Mrs. Rebecca C. Kidwell http://kidwellclass.yolasite.com
Email: kidwellclass@gmail.com Twitter feed: rckteacher
Office hours: 9:15 am-10:05 am
and by appointment
Creative Writing Syllabus
Course Description – This course will introduce students to the fundamental elements of creative writing including theme, setting, character, plot, point of view, style, description, dialogue, figurative language, symbols, rhyme, rhythm, and form. Students will also read and write different types of short stories and poems. This is a workshop-based course. You must write with originality, put in a strong effort, read your work aloud/publish work (online or in paper form), and participate frequently in class discussions to achieve success.
Materials Needed—Composition or spiral notebook, pen or pencil
Grading Policy-- Letter grades are based on the policy set forth in the Caritas Academy Student Handbook.
Quarter Grades—Each quarter will have a number of assignments totaling 1000 points. The specific points will be given when the assignments are handed out. No less than 200 points will be allocated towards participation.
Homework—All work will be done in class (except final drafts). If a student is absent he/she is expected to complete the missed assignment and turn it in the following week.
Final Drafts—At the end of two quarters, a student must produce final drafts of two pieces of work that he/she worked on during that term. The final drafts should be typed or submitted electronically.
Sharing Work—Students are required to read or publish a specific number of assignments (depending on the number and type of assignments) each quarter. They can read them to the class, publish them on WikiSpaces, or publish them on paper to be distributed among the class.
Workshop Environment—A creative environment requires the support of everyone involved. All comments should be positive and all criticism should be constructive. Creativity only flourishes when fear of judgment is abated. All students should respect this tenet.
Plagiarism: Cheating and/or plagiarism are regarded as serious offenses. Copying or paraphrasing material/text from the work of another student, from published sources (i.e. books, websites, magazines, newspapers, etc.) and/or from the Internet without proper documentation constitutes academic theft. A student found cheating or plagiarizing will receive a “0” for the assignment and appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken as set forth in the Caritas Academy student handbook.
Classroom Procedures:
1. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31)
2. Be responsible.
3. Be on time to class and turn assignments in on time.
4. Be neat and honest with your work.
If you follow the above guidelines, the rest should fall into place. But, here are a few specific rules:
1. Only one person should be talking at any given time.
2. No cellphones, pdas, or other communication devices shall be seen or heard in class.
3. No hats or hoods shall be worn in class.
4. MP3 players may be used during quiet study times.
5. Any drinks in the classroom need to be in bottles; snacks may be brought if they do not cause a distraction for the student or his/her fellow classmates.
6. Please clean up after yourself.
Consequences for failure to follow classroom procedures:
In the unlikely event that classroom procedures are not followed, discipline may include, but is not limited to, the following: warning, reprimand, call home, meeting with parents, or office referral.
