Day One of American Lit. I -- Taught by Me

In the past 2-3 years, I've begun this course--Eng. 2230: American Literature to 1865--after welcoming the students and identifying the course, by handing out two poems: Walt Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" and Emily Dickinson's "There is no Frigate like a Book." I don't identify the poems by either author or title--I just hand them out (both printed on one page) and ask students to spend a few minutes reading and thinking about them. I then try to get discussion going by asking, first, for general reactions to the poems, and then for any similarities or "links" students see between the two poems; I also ask if anyone knows the poets or the poems. I begin this way for a few reasons:

1. I want to foreground the reading and analysis and interpretation of literature in the course, rather than all the history.
2. I want to set a tone and an expectation for the class--there will be more class discussion than lecture.
3. I want students to look ahead a little bit--to the end of the course, in this case, since the course ends with Whitman and Dickinson. Many of the early writers will be slower and more difficult to read--Smith, Bradford, Winthrop, etc.--but more "modern" English will come.
4. I want to set a few themes for the course with these poems--the importance of books and reading, but also the importance of getting outside the analytical classroom to appreciate the literature on its own.

I can do this--while Donald Ross probably can't (and may not even want to)--because my class "caps" at 50 students; however, my usual enrollment is between 35 and 45 students. After seeing Donald's first day, however, I do want to rethink my own. Does he set more of a "university" tone to his class (yes, I know, he teaches at a university), while my tone is more "community college" (or even "high school," as some students think)? Should I even be concerned about this?

Some students have been told all through high school that college will be full of lectures. I want them to discover right away that this might not always be the case. This brings with it, however, another kind of challenge. For the students who value lecture, or who have come in expecting lectures, my class might disappoint them. And, they might see a discussion-based class as less valuable, or more "easy," than a lecture-based class. They might not see it as I do, that a discussion-based class might be harder because it is "active learning," while a lecture-based class might be more "passive." It does all depend on the setting (for example, class size, which usually can't be helped) and the professor. I know really good lecturers, who are very engaging and elicit student participation.

After about 15-20 minutes discussing the poems, I hand out the course syllabus--the document with all the objectives, requirements, and policies--and review it with the students. Years ago, I stopped reading everything to them; now, I only read the requirements section with them, and a few of the policies. I try to point out everything, and I encourage them to read it that night. Some of my colleagues read everything; others read nothing and expect the students to read it all. Some of my colleagues will even give quizzes over the syllabus during the next class period. The discussions surrounding these practices have to do with the thought that students need to be familiar with all the objectives, requirements, policies, penalties, etc. right from the beginning, so that there are no surprises, hurt feelings, or complaints later on.

I hand out the course reading schedule separately from the course syllabus--and, yes, I know that, technically, the word syllabus suggests "outline," which suggests "schedule." Like Donald Ross, I include a reading question or two for each writer on the schedule, to guide and help the students with their reading, but unlike Donald, I include these for every writer, not just for some. Where I "fall down" is not following up with these questions daily or even regularly. Nearly all questions do make it into our discussions of the literature, but I don't always start with them, nor do I make it obvious when I'm bringing them in. Thus, past students have reported not paying attention to the questions "because we don't use them."

By this time we have only about 5-10 minutes left. (The class meets 3 times each week for 50-minute sessions.) I usually end the first class with a "Participant Information Sheet," wherein I ask what they already know about American Literature, what they are expecting, how comfortable they are with class discussions, and if they have anything personal they want to tell me--such as legitimate, planned absences or disabilities.