English 101 Brodie Fall 2002

“Education is a process of living, not just a preparation for future life.”

--Alfred Guy, Princeton University

To my students,

The course catalog gives you a general idea of what English 101 focuses on, but incoming students often wonder what to expect from the specific teacher of their section. This letter is my attempt to explain my way of approaching English 101, what you can expect from me, and what I will expect of you.

In this course, I will expect you to interact in a community kind of way as we try out ideas, respond to readings, work through drafts, and offer constructive feedback to each other to help the revising process. Working cooperatively is a priority for individual learning in English 101.

Most experienced teachers agree that writing can’t be “taught.” It can, however, be learned. This puts you firmly at the center of the task. You can only learn what you work at. I can’t “teach” you, but I can guide you if you are willing to work diligently, every day at the habits required of people who want to learn to write.

These habits are as follows:

1) First, dedication to careful, reflective reading. Close reading. READINGS ARE AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY as well as on Reserve at the library. Always print out your own copy for use in class (or Xerox, if you use library Reserves). Many readings delve into timeless human concerns, as opposed to popular articles on current topics or issues. Some readings I have chosen do not always have a “thesis” up front; rather, they explore and examine and arrive at “truths” in more subtle ways.

2) Second, the habit of informal, written reflection in response to what you read. This is essential in discovering the value of reading for your life, and also the broader implications or “meanings” that the readings offer you. For each required reading, I will ask for a written reflection on at least one point or idea that caught your attention in some personal way.

3) Third, I will ask you to learn how to respond to each other’s developing drafts. To do this effectively, I will give you a series of specific “prompts” to guide your responses to each other’s drafts. As you can see, I am asking you to become part of a learning community. For each draft you work on, I will provide time for a workshop where you will share your work with two other students. The habits of sharing and responding are essential to learning, and you will find that most well-run business organizations utilize some form of cooperative group work.

4) Finally, I will expect you to develop the habit of revising, and I will demonstrate the difference between mere editing and true revising.