ENGL 6385--“Professing
Teacherhood: Reading the Culture Reading Teachers”
Summer Session II, 2008
MW 10-12:30
TLC 2237
Contact Information:
Dr. Angela Insenga
Office: 2245 TLC
Office hours: by appointment
E-mail: ainsenga@westga.edu
Website: http://www.westga.edu/~ainsenga/
Course Description:
From Socrates to “Sir,” the
artistic representation of teachers is complicated by divergent ideological
forces reflective of our culture’s continued grappling with the
profession. For example, though tanned celebrities in PSA’s laud
educators as noble beings and often declare their jobs as most important,
teacher salaries and school funding rarely reflect such sunny sentiments.
Principals give instructors authority over children, yet teachers are often
denied agency in increasingly Draconian systems. Politicians encourage
them to instill leadership qualities but often balk when they actually take the
lead. We demand creativity and innovation but institute rigid frameworks
and demand standardization. When considering teachers, we even possess
polarizing assumptions about their professional ranking, appearance, sexuality,
gender, race, and economic backgrounds. Such contradictions and suppositions
open a formidable gap between what the culture says about teaching and
what the culture does to, for, and with teachers. As arbiters of
culture, as analytical students, and as teachers always already in training, we
are left to ponder in this liminal space.
This course will consider the image of the teacher extant in selected film,
prose, and drama. We will consider the portrayal of the profession in each
text, and we will investigate how these significations work to enforce
stereotypes of teachers, perpetuate vocational myths, problematize and revise
the dominate teacher narrative, or reveal emerging (un)truths about the state
of education today.
Course Objectives:
Required Texts:
Drama:
David Auburn, Proof
Margaret Edson, W; t
David Mamet, Oleanna
Novels:
Evan Hunter, The Blackboard Jungle: A Novel
F. E. Mazur., Spine: A Novel
Films:
Mike Akel, Chalk
James Clavell, To Sir, With Love
Ryan Fleck, Half Nelson
Richard LaGravenese, Freedom Writers
Peter Weir, Dead Poets Society*
Students will also read assigned
secondary materials located on Docutek, the library’s electronic reserve
system; please see the detailed syllabus below for specific articles and
directions for accessing Docutek.
*The English department owns 2-3
copies of each film; you may check out films for 48 hour periods. Most of
these films are available at local rental establishments, for purchase online,
or from local venders, and all of them are available via Netflix or Blockbuster
Online. The only film students may have trouble finding for an economical price
is To Sir, With Love.
Major Assignments:
Description of Major Assignments:
Reflection Journal
Beginning the first week of
classes, students will compose three pages per week in their Reflection
Journals. In these journals, students may discuss primary or secondary
materials from the course syllabus, continue to analyze a classroom discussion,
pose and answer a new question of their own, or write about how what we read or
view affects our perceptions of teachers, cultural expectations, or even our
aspirations in the field. The journal may be analytical or reflective in
tone. Standard English, organization, development, and MLA format are all
a must. I will collect the entire journal twice over the course of
the semester, once around mid-term and again at the beginning of the final
class period. In all, you will write for seven weeks and turn in at least
21 pages of journal writing. Often, students will be asked to refer to
their journals for ideas or comment, so having them in each class period is
advisable.
In-Class
Presentations
Each student will sign up for,
read, research, and reflect in preparation for two discussion-generating
presentations on assigned primary or secondary materials. During each
twenty to twenty five minute presentation, students should focus not on what
the material is about—we will all have read or viewed it—but rather on how/why
the material matters, how/why it fits in with course objectives,
challenges common perceptions, or creates indelible images for our
analysis. I’d expect, too, that each presentation may build on the last
or include and challenge previous positions.
For each presentation, students
will need a brief handout for the class that summarizes the presentation’s
content, offers up main goals, and poses comprehensive questions for our
discussion. Referring to texts specifically—key passages, an author’s
central argument and/or support, etc.—is a great idea as well. Most of
the time, presentations will occur at the beginning of class and should always
serve as catalysts for discussion.
Students will sign up for
presentations during the first week of classes. Students can expect a
brief, written response and grade within five days.
Scholarly Project
Each student will choose a
text—film, non-fiction, poetry, or prose—and examine carefully the portrayal of
the education system, students, and/or teachers in that text. Students
will then perform scholarly research of their text and theorize, create, and
support major arguments in a 10-12 page essay plus Works Cited
pages. At mid-term, a 2-3 page proposal that includes the
text chosen, general intent, and a working bibliography in MLA format will be
due. Of course, general intent and sources may change, but students may
not change their texts after the proposal due date. Students may not
choose texts assigned for the class but should seek out others which interest
them.
Annotated
Bibliography
Students will complete an Annotated
Bibliography of at least five of the scholarly sources they utilized for their
scholarly projects. This exercise helps researchers to assess a source’s
value and enter into the scholarly conversation. Those unfamiliar with
annotated bibliographies can examine the Annotated
Bibliography link from Purdue’s OWL for guidelines, suggestions, and
models.
Course Polices/Procedures
Attendance
Summer courses present challenges,
for we must cover in eight weeks what we would cover in sixteen. Graduate
courses during the summer present further challenges, as the workload is
intensive and focused. For these reasons, missing more than two of our
fifteen class meetings will be detrimental to your performance and grade. Any
student who misses more than two class periods cannot pass the course and
should drop if those absences occur before the drop date.
Plagiarism
The Department of English defines
plagiarism as “taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they
are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources.” The Department expects
that students will accurately credit sources in all assignments. Plagiarism
is grounds for failing this course.
Classroom Decorum
Please turn off all electronic
communication devices before entering our classroom. These devices are
inappropriate in the classroom setting. If you must have access to such
communication, please be sure that the device is set to signal you silently.
As for classroom etiquette, I
expect passionate intensity during our discussions about the course
material. I am here as a guide, not a lecturer, and your full attention,
participation, and allowance for a multitude of voices are a must.
Special Needs
Any student who has a special need
should inform me during the first week of class. We will then set up a
conference to discuss the specifics of the official paperwork you have from the
appropriate department
Website
All information for this course can
be found on my website. The Resource Page and Syllabus offer guidelines for the
course and pertinent articles. Check these pages often.
Required Format
All coursework must be MLA
documented and formatted. If you need a refresher on this documentation
system, please examine the MLA link from
Purdue’s OWL, or feel free to come see me.
Detailed Syllabus:
Note: save for one article linked
on the class resource page, you can find all article titles assigned below on
Docutek, UWG’s Electronic Course Reserve System. You should print them
out for yourselves.
Directions to get into
Docutek:
June 9th
For next class:
June 11th
For next class:
June 16th
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June 18th
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June 23rd
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June 25th
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June 30th
For next class:
July 2nd
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July 7th
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July 9th
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July 14th
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July 16th
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July 21st
For next class:
July 23rd
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July 28th
For final exam period: