Class Participation
Most of our time together will be spent in a group conversation about the readings and the issues and questions that they suggest. You will learn not only from the authors and from me, but also from each other.
Like any conversation, you can’t usefully participate if you don’t know what you’re talking about. So it is essential that you come to our meetings prepared. To do that, you must carefully read (and often re-read) the assigned texts before class, as well as reflect on their meaning and significance, both on their own and in relation to the other texts we’ve read. Before we begin each text, I will hand out a set of questions to help guide your reading and indicate some of the issues that I expect us to discuss in class. However, it is absolutely essential for you also to work on developing your own agenda, identifying questions, ideas, and forms of expression that you find to be interesting and important.
Preparation and attendance are crucial, but they are only starting points. In order for the course to be successful, it is essential that each of you actively participate in our conversations and other activities. Always keep in mind that the point of our class discussions is not merely to take turns stating what we already know, but rather to work together to develop better ideas than any of us could have come up with on our own. As long as you’re regularly involved, the quality of your contributions is much more important that the quantity of time that you’re speaking. You should raise questions, both of the texts and of each other; explore and defend alternatives (perhaps just for the sake of discussion); and consider ways that the texts and ideas under consideration could be applied to concrete situations.
It is crucial that we engage as many different perspectives as we can. The only presupposition of this class is that these questions are worth asking – we need to be open to the widest possible range of answers, and to ensure that all are treated with seriousness and respect.
These are the grading criteria that will be used:
An OUTSTANDING (A-level) participant typically:
- Displays great enthusiasm and personal engagement with the readings.
- Advances the conversation to new levels.
- Contributes complex insights into the texts and issues.
- Draws insightful connections among different texts and issues.
- Enhances the participation of others by questioning, actively listening, and sharing time.
A GOOD (B-level) participant typically:
- Shows genuine effort.
- Actively listens and volunteers.
- Stays on-topic and furthers the conversation.
- Raises substantial, text-based questions and ideas.
A FAIR (C-level) participant typically:
- Listens but does not volunteer.
- Shows acquaintance with the text and signs of preparation if called on.
- Offers opinions on the text, but without specific textual reference or other support.
UNACCEPTABLE (failing) behavior includes:
- Signs of total disengagement at our meetings: sleeping, writing letters, reading, etc.
- No evidence of preparation.
- "Toxic" behavior that interferes with our conversation.
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