Resources for Teaching WritingSeminar Roles
First-year writing courses are arranged as seminars both to promote collective deliberation in preparation for individual students taking up arguments in writing, and to provide a scene where tailored, individualized attention to students is possible. Unfamiliar with seminar styles and etiquettes, first-year students will need your help in showing them the ropes. One way to clarify their roles and responsibilities as seminarians is to clearly spell them out, to demystify seminar life by codifying its practices and preferred modes of interaction and exchange. The following document does just that:
Seminar Roles and Responsibilities
Seminar deliberations are best thought of us as specialized events, supported by modes of interaction that are both civil and demonstrate careful listening to one’s interlocutors. The components of such “smart talk” are listed here:
Some faculty ask their students to daily enact a routine that helps the seminar run smoothly:
