ENGL 4160 / 5890: Teaching College Writing (Obermark)
Time / Format: In-Person, Monday, 4-6:30
Teaching College Writing offers a broad introduction to various theories and practices of Rhetoric and Composition, a robust and diverse field within English Studies that focuses on practices, processes, and pedagogies of writing. Intersecting theoretical perspectives covered in the course will include: critical race studies and anti-racism; queer theory; disability studies, access, and disability justice; community engagement and service learning; decolonialism and indigenous rhetorics; multilingualism; and teaching with technology (including online writing instruction and the approaches to generative AI). Our ultimate goal is to collectively and critically explore writing and writing instruction, developing a sense of why teaching writing is a complicated task with high stakes. In particular, we will gain insight into how we can teach writing in evidence-based and thoughtful ways that account for the multiple identities, knowledges, and communities students (and teachers!) carry with them to classrooms .You will leave the class with a firm grounding in research in the field, various theories of writing, and how to apply this work in your present or future classroom. Assignments can take many forms; you select what best aligns with your needs and interests, including (but not limited to): academic essays, creative writing, multimodal experimentation, or the creation/revision of classroom materials like syllabuses or unit plans. [Can count toward Pedagogy or Cultural Studies or Area for the English MA.]
