Expectations for In-Class Workshops

A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.
E.B. White

Readiness

Please come prepared and on time, with the materials, drafts, or other items you need to work. Bring whatever helps you be productive: a charged laptop, notes, readings, coffee, snacks, energy drink, etc. Workshop time only works if you are actually ready to work.

Time Management

Use workshop time intentionally. Plan what you are going to work on and set concrete goals for each session. I may check what you generated during workshop time so I can see how you are iterating your work and so I can better understand your approach to the assignment. This might include notes, outlines, partial drafts, rough paragraphs, or questions you are actively working through.

Even a little progress is better than none. You can work with a half-baked idea or a messy draft; you cannot work with a blank page and no ideas. No learning takes place without action, and no action takes place without overcoming inertia.

Seeking Help

Use this time to ask for feedback, clarification, or to bounce ideas off of me. For me, this is one of the most fun and valuable parts of teaching. I get concerned when no one takes advantage of in-process feedback, because that missed opportunity often leads to weaker outcomes. Ask questions. Show me what you’re working on. Test your ideas.

Focus, Productivity, and Respect

Workshop time is reserved for focused work and learning. Please minimize distractions by engaging only in activities directly related to this course and the assignment at hand. Save unrelated conversations and internet use for another time and place.

Side conversations—especially among friends or teammates sitting together—are often distracting to others, even when they seem harmless. Many students will not say anything when a peer’s behavior disrupts their ability to work, but it does. Disrupting the learning environment is disrespectful to your classmates. Don’t be a “rude distractor.”

If your behavior interferes with others’ ability to work, I will intervene. Continued disruption will result in you being marked absent for the workshop.

A Note on Office Hours

Workshop time is not a substitute for office hours. I cannot discuss individual grades or revisions of previously submitted graded projects during class because of educational privacy laws. Please see me during office hours or by appointment to talk about grades, feedback, or revision strategies.

Openness to Learning

Come to workshops willing to work on your ideas and your writing—and, at times, to try approaches that may feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Growth happens at the edge of our comfort zones. Workshops create time and space for that growth, but only if you are open to it.