9/3/13:
Saraphin and I met for the first time and discussed the layout and expectations of the course. She stated that she thought she was a good writer, but that she had put little effort into her first year writing course due to lack of passion about the topic. She is excited to write about a topic of her choice and seemed prepared to work hard in this course. She also stated that she struggles with grammar. I asked her whether there were any particular grammar rules she struggled with and she said that comma use is difficult for her, but that she would like to improve her grammar in general. She liked my idea that we spend some class time going over grammar rules, comma use especially. Saraphin also stated that she has difficulty writing concisely and that she often adds “fluff,” or unnecessary words and phrases. She spent the summer at an internship which required her to write op-eds and she stated that these assignments helped her write more concisely. Saraphin had a grand plan to write about how technology has influenced the way wars are fought. We discussed her interest in this topic and how she could narrow it down. She proposed multiple options, including writing the papers chronologically, with the first one covering World War II and the last one covering current wars and making comparisons with the information covered in the first two papers. I told her that I was concerned the first two papers would seem like preambles to the final one and that each paper should have a strong argument of its own. She seemed to understand. I suggested that she focus on just one or two countries or wars in the first two papers and she asked whether it was okay if the papers were slightly different in scope, topic, and style. I told her that that would be fine as long as they were under the same general topic and discussed why it was important to narrow the topic but also vary the subject of the papers. She may choose to write an op-ed for the first paper. She seemed confident searching for articles and may also include book chapters. I offered assistance in her search, but she has not asked for any help yet. I have a feeling she will be fairly independent in this course, but I do think she will feel comfortable asking for help if she needs it. Finally, I gave her a 2-page assignment to write a self assessment of herself as a writer in the form of a letter to me. Saraphin has already handed in her self assessment and, although I have only skimmed it, it appears to be thoughtful and well written. We will be meeting in the PLTC on Tuesdays at 7pm, but we will meet on Friday at 1:10 next week due to a previous commitment with my other job.