Background
Our program is committed to preparing graduates students for
teaching as well as research. We strive to send well-prepared TAs into the
classroom, and to help our graduates develop dossiers that show a range of
teaching assignments. We currently qualify students to teach writing through the
course ENGL688 (Teaching Composition), taught the second semester of the first
year of the MA. The initial teaching of ENGL110 is accompanied by a weekly or
bi-weekly practicum. There is similar follow-through with teaching ENGL312
(Written Communications in Business).
The graduate committee has approved Apprenticeships as one
method for students to qualify for teaching literature classes. Students may
also qualify to teach literature by serving as a TA in a large lecture format
literature course in which they instruct discussion sections.
Guidelines
Graduate students may set up an apprenticeship at any time
after the first semester of their second year of the MA. The apprenticeship
should be arranged in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, the
Associate Chair, and a faculty member teaching a 200 or 300-level course in
literature, film, or journalism. In most cases the course chosen will correspond
to the student’s future emphasis in teaching. The student is expected to learn
about teaching by “shadowing” a faculty member from the planning stage through
the completion of a course. The student’s role is not to be confused with that
of a teaching assistant. While each faculty member and apprentice should arrive
at their own written set of expectations, typically the apprentice
would:
-
Meet with the faculty member to discuss the nature of the course (genre,
period, issue), the development of a description for the course booklet, and the
development of the syllabus
-
Discuss goals and methods for several sessions which the student would
attend. Methods may include lecturing, eliciting discussion, group work,
problem-based learning, in-class writing
-
Discuss the rationale and preparation for writing assignments and tests and
the commenting and grading involved
-
Participate in some way in the teaching of the course (teach or team-teach a
few sessions, grade a set of papers)
-
Make a retrospective assessment of the course, including possible changes for
the next time
At the start of the apprenticeship, a written plan will be
drawn up by the faculty member and the student, and at the end, the faculty
member will certify that the student has carried out these expectations,
supplying a signed copy of the plan, revised any significant changes, for the
student’s file in the graduate office.
The faculty member will remain a mentor available to review
course materials, respond to concerns, and visit classes when the student
teaches his or her literature course. Faculty will be able to offer support for
the student’s dossier, writing letters based on performance as an apprentice as
well as an independent teacher.