Steve,

 

I agree completely, and perhaps the preparation of comp/rhet PhDs has
changed in recent years so that your questions would be received
sympathetically and with a depth of knowledge that would make them worth
asking.  In my experience, asking questions like yours of composition
faculty candidates has more commonly elicited a pained patience with a
senior faculty member who maintains the archaic and empirically
falsified belief that grammar has any relevance to the teaching of
writing.  If the day has in fact come when the typical job candidate in
composition has a sufficiently sophisticated command of the subject to
address in an informed manner the questions you pose, we have been much
more successful than I could have hoped in changing the training of
composition faculty.

 

Herb

 

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 1:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Interview Questions?

 

Herb,

I think you should ask directly about the candidates's work and
experience.  I am sure you want someone who not only values grammar but
also can teach it well? 

How do you teach grammar as a part of composition? 
Where and how do you address it?
What grammatical areas do you find students need help with most these
days?
How much does grammar count when you grade compositions?
How do you assess grammatical understanding of your students?
How would you explain the use of commas in a series to a student?
What have you found works with students who seem to have difficulty
understanding a grammatical concept?
How do you make grammar interesting as many students find it dull? 
What do you think are the top 10 grammatical/mechanical topics students
MUST master before they graduate? 

Ask to look at some compositions the candidates have corrected. Ask to
see samples of their own writing.

Etc.

Steve Cohen
The Allen-Stevenson School


**************
Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape.
http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select
"Join or leave the list" 

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ 


To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/