General Requirements:
- Journal Roundtable
- Memorizations (April 26)
- Participation in final reading and potluck (April 30)
Required Items for the Portfolio (please put in an accordion folder w/ clasp):
- Chapbook, three copies minimum (staple bound or saddle stitched; one for me to keep, one for you to keep, one to give away; NOTE: I will not respond to your chapbook with comments unless you ask for comments in writing)
- Introduction (may be in chapbook itself or given as a writer’s memo)
- Electronic copy of chapbook manuscript (e-mail to cshalle at ilstu dot edu)
- Book Review (500-1000 words (approximate); published or sent for publication; alert me via e-mail where you have sent it or where it may be found)
- Poetry Journal Submission (turn in hard copy to me and I’ll mail it OR bcc me on e-mail sub)
- Journal (Evidence of habitual writing practice: may be a journal, comp book, notebook, sketch book, blog link, word folder/winzip folder, Google doc, etc.; please let me know if you want it returned)
- End of Semester Questionnaire (see below)
- Writer’s Inventory / Writer’s Inventory Redux (see below)
Optional Item:
- Grade letter & grade meeting (This is a chance to state in writing what you feel your letter grade for the course should be. Please include detailed, specific descriptions referring to course assignments and the syllabus. I would advise writing the letter if you have excessive absences, missed deadlines, or assignments.)
End-of-Semester Questionnaire
Directions: Copy and paste this questionnaire into a new MS Word document or blog post. Please answer the following questions as honestly and in as much detail as possible. Your thoughts and suggestions will aid me as I revise the course to teach it again in the future. Please note you may turn this into me after May 11 if you feel it will interfere with your grade.
- What was your favorite writing assignment? Why?
- What was your least favorite writing assignment? Why?
- Discuss your reactions to full-group workshops. Would you change them in any way?
- Discuss your reactions to small-group workshops. Would you change them in any way?
- Did the overall course structure (two portfolios, emphasis on invention before revision, arrangement, delivery) helpeyour writing practice?
- Do you feel you learned enough about writing poetry, including craft issues, contemporary trends, etc.? Please explain.
- Did keeping a journal and/or blog help your writing practice? Explain.
- Did you like the format of reading one example of contemporary poetry (Gurlesque) in depth or would you prefer more of a survey of poetry? Explain your answer.
- Do you feel the Reading the Gurlesque reading blog enhanced or extended discussions? Why or why not?
- Discuss my performance as an instructor. Did you find the way the course was conducted satisfactory? Would you have liked the instruction to be different? Explain.
- Please offer advice or helpful hints for students taking this course in the future.
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I often use writing samples from past students as models in my classroom. Please check one of the boxes and type in your name and today’s date below:
__ I give you permission to use writing samples from my English 247.01 portfolio
__ I do not give you permission to use writing samples from my English 247.01 portfolio
Print Name:
Date:
Signature:
Writer’s Inventory Redux
Please complete this without looking at the version you did early in the semester. Turn in a copy of both in your portfolio.
- If you had to describe poetry to an eight-year-old, how would you do it? What would you say or do?
- What is the first poem you ever loved? Why?
- What is a poet? What is the poet’s role in our contemporary society? Are poets regular people or different? Explain.
- What is the Gurlesque?
- How do you plan on engaging with poetry after this class?
- What is a long-term or lifetime goal you hope to accomplish related to writing or poetry?
