Hello! I am teaching a writing class, and am now teaching students about flow. I would like to do an exercise where I take an essay (preferably, somewhat academic) and cut it up and give it to them to rearrange to show how well the author transitions between paragraphs. The problem is, I can't find one that works in particular! If anyone has a good example, I'd be grateful.
posted by caoimhe on Feb 4, 2013 - 4 answers

I would like access to a supplemental resource for a textbook that I purchased, for non-school-related use, but only instructors for a course can have access. [more inside]
posted by zeek321 on Dec 6, 2012 - 3 answers

I'm tutoring a teen girl who loves Maya Angelou and writing her own poetry and I want to make her a book of poems to encourage/inspire her. What poems should I include? [more inside]
posted by grokfest on Nov 7, 2012 - 21 answers

I am putting together a syllabus for a college composition course. I chose "food" as the theme for this semester. I would like to include examples of different kinds of writing about food, ranging from essays to fiction to poetry, as well as some movies. What are your suggestions? I'm open to anything, as long as it has food in it! I already have a list of some of the obvious ones (Michael Pollan, Dinesen's "Babette's Feast," Jiro Dreams of Sushi), but I am hoping the HiveMind can help me make this the most awesome-- and delicious-- writing class ever.
posted by incountrysleep on Nov 3, 2012 - 62 answers

Open courses that teach writing skills: where are they? [more inside]
posted by pracowity on Jul 11, 2012 - 6 answers

TL;DR in advance: English MA grad, wondering what to do with his life. A lot [more inside]
posted by exlotuseater on Nov 1, 2011 - 6 answers

Summer short course filter: Fun readings on the internet, the future, and research in the digital age for high school teachers. Help a librarian plan a syllabus! [more inside]
posted by activitystory on Apr 28, 2011 - 5 answers

I'm a freshman composition instructor who wants to rock the evals. But how? If you've taken a first-year college writing or rhetoric course, what teaching practices made for a good (or horrible) experience from the student's perspective? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 15, 2011 - 12 answers

I'm teaching a humanities course at an open-admission college. The students are extremely poor writers, and have almost zero knowledge of English grammar. This semester, I want to help them avoid comma splices, since that's one of the top three issues I see in their papers (spelling errors and sentence fragments being the other two). Can you help me design a lesson/activity to help them? [more inside]
posted by philosophygeek on Jan 11, 2011 - 16 answers

Help me find examples of people who are trying to change the world by pursuing Big Ideas^TM. [more inside]
posted by lewistate on Nov 1, 2010 - 15 answers

Have you used software to help you grade student essays? Tell me about your experience. [more inside]
posted by landlubber on Oct 7, 2010 - 8 answers

How do I become a better writing tutor/coach for my coworkers? [more inside]
posted by Jacqueline on May 3, 2010 - 7 answers

I Need to take and pass PRAXIS I asap. I looked at the sample questions on ETS website. My strongest area is math followed by reading. On the writing section, I feel I can do well on the essay as it seems natural to me but the technical terms used for grammar, etc, get me lost. So i am looking for advice to study all three parts, especially the technical English stuff. Should I buy the books from ETS? Are there better options? Thanks!
posted by lake59 on Feb 11, 2010 - 4 answers

In search of short passages of especially strong or weak nonfiction prose! [more inside]
posted by cymru_j on Oct 17, 2009 - 8 answers

Online systems for writing teachers? [more inside]
posted by cymru_j on Jul 26, 2009 - 3 answers

Help me come up with better models!! (re: essays and argumentation) [more inside]
posted by puckish on Feb 18, 2009 - 7 answers

I will shortly be introducing a friend of mine to Second Life. She's an academic, and will be most interested in locations in SL that are related to the teaching of art (especially drawing and cartooning) and the teaching of writing. I would be most grateful for any suggestions anyone might have of locations we could visit.
posted by zainsubani on Dec 10, 2008 - 1 answer

Help me to not suck at teaching! (focus on analytic reading) [more inside]
posted by puckish on Nov 12, 2008 - 14 answers

Help a freshman comp teacher out! I need a fun writing exercise to fill 70 minutes of class time. [more inside]
posted by toomuchkatherine on Sep 10, 2008 - 16 answers

Where can I find examples of profile-writing that say as much about the profiler as the profilee? [more inside]
posted by themadjuggler on Jul 8, 2008 - 10 answers

How can I help students improve their writing via comments on written assignments? [more inside]
posted by obliquicity on Nov 8, 2007 - 25 answers

Please help me find some good mysterious images for students to write to. [more inside]
posted by argybarg on Jun 28, 2007 - 23 answers

Help me find illuminating, educating, eye-opening articles on immigration for a class I'm teaching at the Kennedy School of Government. [more inside]
posted by josh on Apr 11, 2007 - 5 answers

I am an ESL teacher, and I have several types of classes; however, I have one problem, my handwriting looks as if I were a five year old scribbling with a crayon. So I am curious if anyone might have any suggestions on getting better at handwriting and printing for someone who doesn't have time to go to a course. Also, a second related question, are there any ideas for making conversation corrections? When my students are speaking, I write down various things that they are saying, and make various corrections, or simply offer alternatives, or local dialect. What are some of the most effective and useful ways to do this? If there are any people who have spent any time learning other languages, what ahs helped you most? Thank you all in advance.
posted by Knigel on Oct 24, 2006 - 12 answers

OK, I'm teaching a 3-hour seminar on blogging--to be specific, it's not about the technical aspect, but for writers hoping to use a blog to promote and enhance their own writing. What should I be sure to touch upon? [more inside]
posted by clairezulkey on Sep 1, 2006 - 8 answers

This September I'll be teaching a workshop on writing skills at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Help me design and choose some great readings for the course! [more inside]
posted by josh on Aug 22, 2006 - 8 answers

Pimp my freshman composition class: what essays would you put on the syllabus? [more inside]
posted by wheat on Jul 27, 2006 - 30 answers

Blogging in the classroom. I've decided to set-up a blog for my students this semester. This will be the place for their response papers, writing exercises and a few other tidbits. It needs to have access for 5-10 members, a very easy set-up, free-to-near-free pricing (although I would pay or find the dollars to fund if it was warranted), and very clear posting/linking instructions for the students. Advice on selecting a blogging system needed. [more inside]
posted by fionab on Aug 31, 2005 - 14 answers