ENGL 6989 - Teaching Practicum
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 40048,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Maria Conti Maravillas
Email: mcontimaravillas@ysu.edu
Course Description
6989. Teaching Practicum. Techniques and strategies for teaching college composition, including course design and classroom practice. Required of and limited to graduate assistants who are teaching in the English Department. First-year graduate assistants must register for three semester hours of Teaching Practicum in two successive semesters for a total of six semester hours. Does not count toward degree credit. Grading is S/U. 1-3 s.h.
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Writing is something that can be improved through practice. Every writer, regardless of their prior writing experiences, can succeed in this course if they apply effort, use resources effectively, reflect on their writing strategies, and make changes as needed. My hope is that all students will develop the knowledge they need to do well and that all students—even those who perform well early in the semester—will develop greater knowledge and skills through practice.
In this course, you will critically examine theories and practices for teaching first-year writing to develop effective pedagogical approaches that you can use within and beyond your first semester of teaching.
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Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Bad Ideas About Writing | Edited by Cheryl E. Ball and Drew M. Loewe | |
| Required | Reaching All Writers: A Pedagogical Guide for Evolving College Writing Classrooms | Joanne Baird Giordano, Holly Hassel, Jennifer Heinert, Cassandra Phillips | |
| Required | Writing Centers and Disability | Rebecca Day Babock and Sharifa Daniels | |
| Required | Reimagining Graduate Education in Writing Studies: Sustainable, Equitable, and Inclusive Approaches | Edited by Kirsti Cole and Sarah Henderson Lee | |
| Required | Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies, Classroom Edition | Edited by Linda Adler-Kassner and Elizabeth Wardle | |
| Required | The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook, 7th edition | Richard Bullock, Deborah Bertsch, Maureen Daly Goggin, Francine Weinberg | |
| Required | Reading and Writing Successfully in College: A Guide for Students, Revised Edition | Patricia Lynne, edited by Vicky Gavin | |
| Required | Bad Ideas about AI and Writing: Generative Practices for Teaching, Learning, and Communication | Edited by Edited by Christopher Basgier, Anna Mills, Mandy Olejnik, Miranda Rodak, and Shyam Sharma | |
| Required | Teaching L2 Composition: Purpose, Process, and Practice | Dana R. Ferris and John S. Hedgock | |
| Required | A Rhetoric for Writing Program Administrators, Second Edition | Edited by Rita Malenczyk |
All readings are available on Blackboard:
- E. Shelley Reid, "On Learning to Teach: Letter to a New TA"
- Elizabeth Wardle, “You Can Learn to Write in General”
- Joanne Baird Giordano et al., Ch. 2, “Practices for Teaching Effective and Equitable Writing Courses”
- ODHE Learning Outcomes for the First Writing Course and the Second Writing Course
- Julie Garbus, “Tutoring Mentally Disabled Students: Challenges and Opportunities”
- Lynn Reid, “Graduate Education for Basic Writing WPAs: Navigating Trauma-Informed Approaches to Cognition and Carework”
- Collin Brooke and Allison Carr, “Failure Can Be an Important Part of Writing Development”
- Kathleen Blake Yancey, “Learning to Write Effectively Requires Different Types of Practice, Time, and Effort”
- Richard Bullock et al, The Norton Field Guide, 7th edition
- “Generating Ideas and Text”
- “Processes of Writing”
- “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing”
- “Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism”
- “Purpose”
- “Audience”
- “Genre”
- “Writing with Generative AI”
- “Getting Response and Revising”
- Patricia Lynne, “Annotating and Note Taking”
- Patricia Lynne, “Drafting”
- Lisa Sperber, “Now That We Have AI, We Can Ditch Human Feedback vs. AI Should Be Used in a Human-Centered Process, with Peer Feedback”
- Shirley Rose, “All Writers Have More to Learn”
- Patricia Lynne, “Revising Globally”
- Christopher Basgier and Mandy Olejnik, “AI Can Write Like an Expert in Any Discipline vs. AI Can Help You Understand How Experts Use Writing”
- Thomas Deans, “Teachers Should Abandon Longstanding Assignments that Students Can Now Do with AI vs. Teachers Should Revise Assignments to Account for AI and Emphasize Writing to Learn”
- Joanne Baird Giordano et al., Ch. 5, “Writers Write for Different Purposes and Audiences...in Genres”
- Jennifer Mott-Smith, “Plagiarism Deserves to Be Punished,” pp. 247-254 (Bad Ideas About Writing) OR listen to Kyle Stedman read this chapter on his podcast (Episode 44)
- Dana Ferris and John Hedgcock, “Response to Student Writing: Issues and Options for Giving and Facilitating Feedback”
- Joanne Baird Giordano et al., Ch. 8, “Writers Make Choices about Language within Cultural and Social Situations”
- Maria Conti Maravillas, “Can Two Class Sessions Make a Difference? High-Impact, Low-Bandwidth Strategies for Growth Mindset in Composition”
- Douglas Hesse, “What is a Personal Life?”
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Course Schedule
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | E. Shelley Reid, “On Learning to Teach: Letter to a New TA,” pp. 129-141 Elizabeth Wardle, “You Can Learn to Write in General,” pp. 30-33 (Bad Ideas About Writing) OR listen to Kyle Stedman read this chapter on his podcast (Episode 6) |
Introduction to College Composition | No written assignments due for class on 8/25. |
| 8/31 | Joanne Baird Giordano et al., Ch. 2, “Practices for Teaching Effective and Equitable Writing Courses” (pp. 41-62) ODHE Learning Outcomes for the First Writing Course and the Second Writing Course |
Scaffolding, Sequencing, and Backwards Design | By start of class on 9/1: Discussion Post #1 option (post at least once for a reading from 9/1, 9/8, or 9/15), Complete Intro to Course Survey, Complete AI Appropriate Use Commitment |
| 9/7 | Julie Garbus, “Tutoring Mentally Disabled Students: Challenges and Opportunities,” pp. 47-77 Lynn Reid, “Graduate Education for Basic Writing WPAs: Navigating Trauma-Informed Approaches to Cognition and Carework,” pp. 120-129 |
Supporting Diverse Student Populations | By start of class on 9/9: Discussion Post #1 option (post at least once for a reading from 9/1, 9/8, or 9/15) |
| 9/14 | Collin Brooke and Allison Carr, “Failure Can Be an Important Part of Writing Development,” pp. 62-64 Kathleen Blake Yancey, “Learning to Write Effectively Requires Different Types of Practice, Time, and Effort,” pp. 64-65 Richard Bullock et al., “Generating Ideas and Text,” pp. 329-332 and “Processes of Writing,” pp. 323-234 (Norton Field Guide) Patricia Lynne, “Annotating and Note Taking” Patricia Lynne, “Drafting” |
Teaching the Writing Process | By start of class on 9/15: Discussion Post #1 due (post at least once for a reading from 9/1, 9/8, or 9/15) |
| 9/21 | Lisa Sperber, “Now That We Have AI, We Can Ditch Human Feedback vs. AI Feedback Should Be Used in a Human-Centered Process, with Peer Feedback,” pp. 319-323 Shirley Rose, “All Writers Have More to Learn,” pp. 59-61 Richard Bullock et al., “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing,” pp. 521-532 and “Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism,” pp. 533-537 (Norton Field Guide) Patricia Lynne, “Revising Globally” |
Revision and Source Incorporation in the Writing Classroom | By start of class on 9/22: Observation Analysis #1 due; Discussion Post #2 option (post at least once for a reading from 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, or 10/13); Teaching Topic Presentation option: “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing,” pp. 521-532 and “Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism,” pp. 533-37 (Norton Field Guide) |
| 9/28 | Maria Conti Maravillas, “Can Two Class Sessions Make a Difference? High-Impact, Low-Bandwidth Strategies for Growth Mindset in Composition,” pp. 1-27 | Growth Mindset in the Writing Classroom | By start of class on 9/29: Discussion Post #2 option (post at least once for a reading from 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, or 10/13) |
| 10/5 | Joanne Baird Giordano et al., Ch. 5, “Writers Write for Different Purposes and Audiences...in Genres,” pp. 125-141 Christopher Basgier and Mandy and Olejnik, “AI Can Write Like an Expert in Any Discipline vs. AI Can Help You Understand How Experts Use Writing,” pp. 199-204 Richard Bullock et al., “Purpose,” “Audience,” and “Genre,” pp. 73-84 (Norton Field Guide) |
Purpose, Audience, and Genre | By start of class on 10/6: Syllabus draft due; Discussion Post #2 option (post at least once for a reading from 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, or 10/13); Teaching Topic Presentation option: “Purpose,” “Audience,” and “Genre,” pp. 73-84 (Norton Field Guide) |
| 10/12 | Jennifer Mott-Smith, “Plagiarism Deserves to Be Punished,” pp. 247-254 (Bad Ideas About Writing) OR listen to Kyle Stedman read this chapter on his podcast (Episode 44) Thomas Deans, “Teachers Should Abandon Longstanding Assignments that Students Can Now Do with AI vs. Teachers Should Revise Assignments to Account For AI and Emphasize Writing to Learn,” pp. 293-297 Richard Bullock et al., “Writing with Generative AI,” pp. 61-69 (Norton Field Guide) |
Addressing Plagiarism and Misuse of Generative AI Tools in the Writing Classroom | By the start of class on 10/13: Discussion Post #2 due (post at least once for a reading from 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, or 10/13); Teaching Topic Presentation option: “Writing with Generative AI,” pp. 61-69 (Norton Field Guide); Begin revising syllabus |
| 10/19 | Dana Ferris and John Hedgcock, “Response to Student Writing: Issues and Options for Giving and Facilitating Feedback,” pp. 252-263 Richard Bullock et al., “Getting Response and Revising,” pp. 365-371 (Norton Field Guide) |
Conferencing and Peer Reviewing in the Writing Classroom | By start of class on 10/20: Draft of two major paper assignment sheets due; Discussion Post #3 option (post at least once for a reading from 10/20, 10/27, or 11/10); Teaching Topic Presentation option: “Getting Response and Revising,” pp. 365-371 (Norton Field Guide) |
| 10/26 | Dana Ferris and John Hedgcock, “Response to Student Writing: Issues and Options for Giving and Facilitating Feedback,” pp. 237-252 | Responding to Student Writing | By start of class on 10/27: Observation Analysis #2 due; Discussion Post #3 option (post at least once for a reading from 10/20, 10/27, or 11/10); Begin revising syllabus and major paper assignment sheets. Begin preparing other parts of the Spring Course Portfolio. |
| 11/2 | n/a | Class Cancelled—independent writing time on your Spring Course Portfolio | No new assignments |
| 11/9 | Joanne Baird Giordano et al., Ch. 8, “Writers Make Choices about Language within Cultural and Social Situations,” pp. 208-220 | Language in the Writing Classroom | By start of class on 11/10: Draft of two major paper assignment sheets due; Discussion Post #3 option (post at least once for a reading from 10/20, 10/27, or 11/10) |
| 11/16 | n/a | Drafting, Feedback, and Revision | By start of class on 11/17: Draft of full Spring Course Portfolio due (cover letter, revised syllabus, course schedule for the semester, revised major paper assignment sheets) |
| 11/23 | Douglas Hesse, “What is a Personal Life?,” pp. 473-480 | Preparing to Enter the Writing Classroom | By start of class on 11/24: Continue revising Spring Course Portfolio. |
| 11/30 | n/a | Finalizing Spring Course Portfolio | By start of class on 12/1: Continue revising Spring Course Portfolio. |
| 12/7 | n/a | Finalizing Spring Course Portfolio | By Tuesday, 12/8: Final Spring Course Portfolio due You are responsible for checking your YSU email once per day until 12/14 (when final grades are submitted) in case of issues with technology, files, submission, etc. |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.