English 391 - Spring, 2016

Teaching Creative Writing

Class Information

Instructor: Peterson, Katie
CRN: 42975
Time: F 10:00-11:50
Location: 248 Voorhies
Focus: Genre, Method, Theory

Description

Offered Spring Quarter ONLY for 1st Year Creative Writing Graduate Students

Prerequisite: Graduate standing, eligibility for appointment as Teaching Assistant in the English 5 program.

This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of teaching Creative Writing to undergraduate students. We will use selections from texts on pedagogy, writing textbooks, anthologies, and syllabi to cover a broad range of topics including: workshop teaching, craft-based instruction, close reading, syllabus creation, grading, writing exercises and alternative pedagogical models. Visitors and first hand accounts of teaching will be used to educate participants in classroom problem solving, troubleshooting, and anticipating common challenges in the workshop classroom. We will discuss how to respond to student manuscripts and how to create assessment structures that have legibility and integrity. We will learn from writers who are also successful teachers and create drafts of syllabi, lesson plans, and assignments. We will also go over basic aspects of the classroom at UC Davis, University policies, and administrative tools.

Grading

Classroom discussion and attendance, some rough drafts of lesson plans and syllabi.