Online resources! Trainings!

A reminder to check out the online adjunct handbook & University Writing Commons!

I hope everyone’s semester is in full swing in a good way! (At least we’re past the Add/Drop deadline and all the gross waiting list drama.) This month’s newsletter is a bit on the dry, informational side to be honest, but maybe that’s just the brisk read you need for a cold, mid-semester February? 🤨 

I just wanted to remind everyone to check out online adjunct handbook and the resources on University Writing Commons. Many of the questions I field are related to adjunct policies and perks as well as where to find lesson plan and assignment resources, especially for WRG 150. While I’m happy to keep fielding away, I want to make sure everyone is aware of these helpful online resources (that admittedly are a bit difficult to find in the recesses of BYU’s many webpages).

Read on for information on upcoming trainings & book club.

Upcoming Writing Teacher Workshops (WTW) and Writing Across the Curriculum Workshops (WAC)

This February we have two Writing Teacher Workshops (WTW) and a Writing Across the Curriculum Workshop (WAC) scheduled. I know some of these titles and acronyms might be old hat for many of you, but I wanted to give everyone, especially our newer adjuncts a refresher.

Writing Teacher Workshops or WTWs typically take place on Thursdays at 11:00 am alongside our graduate instructors. Graduate instructors have required trainings at this time each week, and a few times each semester we are invited to attend and sometimes even present at these trainings. For example, this Thursday, Tyler Gardner, the Writing Center Director, will be presenting on conferencing with students. And on February 20th, four excellent adjuncts will be presenting on some of their best lesson plans and strategies. WTW trainings typically focus on WRTG 150 lesson plans and strategies.

Writing Across the Curriculum or WAC trainings are offered by full-time English Department Faculty and often target a very broad audience. These trainings tend to be aimed at helping non-WRTG faculty incorporate writing strategies in their classes. On February 27th, Professor Brian Jackson (who’s currently the WAC Coordinator) will be presenting on using AI in the classroom.

While I’ve found these trainings to be useful and inspiring (and a great place to connect with other adjuncts and WRTG faculty!), I want to stress that WTW and WAC trainings are completely optional. So in turn, while I hope some of you make it and can benefit from these upcoming trainings, please don’t stress if you’re unable to attend.

Submit your Spring & Summer Teaching Requests

If you are interested in teaching this Spring or Summer term, remember to fill out your teaching request by Thursday, February 20th. As a reminder, you are typically only assigned to teach Spring OR Summer (not both). Spring & Summer term classes will be assigned by mid-March.

February Book Club: Think Again

I’m looking forward to reading and discussing Think Again by Adam Grant on Wednesday, February 26th! Come ready to discuss a time when your mind was changed or a time when you successfully changed someone’s else’s mind. I’m excited to see if our anecdotal experiences corroborate Grant’s advice and research.

For those of you who signed up for a free copy of the book, it’s now your JFSB mailboxes! And for those of you who didn’t sign up but would still like to read the book, I know the HBLL has hard copies and an e-book version available!

Writing Group & GroupMe!

I just figured out you can invite people to GroupMe with a QR code! I am both pleased to discover this and embarrassed it took me so long. Feel free to join by scanning the QR code below!

Also, this semester’s Writing Group has been so fun! Feel free to show up at 4013 JKB on Fridays at 1:00 pm if you’re interested in some writing motivation and support.

Stuff for your calendar

FEBRUARY

• Thursday, February 6: WTW Conferencing with Students taught by Writing Center Director, Tyler Gardner @ 11:00 am in JFSB B106

• Monday, February 10: English Department Title IX Pregnancy Training @ 4:00 pm in 4186-88 JFSB. (This meeting will also be available via Zoom and recorded if you aren’t able to attend.)

• Thursday, February 20: WTW Adjunct Best Hits presented by Tesia Tsai, Shelli Spotts, Susan Morris, and Mary Hedengren @ 11:00 am in JFSB B106

• Wednesday, February 26: Adjunct Book Club reading Think Again @ 2:00 pm in 3116 JFSB.

• Thursday, February 27: WAC Training: Teaching Writing in the Era of AI @ 11:00 am in 4186-88 JFSB.

MARCH

• Thursday-Friday, March 6-7: English Symposium

• Thursday, March 27: Perusall Training @ 11:00 am in 4186/88 JFSB

APRIL

• Thursday, April 3: Withdraw Deadline

• Wednesday, April 16: Last Day of Class

• Thursday, April 17: The Adjunct Awards Banquet @ 12:00 pm in the Lower Level Conference Room of the Hinkley Center

• Monday, April 28: First Day of Spring Term

• Tuesday, April 29: Grade Submission Deadline