“Introduction to Writing”

For my project, I will be creating a syllabus for a four credit “Introduction to Writing” course, geared towards freshmen at a four-year university.

It’s my hope that I will be able to use this syllabus as a foundation for a class of my own someday. I will be applying to graduate schools this fall, specifically to English programs focused on composition and rhetoric, so I am eager to create the beginnings of a writing course of my own (based off of observing teachers—the good and the bad—the last 16 years of my academic life).

In this intro course, students will learn a variety of essay types, with the first being the personal narrative. It is my goal that the students will work on finding their voice in their writing and thread it throughout their work the rest of the semester.

This class will consist of regular writing prompts, “round table” discussions from the assigned readings, mini-workshops (with a few grammar-based activities), one-on-one conferences, peer revising groups, and an end of the semester portfolio.

My goal is to create a complete syllabus with three or four scheduled units, three to five essay assignments, and a draft of my first teaching philosophy. I feel like this project will give me the beginnings of an understanding of just some of what goes into the preparation stages of teaching (and hopefully will help me get a teaching assistantship at one of programs I will be applying to!).