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!UWP!104D!Fall!2015!

UWP$104D)4)2$and$3:$Writing$in$the$Professions:$$
Elementary$and$Secondary$Education$
Fall$2015$
Instructor:!Alison!Bright,!Ph.D.!
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Email:!asbright@ucdavis.edu!
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Class$Time:$Section!2:!T/R!9F10:!20!!!
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Course$Record$Number:!Section!2:!71983
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Office:$309!Voorhies!
Office$hours:$R!1:30F3:30,!F!9F10,!and!by!appointment!
Class$location:$Section!2:!27!Olson!
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Required$Texts$and$Materials$

1) Ayers, William. To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher. New York and London: Teachers College Press,
2010. ISBN: 978-0-8077-5063-6
2) National Writing Project. Because Writing Matters: Improving Student Writing in our Schools. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-7879-8067-2
3) Booth, Colomb, and Williams The Craft of Research, 3rd edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2008. 978-0226065663
4) Additional assigned readings (distributed to class via SmartSite)
5) Access to a reliable computer, printer, Microsoft Word, and the Internet
These books are available to purchase or rent at the UC Davis bookstore. Used copies are also available through
Amazon.com.

Course$Description$
UWP 104D Writing in the Professions: Elementary and Secondary Education is a writing-intensive course designed
for those considering a career in K-12 education. Though the content of the course is focused on education, it is a
primarily a writing course in which you will receive instruction in advanced principles of expository writing.
Throughout the term, you will hone your skills in a variety of modes of writing, including: reflection, analysis,
explanation, and argument. This course is intended to prepare you to write more effectively in an education career.
Important: Please DO NOT take this course if you are not considering a career in education. Instead, please
take a course geared towards your career goal such as writing in the sciences, writing in the legal professions,
writing in the health professions, business writing, etc. If you are unsure of your career path, take UWP 101.
The general focus of this course will be Writing In and About Education. Questions that we will address this
quarter include: What is effective teaching? What are the major issues and policies in education that affect teachers
and curriculum? How can writing be taught across the disciplines in K-12 schools? How can improving and
reflecting on your own writing help you to teach others more effectively? This course is a discussion and workshop
course, not a lecture course, so you will primarily work together in small groups, and will often be asked to teach
what you have learned in your groups to the entire class. You will also be writing in class every day, and will be
expected to come prepared to write about the current reading, issue, or assignment we have been focusing on.
Time Commitment: UWP 104D is a four-unit course. Three hours per week is lecture/discussion. An additional
unit of credit is justified by the significant amount of work that students must do outside of class time to plan, draft,
and revise the 6,000 words of required writing. In addition to this substantial written requirement, students will meet
individually with the instructor for discussion and evaluation of their work.

Prerequisites$
To enroll in UWP 104D, you must have completed UWP 1 or ENL 3 or the equivalent and have upper division
standing. You should have also completed 84 units (College of Letters & Science) or 70 units (Engineering) before
enrolling in 104D. UWP 104D fulfills a GE credit for Wrt. However, 104D cannot be used to simultaneously satisfy
a college or university composition requirement and GE writing experience.
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All UWP courses require a minimum of 6,000 words of original, formal, graded writing. To pass the course,
students must hand in every major graded writing assignment. Students who fail to turn in one or more of the papers
will automatically receive an F in the course. Students must earn a grade of C- or better in order to fulfill the
university writing requirement.

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Add$Policy$
Students who are registered and present on the first day of class will have priority. A registered student who is not
present for any part of the first or second day of class will be asked to drop the course (unless the student has a valid
excuse). When a student drops, SisWeb will automatically add a waitlisted student. Students who are near the top of
the waitlist are encouraged to come to class prepared and participate as some registered students may drop.
Instructors have no way of dropping absentee students. Permission to Add (PTA) numbers will be given out only on
the last add day when a registered student is consistently a no show. However, no more students will be added if the
class is already at 25, even if those students have been attending. The cap is firm.

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Course$Goals$
The following indicates the key topics that will be covered in this class throughout the term:

Effective research strategies

Reading and writing: rhetorical contexts and considerations
The concept of audience: writing for different audiences and adapting ideas and information to suit the
needs of different audiences; differences among academic writing, and professional writing
Developing rhetorical problem-solving skills
Close reading and rereading
Steps in the writing process: inventing, drafting, composing, revising
Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of one's own writing and providing advice about revision for other
writers
Problems of language and style in expository and analytical writing; developing a clear, sophisticated, and
mature prose style; making stylistic choices based on audience and purpose
Developing an awareness of the rhetorical situations you may encounter as an educator

Course$Outline$and$Assignments*$
Unit 1: Reflecting on the profession
Reflective essay (750 words)
Profile of an educator (1,000 words)
Unit 2: Investigating the profession
Issues in Education: Annotated Bibliography (~750 words)
Issues in Education: Research Report (2,000-2,500 words)
Unit 3: Interacting with the profession
Lesson plan in your discipline: Complete packet (~2,000 words)
o Lesson plan (that includes a significant writing component)
o Grading rubric
o Rationale
o Critical reflection
o Additional requirements outlined in assignment
Final: In class (500 words)
Reading Presentation (Individual or Pairs)
Informal writing and Participation
Daily journals (~15 journals at 200 words each)
Regular in-class assignments (length will vary)
At least 2 visits to my office hours
Reading completion
In and out of class participation
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75 points
100 points
75 points
250 points
275 points

100 points
50 points
75 points

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Total number of points possible:

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!UWP!104D!Fall!2015!

1000 points

*Please note that the above information is subject to change and that you will receive advance notice of any
assignment changes that are being made.
Reflective essay (750 words): For your first assignment, you will reflect on your decision to pursue the field of
education. You will be asked to trace your own interest in education, describe the age group, discipline, position,
etc., that you would like to secure after graduation, and consider some of the factors that have influenced this
decision.
Profile of an educator (1,000 words): In this assignment, you will be asked to conduct primary research (an
observation and/or interview) of an educator who is currently teaching in your desired discipline and age group. The
purpose of this assignment is threefold: 1) you will gain familiarity with your chosen field by stepping into an
educators world; 2) you will have the chance to explore the concepts and ideas we have been (and will be)
discussing as a class and to further develop these ideas; and 3) the primary research should aid you in developing
ideas for your later assignments in this course.
Issues in education: Annotated bibliography (~750 words): For this assignment, you will complete a short
annotated bibliography with at least six credible sources focused on a certain topic in education that you are
interested in learning more about. Ideally, this will be an issue that you observed or noticed in either your classroom
observation and/or interview, but your topic could also be something that is reflected in the national discussion of
your discipline and/or grade-level. You will offer a brief summary and assessment of each selection in your
annotated bibliography.
Issues in Education: Research report (2,000-2,500 words): In this assignment, you will utilize the sources you
selected in your annotated bibliography to develop a sustained argument regarding your selected issue in education.
The audience of this report will be a specific stakeholder involved in your selected issue, to whom you will develop
a sustained argument that encourages them to take a specific action.
Lesson plan in your discipline: Complete packet (~2,000 words): In groups of two (or individually), you will take
your ideas for lesson plans from your proposal and develop them into a very detailed lesson plan packet including: a
writing-intensive lesson plan, grading rubric, rationale, and critical reflection.
Final: (~500 words): Your final will be an in-class, timed writing, in which you will be asked how to convey
pertinent information regarding a classroom incident to three different stakeholders effected by the incident.
SmartSite: Every assignment (both formal and in-class) will be distributed via our courses SmartSite page (to
which you are already enrolled based on your enrollment in this course). Each assignment will indicate whether to
submit an electronic or a hard copy of your assignment. You will also find copies of every handout and PowerPoint
Presentation distributed in class (including the syllabus) under the Resources section of SmartSite. Much of our
in-class work will be housed in either the Chat or Drop Box section of SmartSite. It is vital to your success in
the course to monitor the activity of our classs SmartSite on a regular basis.

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Guidelines$for$Assignments$
The coursework for UWP 104D consists of reading assignments, in-class individual and collaborative activities, outof-class activities (completed mostly on SmartSite), and a number of individual and collaborative writing
assignments (outlined above). The due dates for the reading and writing assignments are listed in the following
schedule of assignments.
Reading assignments: It is your responsibility to read the assigned selections from our textbooks and additional
assigned readings (available via SmartSite) carefully and in a timely manner, as you may be responsible for
discussing the selections in your daily journal, class discussions, and/or quizzes.
Writing assignments: A minimum of 6000 words of original graded writing is required of students in all UWP 104
and 102 classes. To pass the course, you must submit all graded assignments, including the final exam. Please
note that the 6000-word requirement can be met only if you submit original work. Students suspected of plagiarizing
their work and students guilty of other student misconduct must be referred to Student Judicial Affairs, as Academic
Senate Policy requires.

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Please submit all of your writing assignments via SmartSite. Please maintain electronic access to their assignments
(through your Google Drive, a jump drive, your email, etc.) at all times during the course, so that you will have
access to it for in-class workshops and peer reviews.
Guidelines for paper submissions:
All electronic assignments must be submitted as .doc, .docx, or .rtf files; create your documents
Microsoft Word or a with Word compatible software
Use 1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, right)
Fonts:
o Body text: serif font (Times New Roman, Cambria, etc.)
o Title and heading: sans serif font (Ariel, Calibri, etc.)
Number pages as appropriate
Single-space all work and skip lines between paragraphs
Include appropriate visual cues (headings, formatting, etc.)
Include all rough drafts and peer reviews with each submission (as separate attachments)
Always proofread and edit before handing in work
Use APA citation style (but it is not necessary to use APA paper formatting)
On peer review days, you will give and receive feedback on your assignments in groups of two or three. You will
complete a peer review sheet that you will need to turn in for credit with your final draft. Points will be awarded on
the thoroughness of the responses.
Revisions: Because the writing process is never fully complete, and because most of the writing you will complete
in an educational setting will go through multiple drafts, you will have the option of revising one, individual,
already-graded writing assignments for the possibility of gaining a higher grade. To submit a revised document for
grading you must first meet with me in my office hours to develop a revision plan after the assignment has been
returned to you. Revisions will be due by the final class meeting. Include the following in your revisions: (1) a
memo addressed to me describing the changes you have made to the original document and why, (2) the revised
document, and (3) the original piece of graded writing. To receive a significantly higher grade on the revised
document, you will need to make significant improvements to the original version. I will grade your revision
according to the original rubric, and you will receive the average of the two scores as your new score.

File$Naming$Convention
During the quarter, you will be submitting a number of assignments to SmartSite (via the Assignments tool). To help
manage submitted files and to help you keep track of completed assignments, please use the following file naming
convention:

Yourlastname_assignmenttitle_draftstatus

For example, if your last name is Bright, you should name your Profile of an educator draft the following way:
bright_profile_draft.doc (or .rtf). Not following this file naming approach may delay my response to your work, and
could result in a reduced participation grade.
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Primary$Research$Collection$
You will be required to collect primary data (in the form of an observations and/or an interview) for your Profile of
an educator assignment. I strongly suggest that you begin considering potential interview subjects as soon as
possible. I DO NOT recommend contacting your interview contacts until we have reviewed the guidelines for
business correspondence.

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Evaluation$Standards$
When grading each of your assignments, I will ask one overriding question: "Does this document do its job
successfully?" That is, would your communication have the intended effect on the reader you are addressing?
Each assignment will have specific evaluation criteria, in the form of a rubric, which I will explain in class and post
on SmartSite. While each assignment will have its own specific rubric, the General characteristics by letter grade of
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university-level student papers (on SmartSite) will function as the basis for evaluation standards on all written
assignments. Consequently, the grades for all assignments in this course are NOT curved. Your grade on a writing
assignment will reflect the quality of writing and research, not the time and effort expended, and will be based on
how you will be expected to write in an educational context. Failure to turn in early drafts or to respond to peers
appropriately and on time will result in a grade penalty. Grading standards are as follows (grades to be determined at
the discretion of the instructor):
A = Outstanding work: full, active, cooperative, and imaginative participation in all activities, exercises,
and projects of the course; prose that consistently demonstrates the principles of effective writing in
education, as outlined in the texts.
B = Very good work: full, active, and cooperative participation in all activities, exercises, and projects;
prose that almost always demonstrates the principles of effective writing in education, with a few
weaknesses.
C = Satisfactory work: full, cooperative participation in all activities, exercises, and projects; prose that
generally demonstrates the principles of effective writing in education, with a few weaknesses that
compromise communication.
D = Almost satisfactory work: almost full, usually cooperative participation in all activities, exercises, and
projects: prose that sometimes demonstrates the principles of effective writing in education and/or that has
significant weaknesses that compromise communication.
F = Unsatisfactory work: inconsistent participation in activities, exercises, and projects; or prose that fails
to demonstrate consistent application of the principles of effective writing in education and/or has
weaknesses that severely compromise communication.
This letter grade scale roughly corresponds to a 5-point scale (with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest)
utilized in the rubric for each major assignment. Although each rubric will include different evaluative criteria, it
will typically include the five categories outlined in the UWPs General characteristics by letter grade of
university-level student papers. Each category will be weighted differently as per assignment.
Final grades will be A through F. I will give plusses and minuses according to UC Davis/UWP policy. Please note: a
grade of C- or better in the class is required to fulfill the university writing requirement.

Grading$Policy
Your grade for the course will be based primarily upon: 1) individual assignments; 2) in-class writing (including
journals); 3) collaborative assignments; and 4) participation. Participation is a crucial part of the class and will be
reflected in your grade. Participation also refers to your behavior during in-class activities and discussions. Active
participation includes completing all assigned readings. You will often be called upon to share your interpretations
of topics covered in the course, either through writing assignments or classroom discussion. Therefore, it is vital that
you come to class prepared and stay engaged throughout the class. Active participation also includes creating a safe
and inclusive space in the classroom, where students listen respectfully to others opinions. This also includes
actively responding to your classmates work in peer reviews.
A passing grade for all the assignments is prerequisite to, but not a guarantee for, passing the course. Observe the
following rules closely:

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We will begin each class meeting by freewriting (see attached resource for a description of freewriting) for
7 minutes. These freewritings will function as a journal that will account for a significant part of your inclass writing grade. Journal prompts will be posted on our SmartSite and will be labeled Journal #1, etc.
for each day our class meets. Journals will be graded on your interaction with the assigned readings and
your analysis of how/why you might utilize this information in an educational setting (see attached rubric
for a more detailed description of journal requirements). Journal entries should be approximately 200/250
words. Journal entries will be due 10 minutes after class begins and cannot be made up. It is your
responsibility to get to class on time in order to give yourself enough time to complete a thorough journal
entry. You must be present in class to receive credit for your journal entries; these are in-class
assignments.

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You must complete all the assigned written work in order to pass the course. Assignments are due at the
beginning of class on the day due. They are considered late thereafter. I will grant extensions only under
serious circumstances and only if you contact me prior to the due date.

Submit your work on time (on the assigned date and at the beginning of class). Your writing assignments
will be docked a third of a letter grade for each business day that they are late, and only accepted with
advanced consent. Thus, an assignment handed in two days late (submitted Wednesday when due on
Monday) would be dropped from an A to a B+. An assignment due on Wednesday but handed in the
following Monday would be given a C if it is B work. Your writing assignments will also be docked
points if they are not accompanied by the required additional materials (e.g. peer review sheet, etc.).

Assignments and handouts will be available on our course SmartSite immediately following each scheduled
class. An absence, regardless of why you missed class, is not an excuse for a late assignment. I will take off
points for all late work, regardless of whether or not you were in class the day an assignment was due. I
will accept assignments as email attachments only under special circumstances and only if you have
arranged to submit the assignment by email prior to the due date.

Computer, printer, or disk failure is generally not a legitimate excuse for a late assignment.
o Complete all work in advance of the due date for a security margin.
o Save your work frequently. Make backup copies on a flash drive or external hard drive.
o Save your collaborative work to Google Drive.
o Print a hard copy of your work before quitting, even if you are only working on an outline or
rough draft.

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Attendance$
Absences: Just like your future school administrator, I expect to see you present for each class meeting. Unlike
some of your classes, this course is skills-based. Consequently, the effects of this course are cumulative, and
frequent absences will affect your progress and success dramatically. Instruction during class is largely based on our
discussions, so it is impossible to offer a recap of what transpired. This is not a course where you can catch up on
what happens during class.
If you miss more than two class periods, your participation grade will be reduced by one-third a letter grade for each
additional absence. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to make yourself aware of all material you may have
missed. I will post new assignments on SmartSite. However, I will not recap on SmartSite what we covered in class,
nor will I post lecture notes. If you are absent, you need to contact one of your class peers to find out what we
covered in class and what you need to do to prepare for the next class.
Tardies:$Punctuality is an important attribute that you should maintain in both your academic and professional
work. You will be considered tardy if you enter the classroom after I have started the class, and I typically begin at
the scheduled time. You will be counted absent if you are more than 20 minutes late for class. Leaving class early is
just as disruptive as arriving late; thus, if you leave class more than 20 minutes early, you will be marked as absent.$
Computer Lab Etiquette:$I realize that a computer lab does not foster the same learning environment as a
traditional classroom, but I do expect you to treat the computer lab environment with the same respect you would
any other classroom. This means that we will often engage in group discussions or activities away from the
computers, and that I will regularly ask you to turn off your monitors to give me your full attention. It also means
that I expect you to stay on task. As a responsible adult who plans on entering the world of education, I expect you
to take full advantage of the learning opportunities provided in this class, and to NOT spend time on email or
FaceBook, etc. When you enter the lab, please place any potential distractions in your bag and on the floor.
Additionally, please turn off your cell phones before entering the classroom as a courtesy to your fellow students.
Any student engaging in distracting behavior in class will be asked to leave and marked absent for the day. This
policy includes the use of text messaging. $

Plagiarism!
Plagiarism is cause for a failing grade on an assignment, failure of the course, and possible expulsion from the
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university. Academic integrity is vital to this course. Plagiarism means representing the work (wording,
organization, ideas) of someone else as your own without careful and accurate acknowledgment. Please be
extremely careful to avoid downloading or copying material from electronic sources. All material from electronic
and print sources must be clearly and carefully documented.
If you are unsure as to what constitutes acceptable use of material from sources, or what kind of collaboration or
outside help is acceptable, please do not hesitate to ask me. You can also access the Student Judicial Affairs website
at http://sja.ucdavis.edu or contact them at 752-1128.
Academic Senate policy requires all instructors to refer cases of suspected misconduct to Student Judicial Affairs
(SJA), which has the sole responsibility for adjudicating cases and determining penalties within guidelines
consistent with UWP policies. If SJA determines that the paper has been plagiarized, the paper will receive a grade
of F.

Resources$
If you are a student with a documented disability and would like to discuss special accommodations please contact
me during office hours or by email in the first week of classes. For more information and support please contact the
Student Disability Center (drc.ucdavis.edu). Additional support can be found at Student Health and Counseling
Services (http://shcs.ucdavis.edu). More importantly, academic support, including writing tutors, is available for all
UCD students at the Student Academic Success Center (sasc.ucdavis.edu.) The SASC also offers workshops and
support for ESL writers. I strongly recommend making appointments at SASC to review drafts of every
assignment you turn in during this course.

Office$Hours$
I encourage you to stop by during my office hours if you have questions about your progress in the course, work we
are doing, or if you have any other concerns. I will give only short answers to email questions. I will respond to your
emails in a timely manner (which can be anywhere from 24-48 hours). The best way to give you immediate
feedback on your writing is through one-on-one conferencing. All students are required to have at least two
conferences with me during the quarter. An appointment is recommended any time you wish to see me during
office hours. Please make an appointment with me on the Doodle pool website, which is listed under Office
Hours folder in the Resources section of SmartSite. If you cannot make my office hours, please contact me to
make an appointment. However, please dont ask at the last minute. Plan your time accordingly.
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Final Note: Please feel free to contact me at any time during the quarter if you have questions about the course, the
campus, etc. I am a resource for you, so please just ask me if you have a question or come see me in my office
hours. Remaining in this course after you have received and read the course policies means that you
understand the policies and agree to abide by them for the duration of the course.

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UWP$104D$Schedule$of$Assignments$
Date
R: 9/24

Class Topics
Course introduction; writing in education;
discuss syllabus; discuss assignment

Before Class
Read: Syllabus

T: 9/29

Reflect on teaching as a profession; discuss

readings; discuss rhetoric and genres; sign
up for reading presentations
Draft of Reflective essay due; writing
workshop and peer review; student-teacher
relationship; writing in the classroom;
reading presentation

Read: Ayers: Chapter 1; Dirk (Navigating genres in SmartSite)

Flower

Reflective essay due; prepare preliminary

correspondence for profile; discuss
conducting primary research; develop an
interview protocol; audience awareness;
making arguments; reading presentation
Film: Waiting for Superman; overview of
the reform movement; reading presentation

Read: Craft: Chapters 2 and 7

Bring to class: The names and email addresses of three potential
educators to profile

T: 10/13

Planning and drafting techniques; response

to Waiting for Superman; reading
presentation

R: 10/15

Narrowing topics; reading presentation

Read: Craft Chapters 12 and 13; Ravitch, The myth of charter

schools
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/11/mythcharter-schools/?pagination=false
Read: Ayers Chapter 3; Craft Chapters 3 and 4

T: 10/20

Draft of Profile of an educator due; writing

workshopdrafting; peer review; reading
presentation
Profile of an educator due; reading
presentation; discuss assignment; library
research presentation

Read: Craft: Chapter 17

Write: Draft of your Profile

Summarizing and assessing secondary

texts; reading presentation
Annotated bibliography due; making
claims; using evidence; acknowledging
counter-claims; reading presentation

Read: Craft Chapters 5 and 6

Write: Start drafting annotated bibliography
Read: Craft Chapters 8, 9, and 10
Write: Annotated bibliography

Organizing arguments in formal reports;

reading presentation
Draft of Issues in education report due;
writing workshop; peer review

Read: Craft Chapters 14 and 16

Write: Brainstorm/pre-write for Issues in education report
Write: Draft of Issues in education report

Issues in education report due; discuss

Lesson plan packet assignment; form teams
and brainstorm ideas
Lesson plans as a genre; traits of effective
lesson plans; common core, academic
literacy; work on plans in teams; reading
presentation

Write: Final draft of Issues in education report

T: 11/17

Developing inclusive curriculum; reading

presentation; work on plans

Read: Ayers: Chapter 5

Review: WPA Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing
(in SmartSite)

R: 11/19

Work on plans

T: 11/24

Designing meaningful assessment; reading

R: 10/1

T: 10/6

R: 10/8

R: 10/22

T: 10/27
R: 10/29

T: 11/3
R: 11/5
T: 11/10
R: 11/12

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Read: Ayers: Chapter 2; Because writing matters: Introduction,

Chapters 1 and 2

Read: Russakoff (in SmartSite)

Read: Craft: Chapter 1

Write: Final draft of your profile

Read: Ayers: Chapter 4; Because writing matters: Chapter 3

Review: Common Core Standards http://www.corestandards.org
and Academic literacy: A statement of competencies expected of
students entering Californias public colleges and universities:
Intro, Part 1, and Part 3 (in Smartsite)

Read: Ayers Chapter 6; Because writing matters: Chapter 5

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presentation; work on plans

T: 12/1
R: 12/3
Section 2:
T: 12/8
6-8PM
Section 3:
R: 12/10
8-10AM

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Lesson plan: Complete packet draft due;

writing workshop; peer review
Lesson plan: Complete packet due; final
reflection; discuss final exam

Write: Draft of Lesson plan packet

Write: Final draft of Lesson plan packet

In-class final

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Resource$for$Daily$Journals:!

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FREEWRITING$
by$Peter$Elbow!

The most effective way I know to improve your writing is to do freewriting exercises regularly. At least three times
a week. They are sometimes called "automatic writing," "babbling," or jabbering" exercises. The idea is simply to
write for ten minutes (later on, perhaps fifteen or twenty). Don't stop for anything. Go quickly without rushing.
Never stop to look back, to cross something out, to wonder how to spell something, to wonder what word or thought
to use, or to think about what you are doing. If you can't think of a word or a spelling, just use a squiggle or else
write "I can't think what to say, I can't think what to say" as many times as you want; or repeat the last word you
wrote over and over again; or anything else. The only requirement is that you never stop.
What happens to a freewriting exercise is important. It must be a piece of writing which, even if someone else reads
it, doesn't send any ripples back to you. It is like writing something and putting it in a bottle in the sea. Freewritings
help you by providing no feedback at all. When I assign one, I invite the writer to let me read it, but also tell him to
keep it if he prefers.
Here is an example of a fairly coherent exercise (sometimes they are very incoherent, which is fine):
I think I'll write what's on my mind, but the only thing on my mind right now is what to write for ten minutes.
I've never done this before and I'm not prepared in any way--the sky is cloudy today, how's that? now I'm
afraid I won't be able to think of what to write when I get to the end of the sentence--well, here I am at the
end of the sentence--here I am again, again, again, again, at least I'm still writing--Now I ask is there some
reason to be happy that I'm still writing--ah yes! Here comes the question again--What am I getting out of
this? What point is there in it? It's almost obscene to always ask it but I seem to question everything that way
and I was gonna say something else pertaining to that but I got so busy writing down the first part that I
forgot what I was leading into. This is kind of fun oh don't stop writing--cars and trucks speeding by
somewhere out the window, pens clittering across peoples' papers. The sky is still cloudy--is it symbolic that
I should be mentioning it? Huh? I dunno. Maybe I should try colors, blue, red, dirty words--wait a minute--no
can't do that, orange, yellow, arm tired, green pink violet magenta lavender red brown black green--now I
can't think of any more colors--just about done--relief? maybe.
Freewriting may seem crazy but actually it makes simple sense. Think of the difference between speaking and
writing. Writing has the advantage of permitting more editing. But that's its downfall too. Almost everyone
interposes a massive and complicated series of editings between the time the words start to be born into
consciousness and when they finally come of the end of the pencil or typewriter onto the page. This is partly because
schooling makes us obsessed with the "mistakes" we make in writing. Many people constantly think about spelling
and grammar as they try to write. I am always thinking about the awkwardness, wordiness, and general mushiness of
my natural verbal product as I try to write down words.
But it's not just "mistakes" or "bad writing" we edit as we write. We also edit unacceptable thoughts and feelings, as
we do in speaking. In writing there is more time to do it so the editing is heavier: when speaking, there's someone
right there waiting for a reply and he'll get bored or think we're crazy if we don't come out with something. Most of
the time in speaking, we settle for the catch-as-catch-can way in which the words tumble out. In writing, however,
there's a chance to try to get them right. But the opportunity to get them right is a terrible burden: you can work for
two hours trying to get a paragraph "right" and discover it's not right at all. And then give up. Editing, in itself, is not
the problem.
Editing is usually necessary if we want to end up with something satisfactory. The problem is that editing goes on at
the same time as producing. . . .
The main thing about freewriting is that it is nonediting. It is an exercise in bringing together the process of
producing words and putting them down on the page. Practiced regularly, it undoes the ingrained habit of editing at
the same time you are trying to produce. It will make writing less blocked because words will come more easily
Next time you write, notice how often you stop yourself from writing down something you were going to write
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down. Or else cross it out after it's been written. "Naturally," you say, "it wasn't any good." But think for a moment
about the occasions when you spoke well. Seldom was it because you first got the beginning right. Usually it was a
matter of a halting or even a garbled beginning, but you kept going and your speech finally became coherent and
even powerful. There is a lesson here for writing: trying to get the beginning just right is a formula for failure--and
probably a secret tactic to make yourself give up writing. Make some words, whatever they are, and then grab hold
of that line and reel in as hard as you can. Afterwards you can throw away lousy beginnings and make new ones.
This is the quickest way to get into good writing.
The habit of compulsive, premature editing doesn't just make writing hard. It also makes writing dead. Your voice is
damped out by all the interruptions, changes, and hesitations between the consciousness and the page. In your
natural way of producing words there is a sound, a texture, a rhythm--a voice--which is the main source of power in
your writing. I don't know how it works, but this voice is the force that will make a reader listen to you. Maybe you
don't like your voice; maybe people have made fun of it. But it's the only voice you've got. It's your only source of
power. You better get back into it, no matter what you think of it. If you keep writing in it, it may change into
something you like better. But if you abandon it, you'll likely never have a voice and never be heard.
Excerpt from Writing Without Teachers. New York: Oxford UP, 1973, 1-7.

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Resource$for$Daily$Journals:$

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Daily$Journal$Rubric$

Possible Points: 2 points per response

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0"points"
Quality of Response
Does not engage concepts
or themes. Does not
display a reaction to the
reading.

1"point"
Superficially engages
concepts or themes.
Relies heavily on
summary. Displays a
short or superficial
reaction to reading.

2"points"
Engages concepts or
themes, draws
connections, includes
reflection and analysis
vs. summary. Displays
a thoughtful and
intelligent reaction to
reading.
Consideration of Use in a Does not include a
Classroom
Classroom
Classroom
consideration of how the
consideration for
consideration is
concepts from the text
concepts is superficial thoughtful and honest.
could be used in your
and does not
Demonstrates a critical
future classroom setting.
demonstrate a
analysis of how you
thoughtful analysis of
could/would utilize the
relevance the
concepts in a
concepts.
classroom.
Demonstration of
Response does not
Response
Response
Understanding
demonstrate
demonstrates some
demonstrates clear
understanding of reading. understanding of
understanding of most
Entry is short (less than
reading (or relies on
or all of the concepts
200 words) or
one concept over
in the reading. Entry is
incomplete.
integrating all
thorough and complete
concepts). Entry may
(approximately 200be short or incomplete. 250).
*No points will be assigned to late journal entries or entries that are not written in class.

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