Preparation for Teaching — Pedagogy Seminar (English
397A)
Following their first year of TA training, graduate students
in the doctoral programs in English, Comparative Literature,
and Modern Thought and Literature enroll in English 397A, the
Pedagogy Seminar, and continue their training in the winter and
spring with a series of pedagogy workshops. Because graduate
students in those departments and programs are allowed to carry
only a certain number of units, English 397A appears on transcripts
with 0 units. However, 397A— along with the required seminar
meetings, workshops, and courses taught — signifies a requirement
for the Ph.D. programs and provides the basis for the funding
allocated to second-year graduate students by the Office of the
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. Participation in English
397A calls for the same intellectual commitment graduate students
bring to all facets of their academic careers; the seminar is
designed and taught by the program directors with the assistance
of an advanced graduate student who has previously been through
the pedagogy program. PWR lecturers also contribute their experience
to the seminar and workshops.
The Pedagogy Seminar meets for two hours weekly during autumn
quarter, offering graduate students the time, opportunity, and
direction to engage with the PWR curriculum in the following
ways:
Learn the basic tenets and strategies of rhetoric. Study the
impetus for the “rhetorical turn” characteristic
of most fields in the late twentieth century (including literary
studies, history, economics, and physics, as well as writing),
and the theoretical foundation for PWR courses.
Design section descriptions, assignment sequences, and full
syllabi. Develop material for courses to be taught during winter
and spring quarters as a means to integrate theoretical knowledge
with teaching practices.
Visit classes and observe conferences taught by an experienced
PWR instructor to see the PWR curriculum implemented in the classroom.
With the assistance of the seminar instructors, graduate students
target specific dates for their visits in order to observe how
PWR instructors teach rhetorical analysis and research-based
argument.
The collaborative learning process begun in English 397A continues
while graduate students are teaching during winter and spring
quarters, as they continue to meet regularly with other instructors
and advanced mentors. Graduate instructors attend teaching practices
workshops to reflect on what is happening in their classrooms
and to adjust teaching strategies in response to students’ needs.
They are also strongly encouraged to exchange class visits with
other graduate students and their mentors.
