Logos

Logos: (dictionary.com):  Philosophy. In pre-Socratic philosophy, the principle governing the cosmos, the source of this principle, or human reasoning about the cosmos. OR Among the Sophists, the topics of rational argument or the arguments themselves.
We expect logic from our students, so we must be logical ourselves.

• Developing a logical sequence of assignments and exercises, so that each one builds upon skills learned in the previous one.
• Developing writing assignments such that students placed at that level could reasonably be expected to be successful at those assignments.
• Putting up an agenda for the day and following that agenda as far as possible.  It is great if we can mention our learning goals for the day and summarize at the close of the class.  In short, a well-taught class may, on some days, be like a well-written essay.  [Other days, chaos can be fruitful, too.]
• Matching our required readings to the department course outlines so that the difficulty is at the right level and we don’t duplicate readings used at other levels of the English curriculum. Readings should be challenging and aimed at the demographic of our students, but shouldn’t be so long or so abstruse that they bore the students.
• Grading fairly.  This doesn’t mean that we must reveal our grades or even the number of A’s, B’s, etc., but it does mean that students who compare papers should be able to see the difference between an A and a C, for example.
• Making grading “transparent.” Judy Hubbard holds a class discussion about grading and then asks students to grade sample papers which she hands out.  After they have graded the essays, they have a discussion about those grades.
• Also, if possible, show sample papers before drafts are due and explain exactly why and how you graded each one.
• Using a rubric for grading which is explicit and clear on the assignment sheet and is repeated on the grading material.
• Building the curriculum out of material that will actually be useful for the students to master.  This doesn’t mean that we should never teach our favorites or the subject of our own research, but it does mean that we need to help students to develop skills that extend beyond identifying conceits in Metaphysical poetry.
• Keeping up-to-date on the rules for research documentation and on current web tools that will benefit our students.