Grading
The
primary objective of this class is for you to learn to analyze
literature and to write a strong persuasive essay conveying your analysis. To prepare for each paper, you will have a number
of assignments to do leading up to it and then several steps in the
actual writing of the essay. I
will give you feedback and guidance throughout the process. All of these assignments are required, but only the polished essays and
exams will be graded. I will not grade a
polished essay unless and until the assignments that precede it have
been completed.
COLLEGE LEVEL WORK
Since this is a college
English course, all graded work must be of college level quality. This means
that it:
- responds appropriately to
the assignment
- has college-level content
- is well developed
- has a clear, readable style
- is reasonably well-focused
- is well-organized
- uses appropriate language
and tone
- uses correct English
mechanics.
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If you turn in a paper that does not meet these requirements for college
level work, I will not correct or grade it. You may be allowed one
chance to redo and resubmit it, depending on my judgment of the
situation. The best strategy is to do your best work before turning in
any paper for a grade.
| Plagiarism
is representing someone else's work as your own. It is a
very serious academic violation. If you plagiarize some
part or all of an essay, you will receive no points for it and
will not be allowed to redo the assignment. If you
plagiarize twice, you will fail the class. You should
become very familiar with the rules
for citing sources, so you don't risk plagiarizing a source
inadvertently. |
I will do
my best to help you learn how to write clean, clear and focused
essays. Because my focus on writing may be different from that of
other professors you've had, you may have lower grades on the first
essays than you are accustomed to getting, and that's okay.
Learning anything is a process. This is not a difficult one, but it
may take trying it a few times. My expectations will not change during the
course, so once you understand how to write this kind of paper, you will
be able to do so repeatedly.
As a
result, I will try to assign you a grade in this class that represents
the level of mastery you have acquired by the middle to the end of the
course. If you begin with two "C" papers, but end with
"A's," I will not average your grades to give you a
"B," but will give you an "A." You must
complete all of the required essays and proctored exams to pass the class.
More
specifically,
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A |
Strong, clear, and interesting thesis;
At least 3 supporting points;
Good examples and/or quotes for each supporting point;
An engaging introduction;
A brief summary of the plot, so that there is a context for the
discussion;
Artful transitions between paragraphs;
A memorable conclusion; and
Few or no grammatical errors. |
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B |
Clear thesis;
At least 3 supporting points;
Good examples and/or quotes for each supporting point;
Good organization;
A concluding paragraph; and
A small number of grammatical errors. |
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C |
A thesis;
Supporting points that may or may not support the stated thesis;
Examples or quotes for each supporting point; and
Some grammatical errors.
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Not passing |
A paper without a focus, with many grammatical
errors, or with other major problems. |
You may always revise
a paper once to improve your grade. I will give you the higher of
the two grades. Please
remember that we have the same goal: for you to learn how to
analyze literature and to convey your ideas persuasively in a
well-written essay. NEVER hesitate to ask me for help or for a
meeting to work on things together!
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