Throughout our history, the essay has been a vital literary genre. From personal, religious, and confessional essays to highly political, satirical, and sometimes preposterous ones, American authors have revealed their passions and hatreds both eloquently and roughly. We will read essays from the eighteenth century to the present, concentrating on masters of the form. Authors include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, Henry James, James Baldwin, Joan Didion, Gore Vidal, and E. B. White.

This course is an introduction to theories and practices of collaborative learning for students preparing to work as mentors in the Speaking, Arguing, and Writing Program (SAW). We will draw on existing research, practice sessions, class discussion, and our own writing and speaking to craft our philosophies of peer mentoring and to develop effective practical strategies.

Students are expected to complete a supervised field experience full-time every day during January Intersession in an inclusive classroom in a school setting. Placements can be located within or outside of the Five College area. In addition to the field experience component, students attend three course meetings (detailed below).

Students participate in full-time student teaching in early childhood and elementary classrooms for 12 weeks. During this semester-long field-based placement, students hone classroom management skills, implement an extended integrated curriculum unit, deliver lessons in all content areas, and develop a wide range of assessment skills. The practicum culminates in two weeks of Lead Teaching, during which the student is responsible for managing all aspects of the classroom program.

This course addresses core competencies outlined in the Massachusetts Department of Education's English Language Learner certificate requirement. Readings in language acquisition theory, language learning and teaching, effective lesson design and assessment, Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, and knowledge of intercultural learners are covered. Students will have experience developing and adapting lessons and curriculum to address the needs of students in their pre-practicum settings.

This course will examine narrative non-fiction biographies written by women biographers in order to determine the specific ways in which women tell the stories of other women's lives. We will investigate stylistic and theoretical approaches to writing biographies in which gender is a central focus. We will ask if 'feminist biography' constitutes a literary genre. We will experience the challenges (and thrills) of conducting archival and primary research. The course will culminate in students writing chapter-length biographies.