Category Archives: Rhetoric and teaching

After stepping down from my position as Writing Center Director in 2010, I have been teaching full time in the English Department for almost two years. Before I became a Writing Center Director, I had made my living teaching Freshman … Continue reading →

I just finished grading 24 papers and 24 finals for Composition Theory, 40 papers and 40 finals for my Science Fiction course, and 28 portfolios for my professional Writing course.  This took four full days, Friday through Monday, to grade. … Continue reading →

Yesterday I turned in my grades. I had one student who tried to submit a paper after I had already turned them in. I need to tighten up on my late paper policies so that this sort of thing doesn’t … Continue reading →

Well, so far we have gone from Aristotle to the New Critics. For the midterm, I asked them to look at “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats from at least two different critical perspectives. They had 65 minutes. … Continue reading →

Now that I have stepped down as writing center director, my new job is to teach three courses a quarter. One of these is an introduction to literary theory. Long ago, when I was an undergraduate, the department where I … Continue reading →

I was a big science fiction fan when I was young.  I may have read every science fiction book in the Rosemead, CA public library at one point.  I subscribed to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction for many … Continue reading →

I have been directing university writing centers for 18 years, nine years at one institution and nine years at another. Last week I decided to resign my position, exercise my retreat rights, and go back to the classroom full time. … Continue reading →

Apparently, California State University is facing a 20% budget cut in 2009-10, about $583 million dollars.  As campuses make plans for cuts, some people have begun to ask, “Why do we need all of those professors, who only teach 12 … Continue reading →