How do I balance the teaching of writing with the discussion and exploration of the readings?
Instruction relating to the literature should always be with the ultimate goal of developing student writing. For example, discussions and writings might tend to emphasize the author’s style or critical vocabulary, the way the different parts of the text work together to create an effect for the audience, the ways the text corresponds to other texts, social phenomena, philosophies, etc. rather than emphasizing the memorization of key dates, names, and plot points of the text or simply interpreting the text. These courses differ from other English courses in that mastery of the assigned reading is never a primary goal. Rather, the reading serves as a prompt to inquiry, investigation, and, of course, writing.
