AndrewT


 

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
    1. Guide for New Teachers
  2. PowerPoints 
    1. RWS 100 PowerPoints
      1. Unit 1
      2. Unit 2
      3. Unit 3
    2. RWS 200 PowerPoint 
      1. Unit 1 MWF
      2. Unit 2 MWF
      3. Unit  3 MWF
      4. Unit 1 TTH
      5. Unit 2 TTH
      6. Unit 3 TTH 
  3. Prompts and Rubrics
    1. RWS 100 Prompts and Rubrics
    2. RWS 200 Prompts and Rubrics
  4. Syllabi
  5. Handouts
    1. Style
    2. Sentence Length
    3. Vocabulary


Introduction

Hello there! Welcome to my resource for teaching RWS 100 and 200. On here, you will find many (hopefully) useful guides for teaching RWS at San Diego State University, including Lesson Plans, PowerPoint presentations, syllabi, prompts, and handouts. I also provide my own tips and advice for each part of the teaching process, from teaching your first class, to communication, grading, and much more. Remember that while teaching is incredibly complex, it is one of the most rewarding and satisfying professions. Also, there is no one "correct" way to teach; what I have written in this guide is simply what is effective for me and the procedures that I have seen in my two years of teaching RWS at SDSU, but what is most effective for you may (and will) be different. Overall, it is my hope that you find this guide useful as you begin or further your teaching career. Good luck and good teaching! 

 - Andrew Testa, MA RWS '18, TA 17-18, Lecturer Fall 18

 

Guide for New Teachers

This document contains Andrew's collection of advice to new teachers. It contains class activity ideas, tips on syllabus design, and advice on how  to use the resources below.

 

PowerPoints 

The following section contains all of my PowerPoints for RWS 100 and 200, which I taught in Fall 2018. I use the 3 paper structure, but these PowerPoints can easily be adapted to 4 papers. It is important to look at these PowerPoints as lesson plans for the day's class. While I believe that providing a visual aid is helpful in the learning process, these PowerPoints also show how to structure classes around the main areas of RWS. I focus both on rhetoric (strategies, fallacies, appeals, claims, evidence, rhetorical situation, etc.) and writing (drafting, workshops, style, audience, using I, transitions, tone, grammar, etc.).

 

Andrew's advice 

 

RWS 100 PowerPoints

 

This section contains all of my RWS 100 PowerPoints. This is only for the MWF class structure, although it can easily be adapted to TTH. For that, generally for a 75-minute class, I like to have 7 or 8 activities instead of 4 or 5.

 

Unit 1

 

Unit 2

 

Unit 3

 

RWS 200 PowerPoint 

This section contains all of my PowerPoints for RWS 200. Since I taught both a MWF and a TTH, I have included PowerPoints for both formats.

Unit 1 MWF

 

Unit 2 MWF

 

Unit  3 MWF

 

Unit 1 TTH

 

Unit 2 TTH

 

Unit 3 TTH 

 

Prompts and Rubrics

The following section contains all of the prompts and rubrics that were used for my F18 classes.

RWS 100 Prompts and Rubrics

 

RWS 200 Prompts and Rubrics

 

Syllabi

This section contains all of my syllabi. They are directly related to the PowerPoints and demonstrate my schedule for the semester. I have since revised my texts and schedule, but these should give you a good idea of the syllabi I employed in Fall 2018.

 

Handouts

These are some handouts I created that I use. I also use many handouts from UNC's Writing Center (https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/). I find them well-written and easy to use for students.

 

Style

I teach some style in my classes so that students understand the C's more (clarity, cohesion, concision). I use this Writing Style Guide Points handout for this, which concisely has style tips from four famous style authors. Some students will know Orwell's tips already. Strunk and White's style points have been a mainstay for almost 100 years. The Williams style tips are more advanced but can be extremely useful to students, especially those who are excelling.

 

I have both simply assigned this and also taught from it. It is secondary, but many students find it helpful.

 

Sentence Length

In order to help show students that they should vary their sentences, I read this Sentence Length handout to the class. This encourages them to experiment with long and short sentences. It is originally by Gary Provost, from 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing.

 

Vocabulary

I created a Synonym List with the most common words I see students write for RWS 100 and 200 and how they can vary their diction. It is a work in progress, and you are free to add to it. I find that students say "show," "say," "see," "a lot," "important," and "clear" too much in their RWS essays. This list gives them more words to choose from. I also tell them that these words have different meanings and alter what they say, usually allowing them to be more specific. Again, this is very secondary.