and relevant journal entries.
Returning Graded Essays: I will return your graded essays within 7 to 10 days after you hand them in.
Usually, I will ask you to respond, in your journals, to the comments made on your papers.
Policy Statement English 101 Sec. 19 Spring 2013
Instructor: Ms. Norris
Office: 345 Aylesworth Hall Office Hours: 2–4 MWF & by appt.
Office Ph: 221-6723 Writing Center: 6 Eddy Bldg.
English Office Ph: 221-6420 Computer Lab: 300 Eddy Bldg.
Course Description
English 101 is a workshop class in essay writing designed to prepare you for the college academic community.
It will improve your critical reading skills and teach you processes and strategies for writing expository and
argumentative prose in a rhetorical situation. You will learn to develop and support a main idea or claim for
an audience. You will practice strategies for selecting and focusing on a topic, collecting ideas, shaping and
organizing your thoughts, supporting your ideas with evidence, and revising and editing to strengthen your
writing and clarify your style.
Required Texts and Materials
• The Reid Guide for College Writers, 12/e (Pearson), Reid and DelliCarpini
(Bring this text to every class.)
• A college dictionary
• [As appropriate for your institution] Access to word-processing software and connections to our
Course-Management site OR pocket folder for submission of papers
Prerequisites
To enroll in English 101, you must have taken the English Placement Examination and been placed in E
101. If you have not yet taken the placement examination, go to the English Department, 359 Eddy Bldg.
Course Policies
Attendance: In this course, you are expected to help others with their writing as well as revise your own
writing. You must, therefore, attend all class sessions. Missing class on a day when an essay draft is due
will reduce your essay grade by a full letter. More than three absences will lower your final course grade.
Excessive absence will result in failure of the course. If you miss a class, you are responsible for getting
the assignment from another member of the class. If you know you will miss class because of illness or
another commitment, please call me and leave a message before you miss class. Please do not arrive late
to class.
Late Papers: In order to treat all students fairly, late papers cannot be accepted. The grade will be zero
and the paper is not revisable. In case of a legitimate problem, contact me at least one day before the due
date.
Submitting Essays: On assigned due dates, remember to submit all required materials in a pocket folder
[OR through our Course-Management system]: final draft (typed and double spaced), postscript, rough
draft(s), workshop sheets, revision plans, photocopies of sources, collecting notes, and relevant journal entries.
Returning Graded Essays: I will return your graded essays within 7 to 10 days after you hand them in.
Usually, I will ask you to respond, in your journals, to the comments made on your papers.
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Workshops: All essays will be workshopped in class. Essays without workshop response will drop one
full grade.
Conferences: Several conferences are required during the term. Please sign up and bring your text and
folder containing all your notes and drafts. Missing a conference appointment is the same as missing
class.
Plagiarism: You are expected to give and receive help in this class, but all written work must be your
own. Read the sections on plagiarism in the PHG. If you plagiarize, in whole or part, from library or field
sources or from other students’ essays, or if you fail to document properly, the minimum penalty is an F
for the essay. You might also be placed on probation or expelled from the university. If you have any questions
about plagiarism, ask before you act.
Writing Center: The Writing Center is located in 106 Eddy Bldg. The hours of the center are posted on
my office door. Please do not hesitate to use the tutor’s assistance. Remember to bring a copy of your
assignment and your drafts to any Writing Center conference.
Computer Lab: English 101 is a computer-assisted course. If you are not using your own computer, sign
up for computer times at the lab in 300 Eddy. If you cannot use a computer, please check with me at the
beginning of the course.
Course Grading: Your grade in this course will be based on the following:
Remembering Essay 100 pts./10%
Rhetorical Analysis 50 pts./5%
Analyzing a Visual 50 pts./5%
Explaining Essay 100 pts./15%
Evaluating Essay 150 pts./15%
Problem Solving/Arguing Essay 150 pts./15%
Major Revision 100 pts./10%
Reading Quizzes 50 pts./5%
Online Blog or Journal 100 pts./10%
Class Attendance & Participation 100 pts./10%
Final Examination (In-Class Essay) 50 pts./5%
Total pts. = 1,000
A Final Note: I want you to use your time and effort in this class as positively as possible, to read and
write about topics relevant to your personal and academic interests. Most of the members of this class are
not English majors, so I am not expecting that you become literary critics. Wherever possible, I will
encourage you to learn and write about all the other subjects you are taking. If at any time you have a
question about your writing, please talk to me after class or at my office.
Writing Lesson Plans
Some departments provide a general syllabus outlining the number and kinds of essays, required reading,
due dates, and class topics. You may even have a detailed, day-by-day schedule to guide your own class.
Be sure that these plans are based on the course’s (and the individual day’s) learning outcomes. It is often a
good habit to write those objectives on the board at the beginning of class and review them at the end. As the
semester progresses, however, you will need to adjust your syllabus to meet the needs of your own students.
Workshops: All essays will be workshopped in class. Essays without workshop response will drop one
full grade.
Conferences: Several conferences are required during the term. Please sign up and bring your text and
folder containing all your notes and drafts. Missing a conference appointment is the same as missing
class.
Plagiarism: You are expected to give and receive help in this class, but all written work must be your
own. Read the sections on plagiarism in the PHG. If you plagiarize, in whole or part, from library or field
sources or from other students’ essays, or if you fail to document properly, the minimum penalty is an F
for the essay. You might also be placed on probation or expelled from the university. If you have any questions
about plagiarism, ask before you act.
Writing Center: The Writing Center is located in 106 Eddy Bldg. The hours of the center are posted on
my office door. Please do not hesitate to use the tutor’s assistance. Remember to bring a copy of your
assignment and your drafts to any Writing Center conference.
Computer Lab: English 101 is a computer-assisted course. If you are not using your own computer, sign
up for computer times at the lab in 300 Eddy. If you cannot use a computer, please check with me at the
beginning of the course.
Course Grading: Your grade in this course will be based on the following:
Remembering Essay 100 pts./10%
Rhetorical Analysis 50 pts./5%
Analyzing a Visual 50 pts./5%
Explaining Essay 100 pts./15%
Evaluating Essay 150 pts./15%
Problem Solving/Arguing Essay 150 pts./15%
Major Revision 100 pts./10%
Reading Quizzes 50 pts./5%
Online Blog or Journal 100 pts./10%
Class Attendance & Participation 100 pts./10%
Final Examination (In-Class Essay) 50 pts./5%
Total pts. = 1,000
A Final Note: I want you to use your time and effort in this class as positively as possible, to read and
write about topics relevant to your personal and academic interests. Most of the members of this class are
not English majors, so I am not expecting that you become literary critics. Wherever possible, I will
encourage you to learn and write about all the other subjects you are taking. If at any time you have a
question about your writing, please talk to me after class or at my office.
Writing Lesson Plans
Some departments provide a general syllabus outlining the number and kinds of essays, required reading,
due dates, and class topics. You may even have a detailed, day-by-day schedule to guide your own class.
Be sure that these plans are based on the course’s (and the individual day’s) learning outcomes. It is often a
good habit to write those objectives on the board at the beginning of class and review them at the end. As the
semester progresses, however, you will need to adjust your syllabus to meet the needs of your own students.
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Perhaps you need to stop and review or clarify an assignment. Perhaps students need more time collecting
or researching. Perhaps they need an additional day for revision. Inevitably, you will have to modify your
class plans, speed up, slow down, or change directions. When that happens, you’ll need to be flexible
enough to make changes.
Writing your own lesson plans requires choosing from a variety of possible activities—those most
likely to help your students at that particular time. Focus not on transmitting concepts, but on creating a
sequence of activities that give students the opportunity to practice the kinds of writing that will help them
achieve your learning outcomes (and those in this textbook).
To illustrate how to put a class plan together, first look at the possible class activities. Then think
about a sequence for those activities that makes sense for your students. Finally, put the sequenced activities
together in a lesson plan that is appropriate for your class.
Possible Class Activities
! Giving a writing assignment, explaining the assignment, and doing some prewriting
! Reviewing and discussing features of rhetoric: purpose, audience, writing situation, context, genre,
shaping strategies, revision, or editing
! Working with the use of appropriate software for multi-modal composing
! Discussing ways that research and writing concepts can be transferred to work in other
courses
! Reading and/or discussing a professional or student essay from the text,
focusing on the moves the writer made or re-engineering the planning and
research that led to its creation
! Modeling for students how to annotate professional or student essays, how to do collaborative annotations,
or how to give good advice during a peer workshop
! Conducting collaborative workshops on some phase of students’ writing process
! Asking students to do a write-to-learn entry in their journals about some topic under discussion
! Allowing students time in class to write plans for planning research
! Giving students time to write a “zero” or discovery draft in class,
then providing opportunities for peer feedback
! Having students give a short presentation on their work in progress,
allowing them the chance to gather feedback
! Conferencing with students in class about topic selection, research possibilities that fit that topic,
and/or revising their plans and their drafts to reinforce the iterative nature of the writing process
! Reviewing handbook items on grammar, punctuation, or conventions of mechanics and usage
Perhaps you need to stop and review or clarify an assignment. Perhaps students need more time collecting
or researching. Perhaps they need an additional day for revision. Inevitably, you will have to modify your
class plans, speed up, slow down, or change directions. When that happens, you’ll need to be flexible
enough to make changes.
Writing your own lesson plans requires choosing from a variety of possible activities—those most
likely to help your students at that particular time. Focus not on transmitting concepts, but on creating a
sequence of activities that give students the opportunity to practice the kinds of writing that will help them
achieve your learning outcomes (and those in this textbook).
To illustrate how to put a class plan together, first look at the possible class activities. Then think
about a sequence for those activities that makes sense for your students. Finally, put the sequenced activities
together in a lesson plan that is appropriate for your class.
Possible Class Activities
! Giving a writing assignment, explaining the assignment, and doing some prewriting
! Reviewing and discussing features of rhetoric: purpose, audience, writing situation, context, genre,
shaping strategies, revision, or editing
! Working with the use of appropriate software for multi-modal composing
! Discussing ways that research and writing concepts can be transferred to work in other
courses
! Reading and/or discussing a professional or student essay from the text,
focusing on the moves the writer made or re-engineering the planning and
research that led to its creation
! Modeling for students how to annotate professional or student essays, how to do collaborative annotations,
or how to give good advice during a peer workshop
! Conducting collaborative workshops on some phase of students’ writing process
! Asking students to do a write-to-learn entry in their journals about some topic under discussion
! Allowing students time in class to write plans for planning research
! Giving students time to write a “zero” or discovery draft in class,
then providing opportunities for peer feedback
! Having students give a short presentation on their work in progress,
allowing them the chance to gather feedback
! Conferencing with students in class about topic selection, research possibilities that fit that topic,
and/or revising their plans and their drafts to reinforce the iterative nature of the writing process
! Reviewing handbook items on grammar, punctuation, or conventions of mechanics and usage
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Sequences for Class Activities
As you select the activities most appropriate for your class, you need to think about sequencing them or
ordering them so that the class is coherent and effective. You should choose a logical sequence within an
individual class as well as a sequence for successive class sessions. Three logical patterns of movement
follow.
1. The writing process sequence
Writing processes for individual students are not linear or lockstep, but usually students will need help
with invention and prewriting during the early stages, help with shaping, organizing, and cueing the audience
(as well as additional collecting) in the middle stages, and help with revision and editing strategies toward the
later stages. Have your classroom activities follow (or anticipate) the progress of your students’ writing.
2. The concept/application sequence
Following a concept with an application is a time-honored learning strategy. In a writing class, improving
students’ writing is the ultimate goal, so all discussions, readings, and small-group activities should be
related to students’ own writing. Every class should ask students to apply what they are learning to their
own essays, by taking out their notes or drafts and revising based on what they’ve learned from the class
discussion or group activity.
3. The individual/social sequence
Experienced writing teachers alternate individual activities (reading essays, writing in journals, drafting)
with social group activities (annotation of texts, peer revision workshops, whole-class discussion and
synthesis). For example, a class may begin with a short teacher-centered presentation. Then the teacher
may ask students to write about a topic or ask small groups to do some activity. Then the class as a whole
synthesizes and discusses the ideas. Finally, the teacher asks students to work by themselves again, applying
ideas learned from the group as a whole. The individual-social-individual alternating pattern draws on the
strengths of both individual and social strategies for learning and writing.
On the next few pages are lesson plans from a Monday-Wednesday-Friday composition class as
one assignment is being completed and a new one is being introduced. . These detailed instructions illustrate
how to build a logical progression of classes as well as how to sequence activities within an individual class.
Remember that estimated times for workshop activities will vary considerably from one activity to the
next, or from one instructor to the next. Be prepared with additional activities should you run short of
time. More frequently, however, beginning instructors underestimate the length of time required for workshop
sessions. Revise the activities and times in these models to fit your own class. (For specific advice about
conducting workshop sessions, see the Collaborative Learning and Writing Activities section in this instructor’s
manual.) It can also be useful to make notes on the effectiveness of each individual activity right after class;
this can help you to revise and innovate techniques for future classes.
Sequences for Class Activities
As you select the activities most appropriate for your class, you need to think about sequencing them or
ordering them so that the class is coherent and effective. You should choose a logical sequence within an
individual class as well as a sequence for successive class sessions. Three logical patterns of movement
follow.
1. The writing process sequence
Writing processes for individual students are not linear or lockstep, but usually students will need help
with invention and prewriting during the early stages, help with shaping, organizing, and cueing the audience
(as well as additional collecting) in the middle stages, and help with revision and editing strategies toward the
later stages. Have your classroom activities follow (or anticipate) the progress of your students’ writing.
2. The concept/application sequence
Following a concept with an application is a time-honored learning strategy. In a writing class, improving
students’ writing is the ultimate goal, so all discussions, readings, and small-group activities should be
related to students’ own writing. Every class should ask students to apply what they are learning to their
own essays, by taking out their notes or drafts and revising based on what they’ve learned from the class
discussion or group activity.
3. The individual/social sequence
Experienced writing teachers alternate individual activities (reading essays, writing in journals, drafting)
with social group activities (annotation of texts, peer revision workshops, whole-class discussion and
synthesis). For example, a class may begin with a short teacher-centered presentation. Then the teacher
may ask students to write about a topic or ask small groups to do some activity. Then the class as a whole
synthesizes and discusses the ideas. Finally, the teacher asks students to work by themselves again, applying
ideas learned from the group as a whole. The individual-social-individual alternating pattern draws on the
strengths of both individual and social strategies for learning and writing.
On the next few pages are lesson plans from a Monday-Wednesday-Friday composition class as
one assignment is being completed and a new one is being introduced. . These detailed instructions illustrate
how to build a logical progression of classes as well as how to sequence activities within an individual class.
Remember that estimated times for workshop activities will vary considerably from one activity to the
next, or from one instructor to the next. Be prepared with additional activities should you run short of
time. More frequently, however, beginning instructors underestimate the length of time required for workshop
sessions. Revise the activities and times in these models to fit your own class. (For specific advice about
conducting workshop sessions, see the Collaborative Learning and Writing Activities section in this instructor’s
manual.) It can also be useful to make notes on the effectiveness of each individual activity right after class;
this can help you to revise and innovate techniques for future classes.
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Class #8
Learning Outcomes of This Class
Use reflection strategies to review your own writing.
Understand strategies to choose a topic for evaluation.
Activity Sequence
(1) Preview; (2) Give assignment; (3) Write postscript; (4) Do editing and collect essays; (5)
Introduce Evaluating Essay; (6) Do prewriting and discussion; (7) Make plans and notes
Class Activities
1. Briefly, preview for students the purpose and activities for today’s class. Link the idea of evaluation to
the process of reviewing their own work.
2. Review the assignment for the next class meeting:
Students continue prewriting, selecting a topic for the evaluating essay.
Reading assignment: Chapter 8, “Evaluating.” Assign two of the suggested journal
entries, and give time for students to consider and ask questions about their purpose.
3. Ask students to exchange their finished papers, and have peer reviewer write a brief comment to
the writer. Ask them to include a statement of what they saw as the main idea or thesis, and parts that
seem most effective in supporting that thesis, followed by a statement beginning with “I wish” to offer
suggestions as to what they, as a reader, wanted to hear more about. If time permits, ask students to describe
their reactions to the writer.
4. Conduct a short (10 minutes) editing workshop on the final drafts. Divide students into pairs. Ask
them to concentrate on one aspect of editing (grammar, punctuation, usage, spelling) that you discussed
during the previous class period. Students should make editing marks (in pencil, using editing marks
illustrated in the Handbook section and the inside back cover of The Reid Guide, or if electronic, using
the review function on the final drafts. After 10 minutes, students should confer with the writer. If the
writer or the editor has any questions, they should raise their hands so the instructor can answer individual
questions. During this session, the instructor should be answering students’ editing questions, asking
students to write sentences with typical problems at the board, and referring students to appropriate sections
in the handbook.
Ask students to hand in or upload their essays to your course management system. .
5. Introduce the evaluating essay (10 minutes). Hand out a sheet with the assignment, schedule of important
activities and due dates, and criteria for your grading of the essay. (Remember: the class should
discuss and, as necessary, revise these criteria during the next week or so. Note: see Applying What
You Have Learned section of chapter.) Below is an example of the ways that you might plan a class on
the day that you will be introducing a new assignment.
Assignment: write an evaluation of a campus or community service or organization. The purpose of
this assignment is to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the organization or service. Possible
audiences for this essay include a prospective member of this organization or user of this service, an
administrator of the service, or a funding agency for the organization. First, you must use (or have
used) the service. In addition, you must do some research for this essay. You must observe the organization
or service in operation, and you must interview at least one representative from this organization and at
least one user of the service. You may also use a survey to collect responses from other members or
users, and you may use any written sources, including pamphlets and library sources. Be sure to cite your
Class #8
Learning Outcomes of This Class
Use reflection strategies to review your own writing.
Understand strategies to choose a topic for evaluation.
Activity Sequence
(1) Preview; (2) Give assignment; (3) Write postscript; (4) Do editing and collect essays; (5)
Introduce Evaluating Essay; (6) Do prewriting and discussion; (7) Make plans and notes
Class Activities
1. Briefly, preview for students the purpose and activities for today’s class. Link the idea of evaluation to
the process of reviewing their own work.
2. Review the assignment for the next class meeting:
Students continue prewriting, selecting a topic for the evaluating essay.
Reading assignment: Chapter 8, “Evaluating.” Assign two of the suggested journal
entries, and give time for students to consider and ask questions about their purpose.
3. Ask students to exchange their finished papers, and have peer reviewer write a brief comment to
the writer. Ask them to include a statement of what they saw as the main idea or thesis, and parts that
seem most effective in supporting that thesis, followed by a statement beginning with “I wish” to offer
suggestions as to what they, as a reader, wanted to hear more about. If time permits, ask students to describe
their reactions to the writer.
4. Conduct a short (10 minutes) editing workshop on the final drafts. Divide students into pairs. Ask
them to concentrate on one aspect of editing (grammar, punctuation, usage, spelling) that you discussed
during the previous class period. Students should make editing marks (in pencil, using editing marks
illustrated in the Handbook section and the inside back cover of The Reid Guide, or if electronic, using
the review function on the final drafts. After 10 minutes, students should confer with the writer. If the
writer or the editor has any questions, they should raise their hands so the instructor can answer individual
questions. During this session, the instructor should be answering students’ editing questions, asking
students to write sentences with typical problems at the board, and referring students to appropriate sections
in the handbook.
Ask students to hand in or upload their essays to your course management system. .
5. Introduce the evaluating essay (10 minutes). Hand out a sheet with the assignment, schedule of important
activities and due dates, and criteria for your grading of the essay. (Remember: the class should
discuss and, as necessary, revise these criteria during the next week or so. Note: see Applying What
You Have Learned section of chapter.) Below is an example of the ways that you might plan a class on
the day that you will be introducing a new assignment.
Assignment: write an evaluation of a campus or community service or organization. The purpose of
this assignment is to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the organization or service. Possible
audiences for this essay include a prospective member of this organization or user of this service, an
administrator of the service, or a funding agency for the organization. First, you must use (or have
used) the service. In addition, you must do some research for this essay. You must observe the organization
or service in operation, and you must interview at least one representative from this organization and at
least one user of the service. You may also use a survey to collect responses from other members or
users, and you may use any written sources, including pamphlets and library sources. Be sure to cite your
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sources accurately in the text of your essay and on a Works Cited page. Copies of interviews, survey
results, written sources, and pamphlets must be turned in with your final
sources accurately in the text of your essay and on a Works Cited page. Copies of interviews, survey
results, written sources, and pamphlets must be turned in with your final
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draft. Essay length is approximately three pages. Final draft should be typed and double spaced. Essay is
due at Class #14. Consider possible multi-media enhancements for the project.
6. Discuss and explain this assignment. Do prewriting and discussion (20 minutes). Hand out copies of
your list of local and campus agencies and organizations. Ask students to write in their journals (write
to learn) for 5 to 7 minutes about a campus or community service or organization they have used or
participated in. They should jot down basic who, what, when, and where information and describe
some strengths or weaknesses they’ve experienced. You may wish to have volunteers read from their
journals and/or have two or three volunteers put their notes on the chalkboard or overhead so the class
as a whole can discuss them. Choose one or two of the organizations and ask students to tell you how
they might write their essay, using this service. You (or a student) can act as the recorder at the board.
Be sure you cover the following for each possible topic: purpose, audience, purpose of the organization or
service, description of the service, examples illustrating strengths and weaknesses, and possible criteria
for evaluation. Be sure to have students explain to you several possible audiences for their essay and
how choosing a different audience will change their evaluation.
7. Have students make notes for themselves about what organizations or services they might evaluate (2
minutes).
Class #9
Learning Outcomes of This Class Period
Use techniques for developing a topic that requires explanatory writing.
Activity Sequence
(1) Preview; (2) Assignment; (3) Journal or advertisement activity; (4) Annotation of essay; (5) Peer
workshops; (6) Individual work on plans/answer questions
Class Activities
1. Briefly, preview for students the purpose and activities for today’s class.
2. Give the assignment for the next class meeting:
Review collecting and shaping strategies from Chapter 8.
Assign Chapter 6, sections on interviews, surveys, and written sources.
Select a possible organization or service. Begin to gather basic information about the service. Set up
interviews.
Hand out sample essay on the Career Services Center; ask students to annotate it as they will practice
today in class.
3. Discuss and share journal entries (10 minutes). Ask student volunteers to read from their journal entries.
Ask the rest of the students to take notes as they listen for key features of evaluating: purpose, audience,
description of thing being evaluated, possible criteria, and evidence. After volunteers read, ask other
students to read their notes. Record at the board. Discuss the process of evaluation.
4. Individual and group annotation of selected essays (20 minutes). Choose one of the assigned essays
from the chapter and model for students how to annotate the essay for key features of evaluating:
purpose, audience, description, overall claim, criteria, judgments, and data. (The Ariel Rose essay,
“World Grills,” already has some model marginal annotations.) Then select another essay and ask
students to make individual annotations for 10 minutes. Next, divide the class into groups of three and
ask students to collate their annotations on one student’s essay or (preferably) on a photocopy of the essay
you provide each group. (Give specific directions and set time limits, appoint a recorder.) Following
draft. Essay length is approximately three pages. Final draft should be typed and double spaced. Essay is
due at Class #14. Consider possible multi-media enhancements for the project.
6. Discuss and explain this assignment. Do prewriting and discussion (20 minutes). Hand out copies of
your list of local and campus agencies and organizations. Ask students to write in their journals (write
to learn) for 5 to 7 minutes about a campus or community service or organization they have used or
participated in. They should jot down basic who, what, when, and where information and describe
some strengths or weaknesses they’ve experienced. You may wish to have volunteers read from their
journals and/or have two or three volunteers put their notes on the chalkboard or overhead so the class
as a whole can discuss them. Choose one or two of the organizations and ask students to tell you how
they might write their essay, using this service. You (or a student) can act as the recorder at the board.
Be sure you cover the following for each possible topic: purpose, audience, purpose of the organization or
service, description of the service, examples illustrating strengths and weaknesses, and possible criteria
for evaluation. Be sure to have students explain to you several possible audiences for their essay and
how choosing a different audience will change their evaluation.
7. Have students make notes for themselves about what organizations or services they might evaluate (2
minutes).
Class #9
Learning Outcomes of This Class Period
Use techniques for developing a topic that requires explanatory writing.
Activity Sequence
(1) Preview; (2) Assignment; (3) Journal or advertisement activity; (4) Annotation of essay; (5) Peer
workshops; (6) Individual work on plans/answer questions
Class Activities
1. Briefly, preview for students the purpose and activities for today’s class.
2. Give the assignment for the next class meeting:
Review collecting and shaping strategies from Chapter 8.
Assign Chapter 6, sections on interviews, surveys, and written sources.
Select a possible organization or service. Begin to gather basic information about the service. Set up
interviews.
Hand out sample essay on the Career Services Center; ask students to annotate it as they will practice
today in class.
3. Discuss and share journal entries (10 minutes). Ask student volunteers to read from their journal entries.
Ask the rest of the students to take notes as they listen for key features of evaluating: purpose, audience,
description of thing being evaluated, possible criteria, and evidence. After volunteers read, ask other
students to read their notes. Record at the board. Discuss the process of evaluation.
4. Individual and group annotation of selected essays (20 minutes). Choose one of the assigned essays
from the chapter and model for students how to annotate the essay for key features of evaluating:
purpose, audience, description, overall claim, criteria, judgments, and data. (The Ariel Rose essay,
“World Grills,” already has some model marginal annotations.) Then select another essay and ask
students to make individual annotations for 10 minutes. Next, divide the class into groups of three and
ask students to collate their annotations on one student’s essay or (preferably) on a photocopy of the essay
you provide each group. (Give specific directions and set time limits, appoint a recorder.) Following
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the group activity, have recorders report to the class and synthesize results at the board. (Another
effective strategy is to form new groups that each contain one member of each of the former groups.
The new groups synthesize the findings of each of their former groups and report their findings to the
class.)
5. Have students work by themselves or in groups of two or three on their own tentative topics (15
minutes). Give students specific instructions. For each student’s tentative topic, students should discuss or
select the specific topic, audience, material needed for description, tentative criteria, and possible
supporting evidence they might find or have found. Specify exactly what you want them to do before
you divide into groups.
6. Have students write out plans (5 minutes or remaining time): when they will visit the organization,
whom they might interview, what they might find at the library, and what personal experience of their
own they might use. Answer questions that students have about the assignment or their topic.
Class #10
Learning Outcomes of This Class
Use collecting strategies to gather reliable information.
Learn to write interview questions that will enrich their evaluation of the organization they are studying.
Activity Sequence
(1) Preview; (2) Assignment; (3) Conference sign-up; (4) Workshop annotating student essay; (5) Three-
column log; (6) Individual work/answer questions
Class Activities
1. Briefly, preview for students the purpose and activities for today’s class.
2. Give the assignment for the next class meeting:
Continue to collect information; conduct at least one interview. Write out at least one page of a “zero”
or discovery draft for their essay.
For Class #12, following the conference, rough draft of essay is due.
3. Conference sign-up. Next class will be a conference over their evaluating essay. Announce that the regularly
scheduled class will not meet. Students should sign up for a 15-minute conference. (Hand out sign-up
sheet and conference sheet that asks students to write out their tentative topic, audience, what evidence
they have found so far; what interviews they have conducted or scheduled; and what questions or
problems they have. They should bring their notes and their “zero” draft.)
4. Writing Interview Questions: Ask students individually to develop possible questions for the interview
they will conduct in the coming week. Have them do some initial internet research on the organization,
make note of the organization’s key mission and activities (as a collection strategy) and using that research,
create appropriate questions.
5. Collaborative Workshop: Ask students to exchange and talk through the interview questions. Partners
should make suggestions for follow-up or additional questions that will lead to a deeper, more empathic
understanding.
6. Remind students that good interviewers are flexible and follow interviews where they lead. They should
be conversational. If time permits, ask students to try out interviewing strategies with each other.
the group activity, have recorders report to the class and synthesize results at the board. (Another
effective strategy is to form new groups that each contain one member of each of the former groups.
The new groups synthesize the findings of each of their former groups and report their findings to the
class.)
5. Have students work by themselves or in groups of two or three on their own tentative topics (15
minutes). Give students specific instructions. For each student’s tentative topic, students should discuss or
select the specific topic, audience, material needed for description, tentative criteria, and possible
supporting evidence they might find or have found. Specify exactly what you want them to do before
you divide into groups.
6. Have students write out plans (5 minutes or remaining time): when they will visit the organization,
whom they might interview, what they might find at the library, and what personal experience of their
own they might use. Answer questions that students have about the assignment or their topic.
Class #10
Learning Outcomes of This Class
Use collecting strategies to gather reliable information.
Learn to write interview questions that will enrich their evaluation of the organization they are studying.
Activity Sequence
(1) Preview; (2) Assignment; (3) Conference sign-up; (4) Workshop annotating student essay; (5) Three-
column log; (6) Individual work/answer questions
Class Activities
1. Briefly, preview for students the purpose and activities for today’s class.
2. Give the assignment for the next class meeting:
Continue to collect information; conduct at least one interview. Write out at least one page of a “zero”
or discovery draft for their essay.
For Class #12, following the conference, rough draft of essay is due.
3. Conference sign-up. Next class will be a conference over their evaluating essay. Announce that the regularly
scheduled class will not meet. Students should sign up for a 15-minute conference. (Hand out sign-up
sheet and conference sheet that asks students to write out their tentative topic, audience, what evidence
they have found so far; what interviews they have conducted or scheduled; and what questions or
problems they have. They should bring their notes and their “zero” draft.)
4. Writing Interview Questions: Ask students individually to develop possible questions for the interview
they will conduct in the coming week. Have them do some initial internet research on the organization,
make note of the organization’s key mission and activities (as a collection strategy) and using that research,
create appropriate questions.
5. Collaborative Workshop: Ask students to exchange and talk through the interview questions. Partners
should make suggestions for follow-up or additional questions that will lead to a deeper, more empathic
understanding.
6. Remind students that good interviewers are flexible and follow interviews where they lead. They should
be conversational. If time permits, ask students to try out interviewing strategies with each other.
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Class #11
Learning Outcomes of This Class
To use conferences to create developed topics, focus, criteria, evidence, and judgments.
To address problems with drafting.
Activity Sequence
Give assignment; individual conferences
Class Activities
1. Give the assignment for the next class meeting:
Remind students that the rough drafts are due the next class meeting.
2. During your conferences, remember that students should do most of the talking. Ask them to explain
what they have done and intend to do. Review what they have written on the sheet. Ask students how
they intend to solve problems they are encountering. Give students suggestions, but don’t appropriate
their essays.
Class #12
Purpose of This Class
To conduct a workshop on students’ drafts of the evaluating essay.
To review grading criteria for the evaluating essay.
Activity Sequence
(1) Preview; (2) Assignment; (3) Evidence and shaping strategies discussion/modeling;
(4) Collaborative workshop; (5) Review and revise grading criteria; (6) Individual work
Class Activities
1. Briefly, preview for students the purpose and activities for today’s class.
2. Give the assignment for the next class meeting:
Revised draft due next class meeting, along with notes and list of criteria for an effective organization.
Revise introduction and overall claim.
Review paragraph transitions and hooks from Chapter 7.
3. Shaping strategies and evidence discussion (15 minutes). In class discussion, review possible shaping
strategies. (Use a write-to-learn journal entry about text’s discussion of shaping, if appropriate.) Ask
volunteers to describe their purpose and approach, and at the board, outline possible methods for shaping
the evaluating essay (asking other class members to make suggestions). Next, review kinds of evidence
that are necessary or appropriate for each claim. Discuss how much description of the organization or
service is necessary. Hand out the workshop sheet you will use in the next activity, along with a copy
of your draft (or the draft of a student writer not in the class) of the evaluating essay. Make sure your
draft is rough and has obvious problems. Ask students to use the workshop sheet to give you feedback
on your essay. (See sample collaborative workshop sheets.) Explain what kind of advice is helpful
for you. Show students how to give specific suggestions about organization or evidence.
4. Collaborative workshop on organization and evidence (20 minutes). Following your modeling of the
workshop sheet, divide students into groups of two or three to exchange drafts and write responses.
Give specific instructions before dividing into groups. At the end of the workshop, synthesize their
Class #11
Learning Outcomes of This Class
To use conferences to create developed topics, focus, criteria, evidence, and judgments.
To address problems with drafting.
Activity Sequence
Give assignment; individual conferences
Class Activities
1. Give the assignment for the next class meeting:
Remind students that the rough drafts are due the next class meeting.
2. During your conferences, remember that students should do most of the talking. Ask them to explain
what they have done and intend to do. Review what they have written on the sheet. Ask students how
they intend to solve problems they are encountering. Give students suggestions, but don’t appropriate
their essays.
Class #12
Purpose of This Class
To conduct a workshop on students’ drafts of the evaluating essay.
To review grading criteria for the evaluating essay.
Activity Sequence
(1) Preview; (2) Assignment; (3) Evidence and shaping strategies discussion/modeling;
(4) Collaborative workshop; (5) Review and revise grading criteria; (6) Individual work
Class Activities
1. Briefly, preview for students the purpose and activities for today’s class.
2. Give the assignment for the next class meeting:
Revised draft due next class meeting, along with notes and list of criteria for an effective organization.
Revise introduction and overall claim.
Review paragraph transitions and hooks from Chapter 7.
3. Shaping strategies and evidence discussion (15 minutes). In class discussion, review possible shaping
strategies. (Use a write-to-learn journal entry about text’s discussion of shaping, if appropriate.) Ask
volunteers to describe their purpose and approach, and at the board, outline possible methods for shaping
the evaluating essay (asking other class members to make suggestions). Next, review kinds of evidence
that are necessary or appropriate for each claim. Discuss how much description of the organization or
service is necessary. Hand out the workshop sheet you will use in the next activity, along with a copy
of your draft (or the draft of a student writer not in the class) of the evaluating essay. Make sure your
draft is rough and has obvious problems. Ask students to use the workshop sheet to give you feedback
on your essay. (See sample collaborative workshop sheets.) Explain what kind of advice is helpful
for you. Show students how to give specific suggestions about organization or evidence.
4. Collaborative workshop on organization and evidence (20 minutes). Following your modeling of the
workshop sheet, divide students into groups of two or three to exchange drafts and write responses.
Give specific instructions before dividing into groups. At the end of the workshop, synthesize their
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findings. What are the most common problems? How do they intend to solve these problems?
5. Review and revise grading criteria (10 minutes). Hand out the grading criteria for this essay. (See Evaluating
Student Writing section in this instructor’s manual.) If the criteria are on the assignment sheet (as is
suggested), have students review the criteria. What does each criterion mean? Which criteria are most
important? What suggestions for revising these criteria do students have? Record definitions of criteria at
the board. Jot down students’ suggestions for revising. Explain that you will revise the criteria later,
based on their suggestions. (Don’t change the criteria on the spot, but do revise the grading criteria
later, if necessary.) These activities can help students to see that your evaluation, like the one that they are
writing, is based on specific criteria.
6. Individual work on drafts (5 minutes or remaining time). Have students review their notes from class,
the grading criteria, and their workshop responses. Based on that information, students should write
out a plan for revising their drafts: What additional evidence is needed? How do they intend to reorganize
the essay? Go around the class and answer students’ questions about their drafts and their revision
plans.
Classroom Management Strategies
In addition to having a clear and purposeful class plan, teachers need to develop their repertoires of
management strategies to handle everyday activities as well as those occasional crises. Even
inexperienced teachers can learn these tricks of the trade.
! Do learn your students’ names and use them in class. Do whatever it takes to learn students’ names
early in the term. Keep a seating chart. If available on your Course Management system, review
photographs of students or print them out to have with you in class. Have students interview each other
and report on what they learned so you have a personality to attach to a face. Have a conference
during the second or third week. Learning and using your students’ names is crucial to a successful
class.
! Do organize your class and assignments as clearly as possible. State your expectations clearly. You
don’t have to be a tyrant or an ogre, but you must be firm, steady, and clear.
! Do work on developing a community in your classroom. Knowing your students’ names is a start.
Helping students to know each other through interviews, in-class and out-of-class group work, and forums
on your class website works to build community.
Acknowledge personalities and special needs and abilities in class. The clearer sense that students have of
each other and the personality of the class, the more productive they will be in class.
! Make students do the work—and the learning. Students will continually pressure you for the answers.
Whenever possible, ask students to give their answers. The more pressure you feel to perform, the
more you need to deflect questions back to students. In class, think of yourself primarily as an asker
of questions, a recorder at the board, a designer of group activities, a consensus maker, or a problem
solver.
! Get regular feedback from your class about what they are learning. When you hear yourself say,
“Who has any questions about that?” and you face a stony silence, ask your students to do a write-to- learn
entry in their journal explaining the main point of the preceding discussion or to articulate their
understanding of it. When you hand back essays, invite your students to respond to your marginal and
summary comments. Assign regular journal entries asking your students to respond to what they
understand about the class and what they find confusing or frustrating. Don’t wait until the end of the
findings. What are the most common problems? How do they intend to solve these problems?
5. Review and revise grading criteria (10 minutes). Hand out the grading criteria for this essay. (See Evaluating
Student Writing section in this instructor’s manual.) If the criteria are on the assignment sheet (as is
suggested), have students review the criteria. What does each criterion mean? Which criteria are most
important? What suggestions for revising these criteria do students have? Record definitions of criteria at
the board. Jot down students’ suggestions for revising. Explain that you will revise the criteria later,
based on their suggestions. (Don’t change the criteria on the spot, but do revise the grading criteria
later, if necessary.) These activities can help students to see that your evaluation, like the one that they are
writing, is based on specific criteria.
6. Individual work on drafts (5 minutes or remaining time). Have students review their notes from class,
the grading criteria, and their workshop responses. Based on that information, students should write
out a plan for revising their drafts: What additional evidence is needed? How do they intend to reorganize
the essay? Go around the class and answer students’ questions about their drafts and their revision
plans.
Classroom Management Strategies
In addition to having a clear and purposeful class plan, teachers need to develop their repertoires of
management strategies to handle everyday activities as well as those occasional crises. Even
inexperienced teachers can learn these tricks of the trade.
! Do learn your students’ names and use them in class. Do whatever it takes to learn students’ names
early in the term. Keep a seating chart. If available on your Course Management system, review
photographs of students or print them out to have with you in class. Have students interview each other
and report on what they learned so you have a personality to attach to a face. Have a conference
during the second or third week. Learning and using your students’ names is crucial to a successful
class.
! Do organize your class and assignments as clearly as possible. State your expectations clearly. You
don’t have to be a tyrant or an ogre, but you must be firm, steady, and clear.
! Do work on developing a community in your classroom. Knowing your students’ names is a start.
Helping students to know each other through interviews, in-class and out-of-class group work, and forums
on your class website works to build community.
Acknowledge personalities and special needs and abilities in class. The clearer sense that students have of
each other and the personality of the class, the more productive they will be in class.
! Make students do the work—and the learning. Students will continually pressure you for the answers.
Whenever possible, ask students to give their answers. The more pressure you feel to perform, the
more you need to deflect questions back to students. In class, think of yourself primarily as an asker
of questions, a recorder at the board, a designer of group activities, a consensus maker, or a problem
solver.
! Get regular feedback from your class about what they are learning. When you hear yourself say,
“Who has any questions about that?” and you face a stony silence, ask your students to do a write-to- learn
entry in their journal explaining the main point of the preceding discussion or to articulate their
understanding of it. When you hand back essays, invite your students to respond to your marginal and
summary comments. Assign regular journal entries asking your students to respond to what they
understand about the class and what they find confusing or frustrating. Don’t wait until the end of the
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class to get student feedback; at that point, it’s too late to adjust an assignment or change strategies.
! Always plan for that extra activity in case you finish early. Every teacher has a story about finishing
his or her lesson plan after only 25 minutes of class and then, in a moment of panic, dismissing the
class for the day. Reflective writing about their insights from that class period is an excellent go-to activity
that encourages metacognition.
! Don’t use the class for your soapbox. Even though you may believe strongly in certain social, political, or
diversity issues, your classroom should be an open forum that respects multiple points of view.
Otherwise, half your students will “write what you want” while the other half will believe that they get
low grades because you don’t “like” what they think.
! Don’t be afraid to say, “That’s a good question. I don’t know, but I will find out for you.” Honesty is
always preferable to making up a phony answer that your students will see through—and modeling the
need to be a lifelong learner is a positive approach. You can also ask the class for input: “What do you
[indicating the class] think about that?” Or, “That’s a good question. What do the rest of you think?”
This creates a model of collaborative learning.
! Avoid hidden agendas in grading. Regularly and openly, discuss the criteria for grading. Encourage
students to give their input to these criteria. Make students use these criteria as they give each other
feedback in workshops.
! When the pressure builds, don’t retreat into lecturing. A little silence is fine. Just say, “I’ll give you a
minute to think it through.”
Collaborative Learning and Writing Activities
Using collaborative groups in the classroom for reading, writing, responding, problem solving, learning,
revising, and editing activities has been the single most influential composition teaching strategy for the
past two decades. Collaborative groups give students ownership in their ideas and their writing; they help
students learn by teaching each other; and they create small discourse communities within the classroom—
and thus imitate real audiences and real response for student and professional writing.
Collaborative groups in the composition classroom are generally of three types. The first and
most common is the collaborative workshop or peer review group that focuses on some phase of the
writing and revision process. Small groups of students give each other feedback on ideas for topics, drafts,
and revising and editing. A second type is the collaborative writing group: a few students work together
actually writing an essay. They select a topic, apportion collecting duties, pool their prewriting materials,
and draft and revise a single essay. The third type is the collaborative learning group. In this third case,
the group is not working on any particular essay, but they use the social, collaborative environment to study,
describe, review, explain, evaluate, or argue course ideas or concepts. This third type employs write-to-
learn strategies but with the added advantage of social interaction as students write, discuss, interview,
reach consensus, and report their findings and decisions.
Keep in mind that these three types overlap in the composition classroom. Collaborative groups
often use collaborative writing in the process of giving feedback. Reaching consensus and agreeing on a
collaboratively written draft also require collaborative learning. Usually, however, each type of group has a
different final purpose. The collaborative workshops assist in the writing and revision process; the
collaborative writing groups produce a single written document; and the collaborative learning groups use
social interaction and consensus to help students teach each other or agree on key ideas or class policies.
class to get student feedback; at that point, it’s too late to adjust an assignment or change strategies.
! Always plan for that extra activity in case you finish early. Every teacher has a story about finishing
his or her lesson plan after only 25 minutes of class and then, in a moment of panic, dismissing the
class for the day. Reflective writing about their insights from that class period is an excellent go-to activity
that encourages metacognition.
! Don’t use the class for your soapbox. Even though you may believe strongly in certain social, political, or
diversity issues, your classroom should be an open forum that respects multiple points of view.
Otherwise, half your students will “write what you want” while the other half will believe that they get
low grades because you don’t “like” what they think.
! Don’t be afraid to say, “That’s a good question. I don’t know, but I will find out for you.” Honesty is
always preferable to making up a phony answer that your students will see through—and modeling the
need to be a lifelong learner is a positive approach. You can also ask the class for input: “What do you
[indicating the class] think about that?” Or, “That’s a good question. What do the rest of you think?”
This creates a model of collaborative learning.
! Avoid hidden agendas in grading. Regularly and openly, discuss the criteria for grading. Encourage
students to give their input to these criteria. Make students use these criteria as they give each other
feedback in workshops.
! When the pressure builds, don’t retreat into lecturing. A little silence is fine. Just say, “I’ll give you a
minute to think it through.”
Collaborative Learning and Writing Activities
Using collaborative groups in the classroom for reading, writing, responding, problem solving, learning,
revising, and editing activities has been the single most influential composition teaching strategy for the
past two decades. Collaborative groups give students ownership in their ideas and their writing; they help
students learn by teaching each other; and they create small discourse communities within the classroom—
and thus imitate real audiences and real response for student and professional writing.
Collaborative groups in the composition classroom are generally of three types. The first and
most common is the collaborative workshop or peer review group that focuses on some phase of the
writing and revision process. Small groups of students give each other feedback on ideas for topics, drafts,
and revising and editing. A second type is the collaborative writing group: a few students work together
actually writing an essay. They select a topic, apportion collecting duties, pool their prewriting materials,
and draft and revise a single essay. The third type is the collaborative learning group. In this third case,
the group is not working on any particular essay, but they use the social, collaborative environment to study,
describe, review, explain, evaluate, or argue course ideas or concepts. This third type employs write-to-
learn strategies but with the added advantage of social interaction as students write, discuss, interview,
reach consensus, and report their findings and decisions.
Keep in mind that these three types overlap in the composition classroom. Collaborative groups
often use collaborative writing in the process of giving feedback. Reaching consensus and agreeing on a
collaboratively written draft also require collaborative learning. Usually, however, each type of group has a
different final purpose. The collaborative workshops assist in the writing and revision process; the
collaborative writing groups produce a single written document; and the collaborative learning groups use
social interaction and consensus to help students teach each other or agree on key ideas or class policies.
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Collaborative Workshops
Collaborative workshops have real advantages over the traditional lecture and discussion method. They
bring the all-important social dimension into the writing classroom. They encourage critical reading of
drafts and positive peer response for effective passages, and they also break the stereotype of writing being
a solitary activity. They give students practice in responding to multiple readers and reactions. They
demonstrate the reason behind revision: the text is simply not communicating to the intended audience.
Although many teachers use collaborative learning and writing strategies, there are some real
disadvantages to collaborative peer groups. Some students do not learn efficiently in small groups;
uncooperative students often derail small-group activities; and students in small groups can give misleading,
wrong, and counterproductive advice. Simply adopting the methodology of collaborative learning does not
guarantee good writing.
Teachers should use collaborative techniques but should design them carefully, sequence them
logically, and supplement collaborative workshops with other learning strategies: some lecture and discussion,
some individual writing, some one-on-one conferencing. Following the general guidelines and sample
workshop questions presented here will make your workshop class more effective.
General Guidelines for Workshops
1. Collaborative group work, by definition, is not just any small group of people working together but a
group held together by mutual purpose and benefit. It assumes that negotiation and consensus building are
important; it usually relies on the combined efforts of people with different points of view or areas
of expertise; and it focuses on some common goal or shared objective.
2. Small groups must respect minority opinions. Groups should agree about their suggestions, or agree to
disagree. Recorders or group facilitators should make sure that minority views are recorded and
represented to the writer or the class as a whole.
3. As a rule of thumb, use collaborative activities only when they provide some benefit not possible or
effectively achieved through lecture, discussion, or individual work. They should not be used unless
students can see some real benefit (response from a reader, tips on collecting or shaping, help on
editing, and so forth).
4. Don’t limit peer response groups only to editing activities. They can promote critical reading and
interpretation of texts. (See the collaborative learning activities suggested on the following pages.)
They can help readers read with a writer’s eye. They can be effective at the invention or prewriting
stage of an essay. They can help students plan global revisions on drafts. They can help teachers
revise and articulate evaluation criteria and grading sheets.
5. Collaborative groups work well when they are part of an overall sequence that has some individual
writing, reading, or thinking, some small-group collaboration, some synthesis with the class as a whole,
and some application to the student’s reading or writing. One possible revision sequence: four students
in a group each read one essay draft, noting responses to key parts; then the small group reaches
agreement (or agrees to disagree) on key features; the group reports to the class about key features
of the essay; finally, following class discussion, students individually revise or plan their revisions.
6. Collaborative activities should promote some realistic goal: discovering ideas for writing, getting feedback
on development or organization, or helping each other edit and proofread. Roles should also be clear:
one group member may be the writer, another the recorder or person who reports to the class, a
Collaborative Workshops
Collaborative workshops have real advantages over the traditional lecture and discussion method. They
bring the all-important social dimension into the writing classroom. They encourage critical reading of
drafts and positive peer response for effective passages, and they also break the stereotype of writing being
a solitary activity. They give students practice in responding to multiple readers and reactions. They
demonstrate the reason behind revision: the text is simply not communicating to the intended audience.
Although many teachers use collaborative learning and writing strategies, there are some real
disadvantages to collaborative peer groups. Some students do not learn efficiently in small groups;
uncooperative students often derail small-group activities; and students in small groups can give misleading,
wrong, and counterproductive advice. Simply adopting the methodology of collaborative learning does not
guarantee good writing.
Teachers should use collaborative techniques but should design them carefully, sequence them
logically, and supplement collaborative workshops with other learning strategies: some lecture and discussion,
some individual writing, some one-on-one conferencing. Following the general guidelines and sample
workshop questions presented here will make your workshop class more effective.
General Guidelines for Workshops
1. Collaborative group work, by definition, is not just any small group of people working together but a
group held together by mutual purpose and benefit. It assumes that negotiation and consensus building are
important; it usually relies on the combined efforts of people with different points of view or areas
of expertise; and it focuses on some common goal or shared objective.
2. Small groups must respect minority opinions. Groups should agree about their suggestions, or agree to
disagree. Recorders or group facilitators should make sure that minority views are recorded and
represented to the writer or the class as a whole.
3. As a rule of thumb, use collaborative activities only when they provide some benefit not possible or
effectively achieved through lecture, discussion, or individual work. They should not be used unless
students can see some real benefit (response from a reader, tips on collecting or shaping, help on
editing, and so forth).
4. Don’t limit peer response groups only to editing activities. They can promote critical reading and
interpretation of texts. (See the collaborative learning activities suggested on the following pages.)
They can help readers read with a writer’s eye. They can be effective at the invention or prewriting
stage of an essay. They can help students plan global revisions on drafts. They can help teachers
revise and articulate evaluation criteria and grading sheets.
5. Collaborative groups work well when they are part of an overall sequence that has some individual
writing, reading, or thinking, some small-group collaboration, some synthesis with the class as a whole,
and some application to the student’s reading or writing. One possible revision sequence: four students
in a group each read one essay draft, noting responses to key parts; then the small group reaches
agreement (or agrees to disagree) on key features; the group reports to the class about key features
of the essay; finally, following class discussion, students individually revise or plan their revisions.
6. Collaborative activities should promote some realistic goal: discovering ideas for writing, getting feedback
on development or organization, or helping each other edit and proofread. Roles should also be clear:
one group member may be the writer, another the recorder or person who reports to the class, a
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third a facilitator who keeps the discussion on track, and so forth.
7. For effective collaborative activities, the teacher is not an instructor but a planner, a writer of clear
instructions, a coach or facilitator, a resource provider, and class recorder and synthesizer. Careful
planning is crucial. Carefully define the tasks for collaborative groups. Except when the purpose of
the group is to decide how to proceed, focus on one part of the writing process, set a limited number
of questions or tasks, specify a certain length of time, and indicate what happens after the group
activity. You should not rely on verbal instructions for workshops, such as “OK, now, everybody get
into groups and edit each other’s essays!” Instead, write instructions on the board or, better yet, hand
out workshop sheets (see following pages).
8. Early in the course, model for the class how peer workshops should operate. One effective method is
as follows. First hand out a sheet explaining guidelines for group workshops (see following pages).
Then distribute a workshop sheet for that particular day and take the class as a whole through the
response to the draft. (Note: if possible, model with your own draft.) Ask one student to be the
recorder and write suggestions from the class on the board. Be sure to show students how to be
critical yet constructive.
9. Collaborative groups of two to four are most effective, but larger groups of five to six can be effective
for invention, group brainstorming, or testing pros and cons of argumentative claims. You can choose
groups at random, by common essay topics or interests, or by group diversity (a verbal student who
may not be a good writer, a quiet but good writer, and a struggling writer).
10. Use a variety of collaborative activities. Not all workshops should be driven by consensus making.
For example, you may wish to have each person in the group look at a different element in each
essay. Person #1 might look just at the introduction or thesis; person #2 might look just at supporting
evidence in one main paragraph; person #3 might look at paragraph hooks and transitions; and person
#4 might concentrate on clarity of the sentences. Similarly, not all workshops need to have the writer
of the essay in the group. Sometimes students are more comfortable writing honest and constructive
responses if the writers of the essays are working in a different group. Finally, collaborative groups
need not be restricted to the classroom. Some of the most productive sessions occur when students set
a meeting time and place outside of class or via electronic communication.
On the following pages are one instructor’s guidelines for effective groups and another instructor’s advice
to students about workshopping. You are welcome to use or modify these handouts for your own class.
Hints for Successful Group Activities—Courtesy of Kate Barnes
1. Write instructions on the board or a handout.
Written instructions will help you avoid answering questions about your instructions 10 times,
and students can refer to the instructions if you are busy with another group.
2. Tell students what they’ll be doing, why they are doing it, and how long it should take.
Once students start moving, the thundering noise will prevent any additional messages from getting
through, so describe the activity from start to finish before you put them into groups.
3. Instruct students to elect a recorder and a spokesperson before they begin the activity.
4. Lie about the time they have for an activity.
third a facilitator who keeps the discussion on track, and so forth.
7. For effective collaborative activities, the teacher is not an instructor but a planner, a writer of clear
instructions, a coach or facilitator, a resource provider, and class recorder and synthesizer. Careful
planning is crucial. Carefully define the tasks for collaborative groups. Except when the purpose of
the group is to decide how to proceed, focus on one part of the writing process, set a limited number
of questions or tasks, specify a certain length of time, and indicate what happens after the group
activity. You should not rely on verbal instructions for workshops, such as “OK, now, everybody get
into groups and edit each other’s essays!” Instead, write instructions on the board or, better yet, hand
out workshop sheets (see following pages).
8. Early in the course, model for the class how peer workshops should operate. One effective method is
as follows. First hand out a sheet explaining guidelines for group workshops (see following pages).
Then distribute a workshop sheet for that particular day and take the class as a whole through the
response to the draft. (Note: if possible, model with your own draft.) Ask one student to be the
recorder and write suggestions from the class on the board. Be sure to show students how to be
critical yet constructive.
9. Collaborative groups of two to four are most effective, but larger groups of five to six can be effective
for invention, group brainstorming, or testing pros and cons of argumentative claims. You can choose
groups at random, by common essay topics or interests, or by group diversity (a verbal student who
may not be a good writer, a quiet but good writer, and a struggling writer).
10. Use a variety of collaborative activities. Not all workshops should be driven by consensus making.
For example, you may wish to have each person in the group look at a different element in each
essay. Person #1 might look just at the introduction or thesis; person #2 might look just at supporting
evidence in one main paragraph; person #3 might look at paragraph hooks and transitions; and person
#4 might concentrate on clarity of the sentences. Similarly, not all workshops need to have the writer
of the essay in the group. Sometimes students are more comfortable writing honest and constructive
responses if the writers of the essays are working in a different group. Finally, collaborative groups
need not be restricted to the classroom. Some of the most productive sessions occur when students set
a meeting time and place outside of class or via electronic communication.
On the following pages are one instructor’s guidelines for effective groups and another instructor’s advice
to students about workshopping. You are welcome to use or modify these handouts for your own class.
Hints for Successful Group Activities—Courtesy of Kate Barnes
1. Write instructions on the board or a handout.
Written instructions will help you avoid answering questions about your instructions 10 times,
and students can refer to the instructions if you are busy with another group.
2. Tell students what they’ll be doing, why they are doing it, and how long it should take.
Once students start moving, the thundering noise will prevent any additional messages from getting
through, so describe the activity from start to finish before you put them into groups.
3. Instruct students to elect a recorder and a spokesperson before they begin the activity.
4. Lie about the time they have for an activity.
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If you have planned 10 minutes for an activity, tell students they have 5 minutes. This will elicit
groans, whines, and accusing looks, but it will keep them working because they have so little time to do
all this stuff. Meanwhile, you can stand by with a knowing smile, comforted by the thought that, with
luck, you may get done in time.
5. Once students have divided into groups, gentle but firm reminders like “You all should be reading at
this point” will prompt them to stop visiting and to start working.
Gentle but firm reminders early on will help you to resist the temptation to scream later. Also,
staring at your wristwatch intently and remarking, “Gee, there are only 2 minutes left,” can be helpful.
(Of course, if you applied hint #4 above, there will actually be 4 minutes left.)
6. Have your students write the results of the activity on a piece of paper to hand in.
Even though the activity may not be graded, students will often pay more attention to the activity if
they know you’ll be looking at their work. You may also create a grading policy that not only includes
“attendance’ but “attendance and active participation.” Remind students of criteria for making those judgments,
and address them in individual conference.
7. In addition to the main activity, plan for additional “If you have time” tasks.
This will help prevent groups who have finished their work quickly from sitting (and talking) idly
by while other groups are still working.
8. If you ask students to present their group’s work to the class, have the class applaud after each
presentation.
Applause not only helps to ease the discomfort, but it also promotes enthusiasm, and it prevents
you from having to give well-meant but lame comments in the awkward silence following a presentation.
If you have planned 10 minutes for an activity, tell students they have 5 minutes. This will elicit
groans, whines, and accusing looks, but it will keep them working because they have so little time to do
all this stuff. Meanwhile, you can stand by with a knowing smile, comforted by the thought that, with
luck, you may get done in time.
5. Once students have divided into groups, gentle but firm reminders like “You all should be reading at
this point” will prompt them to stop visiting and to start working.
Gentle but firm reminders early on will help you to resist the temptation to scream later. Also,
staring at your wristwatch intently and remarking, “Gee, there are only 2 minutes left,” can be helpful.
(Of course, if you applied hint #4 above, there will actually be 4 minutes left.)
6. Have your students write the results of the activity on a piece of paper to hand in.
Even though the activity may not be graded, students will often pay more attention to the activity if
they know you’ll be looking at their work. You may also create a grading policy that not only includes
“attendance’ but “attendance and active participation.” Remind students of criteria for making those judgments,
and address them in individual conference.
7. In addition to the main activity, plan for additional “If you have time” tasks.
This will help prevent groups who have finished their work quickly from sitting (and talking) idly
by while other groups are still working.
8. If you ask students to present their group’s work to the class, have the class applaud after each
presentation.
Applause not only helps to ease the discomfort, but it also promotes enthusiasm, and it prevents
you from having to give well-meant but lame comments in the awkward silence following a presentation.
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Some Words on Workshopping—Courtesy of Dave King
** Approach every editing job as if you were a reader encountering the work for the first time. If
you become confused as a reader, you need to tell the writer about it. When the reader doesn’t understand,
the writer hasn’t done his or her job.
** When you edit, don’t just mark what is wrong—focus on how to help the writer solve the problem. If
something looks or sounds wrong, and you really do not know what the problem is, seek a second opinion.
Raise your hand and ask me for help. Between us, we should come up with some helpful advice. If I’m not
immediately available, write in the margin, “I think you should see Mr. King about this.” Otherwise, give
specific advice on how the writer can improve the section of writing.
** “I don’t want to hurt the writer’s feelings” syndrome. Remember, if you say it’s good when it isn’t,
you will hurt this writer’s feelings even more when he or she is surprised by a low grade on the essay. He
or she will remember that you weren’t honest or competent enough as a reader to help him or her revise
the draft adequately. But be honest, not cruel.
** How can I criticize without being cruel? First, explain how you understood the passage and compare
that with the writer’s explanation. Next, ask questions: “I’m not sure if you mean X or Y at this point.
Could you clarify this for me?” “You seem to be saying . . . here. How does this fit in with your main idea
or claim? Make that connection clearer.” Finally, give specific advice about problems: “Look again at the
essay in the text on p. 148. Why not try that approach for a lead-in?”
** What if I think the essay is great? No essay is perfect (ask any professional writer!). You should still
be able to offer some advice to strengthen the piece. Where the essay is strong, be sure to point that out;
writers learn by recognizing their strengths. But be sure to finish your worksheet by explaining carefully
how and why certain parts are strong and how and where they could be even stronger.
Some Words on Workshopping—Courtesy of Dave King
** Approach every editing job as if you were a reader encountering the work for the first time. If
you become confused as a reader, you need to tell the writer about it. When the reader doesn’t understand,
the writer hasn’t done his or her job.
** When you edit, don’t just mark what is wrong—focus on how to help the writer solve the problem. If
something looks or sounds wrong, and you really do not know what the problem is, seek a second opinion.
Raise your hand and ask me for help. Between us, we should come up with some helpful advice. If I’m not
immediately available, write in the margin, “I think you should see Mr. King about this.” Otherwise, give
specific advice on how the writer can improve the section of writing.
** “I don’t want to hurt the writer’s feelings” syndrome. Remember, if you say it’s good when it isn’t,
you will hurt this writer’s feelings even more when he or she is surprised by a low grade on the essay. He
or she will remember that you weren’t honest or competent enough as a reader to help him or her revise
the draft adequately. But be honest, not cruel.
** How can I criticize without being cruel? First, explain how you understood the passage and compare
that with the writer’s explanation. Next, ask questions: “I’m not sure if you mean X or Y at this point.
Could you clarify this for me?” “You seem to be saying . . . here. How does this fit in with your main idea
or claim? Make that connection clearer.” Finally, give specific advice about problems: “Look again at the
essay in the text on p. 148. Why not try that approach for a lead-in?”
** What if I think the essay is great? No essay is perfect (ask any professional writer!). You should still
be able to offer some advice to strengthen the piece. Where the essay is strong, be sure to point that out;
writers learn by recognizing their strengths. But be sure to finish your worksheet by explaining carefully
how and why certain parts are strong and how and where they could be even stronger.
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Sample Workshop Questions
The following worksheets c a n b e used to accompany The Reid Guide. As you design your own workshop
sheets, you might select among these types of questions as you write questions appropriate for your particular
assignment and your own students’ problems. (For samples of specific Peer Response workshop questions,
see Chapters 7–10.)
Writer’s Questions. Often the writer knows where the problems are and can ask for a reader’s reactions.
Workshop sheets should provide room for writers to ask one or two questions and readers to respond.
Writer: What one question would you like your reader to answer?
[Writer writes out his or her question here.]
Reader: Answer the question the writer asks.
[Provide a place on the workshop sheet for the reader to answer the writer’s question.]
Reader-Response Questions. These questions simply ask peer reviewers of an essay to react honestly, as a
reader, to the writing. Sample questions are as follows:
The best part of this paper was .
When I finished the essay, I wanted to ask you one question: ___________________.
One place I disagreed was where you said _______.
One experience or idea I had that was similar to this was .
When you said _______, I thought about _______.
At the beginning of the essay, I thought you were going to discuss _______, but after I got to the
end, I realized that you were discussing .
Descriptive Prompts. These questions encourage readers to describe or summarize the passage. Evaluation is
never wholly absent from any response, but the purpose of these prompts is primarily to hold a mirror
up to the piece of writing. Some possibilities are as follows:
The intended audience for this paper is __________.
The social or cultural context of this paper is _________.
The main ideas of this paper, in order, are ___________.
This essay has paragraphs.
This essay is written from the point of view of a person who is _________.
(Profile the narrator.)
Identification or Labeling Questions. Students in a group often give conflicting advice because they do
not recognize or properly name a rhetorical feature, strategy, or error. Identification questions encourage
students to simply label or name features before they judge the effectiveness of the passage.
Write “Lead-in” in the margin next to the writer’s lead.
Write “audience” next to sentences that identify and appeal to the intended audience.
Put ** in the margin next to sentence(s) that contain the writer’s main idea, thesis, or claim.
Sample Workshop Questions
The following worksheets c a n b e used to accompany The Reid Guide. As you design your own workshop
sheets, you might select among these types of questions as you write questions appropriate for your particular
assignment and your own students’ problems. (For samples of specific Peer Response workshop questions,
see Chapters 7–10.)
Writer’s Questions. Often the writer knows where the problems are and can ask for a reader’s reactions.
Workshop sheets should provide room for writers to ask one or two questions and readers to respond.
Writer: What one question would you like your reader to answer?
[Writer writes out his or her question here.]
Reader: Answer the question the writer asks.
[Provide a place on the workshop sheet for the reader to answer the writer’s question.]
Reader-Response Questions. These questions simply ask peer reviewers of an essay to react honestly, as a
reader, to the writing. Sample questions are as follows:
The best part of this paper was .
When I finished the essay, I wanted to ask you one question: ___________________.
One place I disagreed was where you said _______.
One experience or idea I had that was similar to this was .
When you said _______, I thought about _______.
At the beginning of the essay, I thought you were going to discuss _______, but after I got to the
end, I realized that you were discussing .
Descriptive Prompts. These questions encourage readers to describe or summarize the passage. Evaluation is
never wholly absent from any response, but the purpose of these prompts is primarily to hold a mirror
up to the piece of writing. Some possibilities are as follows:
The intended audience for this paper is __________.
The social or cultural context of this paper is _________.
The main ideas of this paper, in order, are ___________.
This essay has paragraphs.
This essay is written from the point of view of a person who is _________.
(Profile the narrator.)
Identification or Labeling Questions. Students in a group often give conflicting advice because they do
not recognize or properly name a rhetorical feature, strategy, or error. Identification questions encourage
students to simply label or name features before they judge the effectiveness of the passage.
Write “Lead-in” in the margin next to the writer’s lead.
Write “audience” next to sentences that identify and appeal to the intended audience.
Put ** in the margin next to sentence(s) that contain the writer’s main idea, thesis, or claim.
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Write “hook” next to hooks and transitions used at the beginning of body paragraphs.
Find a passage containing definition and write “Def” in the margin.
Write “C/C” next to a comparison or contrast that the writer makes.
Write “Fragment” next to one sentence fragment.
Evaluative Prompts. The responses to these prompts or questions should, ideally, indicate specifically
what the reader is reacting to, refer to some stated or implied criteria (“Essays for this audience should/should
not have a catchy lead-in”), and suggest a revision. The responses may take the form of pointings (described
shortly), comparisons between the writer’s intended purpose and audience, or short written suggestions
about focus, development, coherence, or style.
Pointings. Underline any nouns, verbs, details, and phrases that are memorable, striking, or effective. Put a
wavy line under any words or phrases that are excessively wordy or ineffective. Put parentheses ( )
around sentences that need revision for clarity. Put carets (^) where additional details or examples are
needed.
Purpose and audience. One way to evaluate an essay is to compare it with the writer’s plans and intentions.
Does the paper do what the writer hopes it will do? First, have the writer explicitly state his or her intended
purpose and audience. Then have the reader read the essay, without looking at this statement. The reader
should compare those statements with the actual essay and then indicate specific passages in which the
essay illustrates or fails to illustrate that purpose. The reader should also identify specific passages in which
the essay addresses a different audience.
Evaluations of focus, development, coherence, or style: ask questions that encourage readers to
focus on specific passages and to offer concrete revision suggestions.
Show where the writer could use more showing details, images, facts or description. Suggest a
revision.
What details are not relevant to the main idea? Explain why they are not relevant. Suggest a
revision.
Find one passage where the paragraph hooks and transitions should be clearer. Suggest a revision.
Advice for revision plans: ask peer readers to locate one or two main areas to concentrate on
during a revision.
As you revise this paper, concentrate most on
a) collecting more examples,
b) shaping your main paragraphs,
c) revising sentences for clarity, or
d) editing and proofreading.
Explain your choice. (Peer reader should explain his or her choice.)
Revision Plan Questions. At the end of workshops, ask your students to write about the advice they
received or their plans for revision. If time permits, encourage students to begin revising their essays,
based on the workshop responses.
Writer. After you have discussed the suggestions with your other group members, work for 10 minutes
on your essay, first planning the changes you want to make and then actually revising your draft.
Write “hook” next to hooks and transitions used at the beginning of body paragraphs.
Find a passage containing definition and write “Def” in the margin.
Write “C/C” next to a comparison or contrast that the writer makes.
Write “Fragment” next to one sentence fragment.
Evaluative Prompts. The responses to these prompts or questions should, ideally, indicate specifically
what the reader is reacting to, refer to some stated or implied criteria (“Essays for this audience should/should
not have a catchy lead-in”), and suggest a revision. The responses may take the form of pointings (described
shortly), comparisons between the writer’s intended purpose and audience, or short written suggestions
about focus, development, coherence, or style.
Pointings. Underline any nouns, verbs, details, and phrases that are memorable, striking, or effective. Put a
wavy line under any words or phrases that are excessively wordy or ineffective. Put parentheses ( )
around sentences that need revision for clarity. Put carets (^) where additional details or examples are
needed.
Purpose and audience. One way to evaluate an essay is to compare it with the writer’s plans and intentions.
Does the paper do what the writer hopes it will do? First, have the writer explicitly state his or her intended
purpose and audience. Then have the reader read the essay, without looking at this statement. The reader
should compare those statements with the actual essay and then indicate specific passages in which the
essay illustrates or fails to illustrate that purpose. The reader should also identify specific passages in which
the essay addresses a different audience.
Evaluations of focus, development, coherence, or style: ask questions that encourage readers to
focus on specific passages and to offer concrete revision suggestions.
Show where the writer could use more showing details, images, facts or description. Suggest a
revision.
What details are not relevant to the main idea? Explain why they are not relevant. Suggest a
revision.
Find one passage where the paragraph hooks and transitions should be clearer. Suggest a revision.
Advice for revision plans: ask peer readers to locate one or two main areas to concentrate on
during a revision.
As you revise this paper, concentrate most on
a) collecting more examples,
b) shaping your main paragraphs,
c) revising sentences for clarity, or
d) editing and proofreading.
Explain your choice. (Peer reader should explain his or her choice.)
Revision Plan Questions. At the end of workshops, ask your students to write about the advice they
received or their plans for revision. If time permits, encourage students to begin revising their essays,
based on the workshop responses.
Writer. After you have discussed the suggestions with your other group members, work for 10 minutes
on your essay, first planning the changes you want to make and then actually revising your draft.
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A Word of Caution. Often, teachers design workshop sheets with too many questions for a 20- or 30-
minute workshop. Limit your workshop questions to those most appropriate to the writer’s stage in the
writing process (brainstorming, collecting, shaping, revising, or editing) or to the problems that your students
are having with this essay.
Sample Workshop Sheets
On the following pages are sample workshop sheets from instructors who use The Reid Guide. Use these
sample workshop sheets to supplement the Peer Response guidelines given in each chapter of The Reid
Guide. Note that their prompts combine several types of questions from the samples earlier. As you write
your own workshop sheets, adapt these samples to your own assignments and to your own students.
(You will need to give students more space to respond than is provided in these samples.)
A Word of Caution. Often, teachers design workshop sheets with too many questions for a 20- or 30-
minute workshop. Limit your workshop questions to those most appropriate to the writer’s stage in the
writing process (brainstorming, collecting, shaping, revising, or editing) or to the problems that your students
are having with this essay.
Sample Workshop Sheets
On the following pages are sample workshop sheets from instructors who use The Reid Guide. Use these
sample workshop sheets to supplement the Peer Response guidelines given in each chapter of The Reid
Guide. Note that their prompts combine several types of questions from the samples earlier. As you write
your own workshop sheets, adapt these samples to your own assignments and to your own students.
(You will need to give students more space to respond than is provided in these samples.)
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Observing Workshop Sheet
Writer: ______________ Reader: _____________
Instructions. The writer should fill out the top part of two workshop sheets for the other members of the
group. Then each group member should exchange papers and read the drafts of the other two members in
your group. Write your responses on this sheet and on the draft itself. You will have 20 minutes.
Writer. In the space below, write two questions that you would like to have your readers answer.
1.
2.
Reader.
1. Read through the draft twice. Without looking back at the essay, explain what you liked best about
the description. Then explain where (refer to specific paragraphs or sentences) you were confused or
could not visualize the subject being described.
2. Without rereading the draft, write one sentence stating your perception of the writer’s dominant idea.
Now look at the draft again. Underline the phrases or sentences that most clearly express the dominant
idea.
3. List three observed details that support the dominant idea. List one detail that is not relevant to the dominant
idea.
4. Make the following “pointings” on this passage: A. Underline vivid words, phrases, or images. B. Put a
wavy line under vague, abstract, imprecise, or “telling” language.
5. Describe what you think the writer should do first when he or she revises this passage.
a. Re-observe the subject and add more vivid description.
b. Try writing from another point of view.
c. Use more sensory images.
d. Revise sentences for clarity.
6. Answer the writer’s questions above.
Observing Workshop Sheet
Writer: ______________ Reader: _____________
Instructions. The writer should fill out the top part of two workshop sheets for the other members of the
group. Then each group member should exchange papers and read the drafts of the other two members in
your group. Write your responses on this sheet and on the draft itself. You will have 20 minutes.
Writer. In the space below, write two questions that you would like to have your readers answer.
1.
2.
Reader.
1. Read through the draft twice. Without looking back at the essay, explain what you liked best about
the description. Then explain where (refer to specific paragraphs or sentences) you were confused or
could not visualize the subject being described.
2. Without rereading the draft, write one sentence stating your perception of the writer’s dominant idea.
Now look at the draft again. Underline the phrases or sentences that most clearly express the dominant
idea.
3. List three observed details that support the dominant idea. List one detail that is not relevant to the dominant
idea.
4. Make the following “pointings” on this passage: A. Underline vivid words, phrases, or images. B. Put a
wavy line under vague, abstract, imprecise, or “telling” language.
5. Describe what you think the writer should do first when he or she revises this passage.
a. Re-observe the subject and add more vivid description.
b. Try writing from another point of view.
c. Use more sensory images.
d. Revise sentences for clarity.
6. Answer the writer’s questions above.
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