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College in the Schools - Course OfferingsEnglish Literature (EngL 1001W)FAQs about CIS Program
Are all of the readings specified or mandated by the University of Minnesota? If not, what are some of the choices? CIS literature has a recommended reading list with about 50 titles on it. Teachers generally choose books from that list, especially when they are relatively new to the program. Each summer we read four new titles so that we may add new titles to the on-going list. We also revisit one often-taught book to see what new insights emerge. Do teachers have choice in assignments? Are there required assignments? Teachers have full choice in making assignments and there is no set number. What we agree on is the type of assignments, e.g., no plot summaries or book reports, an emphasis on collaborative work where possible, and creative as well as expository writing assignments. Who creates the exams? Teachers create their own exams with the understanding that no one will give true/false or multiple choice type questions. Essay exams are given in all instances where exams are given. Is there a mentoring system for new CIS Literature teachers? We have recently instituted a mentor system for incoming teachers. Previously I have served as general mentor for new teachers but the new plan will be far superior. Each new teacher is assigned a volunteer mentor from the staff of experienced teachers. This is done in early June and the mentors are invited to take part in the orientation day so they can meet their mentees. Over the summer, the mentors make themselves available at least by e-mail as new teachers begin to build a syllabus for their course, offering advice on which books to teach the first time. Mentors spend informal time with their mentees during the summer workshops and are then actively available for conversation and advice during the mentees first time through the course. What happens at your typical Student Field Days? Students come to campus to hear a lecture by a University professor focusing on one of the critical lenses currently in use in literary studies. They then participate in small groups, led by the teaching staff, in which they apply the theoretical material just heard to a story they have read before the Field Day. They also write in the small groups on a topic set by the lecturer. At the end of this phase they reconvene as a whole and read, if they choose, what they have written. The students have free time on campus for lunch or just exploration. What other recommendations or comments can you offer to prospective CIS Literature teachers? The staff of teachers in this program is simply superb. They are intellectually stimulating, professionally dedicated, and personally generous. We work as a team committed to making literature vibrant and necessary in young people’s lives. Because of this, people thinking of joining the staff need to be ready to attend all the workshops and seminars, both in the summer and during the school year. The course design is constantly under revision, and so such collaborative sessions are absolutely essential to the success of each offering. |
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