Two collegiate English courses of my own

SEPTEMBER 2021 — The pay off is palpable: it's week 4 of course instruction and the students and I are definitely in the swing of things. So far we've debunked 8 myths about English writing and instruction, using the free online textbook Bad Ideas About Writing.

This Tuesday, we had a particularly engaging lesson. To prepare for next week's introduction of our first project, students came to class having read essays on the myth that all good writers are a mixture of mythical, damaged and depressed. In class, students selected an unknown author from a stack of cards. Freshmen wandered around the room, strategically mingling, and asked yes/no questions about their author.

Our writers included Anne Frank, R.L. Stine, Lemony Snickett, and Gucci Mane. After the activity, we reviewed MLA 8 formatting and an upcoming assignment to write a 200-250 word biography with citations. The biography, which uses the author from the game, will be used on Thursday for an editing-themed gallery walk that coincides on my 25th birthday.

There may or may not be cookies to celebrate...

Students steady their newfound identities on their foreheads with a writer's edition of the game Heads Up.