Creative Writing
Instructor: Mr. Lindsey
Room#107
Course Description: This course affords students
opportunities to develop their writing talents and to experiment with a variety
of forms, included but not limited to journal writing, poetry, and short story.
Finding the writer’s voice and cultivating the writer’s individual style are
primary goals of the course. Drafts are critiqued in a workshop setting.
Revision of drafts is mandatory for success in this class.
Assignments: ALL homework assignments are due on the day
assigned at the BEGINNING of class. Anything turned in thereafter will be
docked accordingly.*
Late Work: ALL late work
must be submitted to me IN PERSON. Grades on late work will be docked one
letter grade (10%) for each day it’s late. After 5 days, no late work
will be accepted.
*If you’re absent from class on a day an
assignment is due and you’ve been physically present in the building during any
of the school hours (e.g. another class), it is your responsibility to submit
assignment that day or it will be considered late.
Makeup Assignments: If you have an
EXCUSED* absence, YOU are responsible for finding out
what you missed and making up these assignments. You have the number of days
absent PLUS one day to complete the work. Hand makeup work in to me and be sure
to write the day(s) you were absent at the top of each assignment.
*An UNEXCUSED absence will automatically
result in a ZERO for any assignments due or tests taken during the unexcused
class period. The student is responsible for making sure any excused absences
have cleared through the attendance office.
Journals: The most effective way of developing a
writer’s voice and style is by adopting a writing habit, therefore students are expected to write every day whether
it be in or out of class or both. Be sure to label/date every journal entry.
Some of these entries will be used to develop writing assignments. Journals will
be turned in at the end of the trimester and will account for student’s
holistic participation grade -- 25% of the final trimester grade.
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
For our class to work
effectively as a workshop, discussion group and setting which fosters the
creative process, ALL students need to be ACTIVE LISTENERS, PARTICIPANTS, &
SUPPORTERS. At the end of each trimester, you will do a self evaluation on your
participation grade and this will be used to help determine your participation
grade which accounts for 25% OF YOUR FINAL GRADE.*
*10 absences (whether excused or unexcused) will result
in an automatic forfeiture of 10% of your participation grade. Each additional
absence after 10 will account for an additional 2% of final participation grade
– not to exceed the allotted 20%.
*Five tardies will result in 5% reduction of student’s
final (participation) grade.
Chronic Absenteeism and/or Tardiness will not be
tolerated!!!
Preparation: How prepared are you when you come to class? (e.g.
completed assigned homework readings, study guide questions, prepared to
discuss, completed writing drafts, prepared to workshop papers, and fully
prepared to actively engage yourself in our class.)
Discussion: How well do you engage in class and small
group discussions? (Active listener, contributor, and on task?)
Workshop: How THOROUGH are you with the workshop
comments you provide to your peers on their papers and oral presentations?
GRADING POLICY
Grading Scale: This course will be graded on a point system, the
number of points varying from one assignment to the next depending on the
nature of the assignment. The scale is as follows:
A -
100-90% Assignments
= 75%
B -
89-80%
C -
79-70% Participation
= 25%
D -
69-60% (Journal)
F -
59% and Below
Plagiarism: Webster defines plagiarism as “to steal and pass off
the ideas and words of another as one’s own & to present as new and
original an idea or product derived from an existing source.” A student who
plagiarizes (whether deliberate or a failure to provide proper documentation)
will fail the assignment and risks failing the entire trimester course
depending on the severity of the infraction. A second infraction of plagiarism WILL result in an automatic failure of
the course and possible disciplinarian action.