ENG 791 Composition Pedagogy
The Emory College Writing Program is excited to tell you about a new opportunity for Laney graduate students who desire to expand their teaching portfolio and receive additional pedagogical training and experience in writing instruction.
The Writing Program has a semester-long course that trains graduate teachers from English and Comparative Literature to build a syllabus with mentorship as they prepare to teach in our first-year writing program. This semester-long training is ENG 791 Composition Pedagogy.
The Writing Program in cooperation with Laney Graduate School has decided to open up enrollment in the class to graduate students from other programs. This opportunity is perfect for students seeking further pedagogical training with a focus on how to use writing and other modes of communication as teaching tools. Upon completion of that class (always offered in the fall semester), graduate students will be qualified to teach ENGRD 101—Rhetorical Composition and Critical Reading in a subsequent semester. ENGRD is the new acronym for Rhetoric, Writing, and Information Design.
ENGRD 101 provides instruction in rhetorical composition, critical reading, reflection, and writing as recursive process. Across themed sections, students engage with diverse genres. Courses share some common assignments including research writing and final student-curated portfolio with reflection project.
Course information
See the First Year Writing pages for descriptions of shared outcomes and assignments. Within those restrictions, teachers have the freedom to choose a theme or topic for their course implement a course design of their choosing.
These themed first-year writing courses teach academic writing and genres of writing in various fields. Classes which have already been developed in the past for first-year students include:
- Writing about Anything
- Rhetoric and Argumentation
- Being Here: Technology and Being
- Ethnography: Interrogating Culture through Writing
- Play-Make-Write-Think
- Activism: Argument, Art, and Affect
- Going Home: Stories of Return and Reintegration
- Writing and Reading about Coming of Age
- Writing the Environment
Graduate students taking this class benefit by:
- Completing a three-credit semester-long graduate class in pedagogy with a focus on writing instruction which will be noted on their Emory transcripts.
- Teaching a micro composition lesson under supervision of an experienced writing teacher during training.
- Drafting, testing, and revising a syllabus of their own design (with feedback from writing/rhetoric specialists) for an undergraduate writing class, along with all assignments.
- Learning teaching techniques and class design which supports solid instruction in writing. This learning includes scaffolding assignments, using learning outcomes, teaching for the transfer of learning to other classes, and multimodal assignment creation, among others.
- Creating a themed writing-intensive class in an area of their interest.
- Being the instructor of record for a composition class of 16 students.
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“The composition pedagogy seminar provided the invaluable opportunity to develop a syllabus before teaching for the first time. I appreciated discussing topics ranging from assessment to scaffolding to peer review strategies. I often return to readings and concepts from that class, such as Joseph Bizup's B.E.A.M. I also had to set up a professional website for the first time, which is now a necessity. Teaching first-year writing was excellent preparation for my graduate teaching fellowship and going on the job market. Familiarity with portfolios is essential for my current postdoctoral fellowship. <br /> <b>Joshua L. Cohen, PhD (Emory English PhD)<b><br /> Brittain Fellow<br /> Georgia Institute of Technology<br />
“One of the best parts of my broader experience at Emory was the opportunity to develop as a teacher-scholar from the moment I arrived on campus. Although teaching conversations were never in rare supply in my program, they almost always focused on how to teach the content of our discipline. And yet, as any TA who has graded a pile of poorly written and uninspired papers can attest to, the practice of learning in the humanities and social sciences is inseparable from the practice of writing. Learning to think and learning to write go hand in hand in the classroom. “The opportunity to study writing pedagogies for an entire semester transformed my teaching. I learned how to incorporate student writing throughout my courses. The class was immensely practical: I developed syllabi and assignments for courses I was eventually able to teach during my time at Emory and I learned how to grade student writing effectively and efficiently. “The teaching materials I created in this course became part of a teaching portfolio that I could draw on as I applied for jobs and fellowships towards the end of my program. This preparation helped me stand out as a job candidate in an increasingly challenging market. Moreover, the techniques I learned in this seminar have continued to serve me well as I have moved into full-time teaching. While I teach a variety of courses in both our undergraduate and graduate programs, the assignments I incorporate most consistently throughout my classes are ones I developed and workshopped as part of this seminar.” Layla A. Karst, PhD (Emory Religion PhD) Assistant Professor Department of Theological Studies Loyola Marymount University
“The pedagogical training and teaching experience that I gained through the Writing Program were invaluable, both for becoming a stronger teacher and for providing evidence of my experience on the job market. I am currently an assistant professor in a public health department, but the training that I gained has remained relevant as I build courses that support students building skills in research and writing. The graduate coursework supported me in developing innovative teaching techniques, both traditional and online, which I was able to practice in 101. When I wrote my job search materials, I felt very ready to provide evidence of my instructional philosophy. I recommend these opportunities to graduate students from any field!” Lindsey Grubbs, PhD (Emory English PhD) Assistant Professor, Health Sciences California State University, East Bay
“The composition pedagogy practicum enriched both my teaching and my own writing. The course is a primer in effective teaching practices that really benefited me as a new and inexperienced teacher. As I learned how to help students improve their writing, I also gained insight into my own writing process. The knowledge and experiences I gained in this course helped me secure both a sixth-year teaching fellowship and a postdoc. I believe it will also expand my career opportunities as I can now apply for jobs in a wider range of subfields.” Sarah Harsh, PhD (Emory English) Emory Writing Program Post-Doctoral Program Emory University
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Tattoo Information
- In general, students should have met their program’s TATTO 605 requirement in order to be eligible for this teaching experience.
- Teaching ENGRD 101 does not satisfy the program’s TATTO 605 requirement.
- Teaching ENGRD 101 may satisfy the program’s TATTO 610 requirement, provided the student’s DGS has evaluated and approved the credit in advance.
- A student who receives TATTO 610 credit for teaching ENGRD 101 is not eligible to receive compensation.
Compensation for graduate students choosing this opportunity
- No compensation for taking ENG 791 Composition Pedagogy in fall semester.
- $3000-$3500 (exact amount TBD) for teaching a section of ENGRD 101 in a following semester as long as the course is not counted as TATTO 610 credit (see above).
- Upon completion of the successful teaching of ENGRD 101, students can apply to teach another section in a following semester if desired.
Approvals
All graduate students opting into ENG 791 and/or teaching a section of ENGRD 101 will need written approval from their Director of Graduate Studies and their graduate advisor. An email is sufficient—please send to Aaron Colton (Director of First-Year Writing) and robert.pearson@emory.edu (Assistant Dean, Professional Development and Career Planning, Laney Graduate School).
