Each week you will write one essay and/or revision, both as stages in a larger project. Please make three copies of everything you write, one for me and two for peers. Keep my marked copy of everything you write in a sturdy folder, as your portfolio. In order to evaluate your progress, I plan to review your portfolios three times—around the fifth, tenth, and last weeks of the term. Your final grade reflects your individual grades and progress, as well as your participation in class. Evidence of engagement with the course, the assignments, and the process of revision will count, as will your successful work on your writing.
I will read and comment upon your essays each week. Each assignment must be completed on time. Each week’s work leads to the next, so you cannot afford to fall behind. The first drafts that you submit will receive a , +, or -, (or a 0, if not submitted on time). Revisions will receive grades. If you do not hand in a draft, you deprive yourself of feedback from the class and from me on your ideas; you may not "skip" the draft, handing in only one version; the process of writing includes revision. You will receive a mark, not a grade, on the first draft you hand in, and an "F" if the revision is not in on time. So write drafts.
Please read my comments from the beginning, along with what you have written. If you do not understand something, ask me. A revision that heads in a completely different direction from what I suggest, or that fails to incorporate my proofreading marks, suffers. My final comments remark on the major strengths and weaknesses of your paper. You should read the marginal comments to see how they contribute to the final one. If you disagree with my evaluation, please discuss it with me. Ditto, the grade.
Definitions of the Essay (PDF)