First Day Slide Show

1. First Day Slide Show English 305: Shakespeare Dr. Fike

2. Role and Seating Chart • Please try to sit in the same place, at least until I learn your names (the first couple of weeks).

3. Electronics • Do not use laptops or other devices capable of connecting with the internet. • Turn off and put away your cell phones. • In life/death situation, speak to me ahead of time about keeping your phone on vibrate. • I may decide to keep my phone on vibrate in case an emergency text message arrives. • I do not want you to use e-books in this class.

4. Syllabus and Calendar • You can retrieve them at my website: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/fikem. • There is no “www” in this URL.

5. Course Description • 8 plays in Bevington’s The Complete Works of Shakespeare, any edition; or The Necessary Shakespeare, 3rd ed. Other editions are okay, but they must have line numbers and footnotes. • Shakespeare’s life and times in Russ McDonald’s The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare. • A combination of professor presentation and student discussion. • Discussion is the more important feature of the course. • The role of slide shows. • They will streamline presentations and allow more time for discussions. • You can print out a copy for your own use. • They will be available after class in all cases. Sometimes they may be online before class, but you may not have a copy of the slide shows on your desk during class. Why? I want this class to develop your ability to take notes. After class, if you want to check your notes against mine, the slide shows will be available as a resource. Also, sometimes the slide shows contain questions AND answers.

6. Participation • This is worth 10 points out of a possible 100. • Try to comment at least once a day (I consider that a minimum). • Discussion is THE main event in ENGL 305! Please respect others’ need and desire to contribute! • I call on people who are generally silent. That is to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate.

7. Points Related to the Requirements • First, rigor: This is a very difficult course. (Analogy to organic chemistry.) • Second, accommodation: The course is set up so that you will not lose much credit while you’re getting up to speed. • Third, the course does expect you to get up to speed eventually. This is more easily said than done because: • The plays are mostly poetry. • Shakespeare wrote in an earlier form of English than we speak.

8. My First Question for You • What kind of English did William Shakespeare speak? • Old English • Middle English • Early Modern English • Modern English

9. Answer • Old English: Beowulf spoke it. • Middle English: Chaucer spoke it. • Early Modern English: Shakespeare spoke it. • Modern English: We speak it.

10. Overview of Requirements Examinations:  40 points                                                          • 20    Midterm examination • 20    Final examination Term Project:  50 points (page numbers are minimums) • 0 Pre-proposal (a list of your top 3 topics) • 5       *Paper Proposal (2 full pages) • 10     *Short nonresearched analysis paper (5 full pages) •  5      *Annotated bibliography (10 sources:  your play plus at least 9 secondary sources) •  5      *Outline including research (4-5 pages) •  5      *Draft of research paper (8-10 pages; longer is okay too) • 5       *Self-analytical cover letter (2 pages)   • 10     Final draft of research paper •  5     *Conference abstract (if you do a lesson plan, you are exempt from this requirement) Participation:  10 points Total: 100 points * signifies process assignments, which are not graded according to a rigorous rubric.

11. Points About the Requirements • Midterm and final examinations. • Lots of process points for the writing project: 40 out of 50 points. • Do not skip the process assignments. • You will lose points. • You will not be ready for the more advanced stages of the assignment. • I will get on your case. • Students who skip the majority of the process assignments usually fail the course.

12. Possible Outcome of Skipping the Process Assignments • You turn in a final draft characterized by some or all of the following: • Insufficient length • Insufficient number of sources • Analysis but no research • Sources on the Works Cited list not integrated into the paper itself • Plagiarism • Just a clean copy of your deeply flawed draft.

13. Why All the Process Points? • Multiple stages compensate for your human nature (procrastination). • You will not get the paper right on the first try. • You need to have someone coach you through the proper process for developing a researched essay. • Great things can be accomplished if you work all semester on the project.

14. What Kind of Great Things? • 25% of the students who took this class from me in Fall 2009 presented their papers at conferences. • Publications in The Oswald Review: • Sally Shader on The Tempest • James Funk on Hamlet • NCUR submissions: 4 students from spring 2013, 5 from fall 2013 • Ask for a volunteer reader.

15. What a Past Student Said • “I don’t know [what] I would have done if we [had had] to turn this paper in without the different stages. The research paper was a big help for me because I learned a lot, and I know that this experience will help me in my future English classes.”

16. Don’t Procrastinate! • “The most beneficial action to take during this process is consistent meetings with the professor. They are guiding and informative. Procrastination and fear are the pitfalls to this assignment. Though procrastination was not frequent, when it did occur it was detrimental to the process and my own sanity. Fear played a large role in causing the procrastination by having not yet established confidence in my writing ability. The process has been exhausting and mind numbingly painful, and, as with [Dr. Fike’s] English 203, the most beneficial process experienced this semester.

17. Emphasis on the Writing Process • “I ended up really enjoying the exploration of my topic and the step-by-step development it went through. I found that the process of doing the research and writing one step at a time [was] very helpful and effective. It helped me to maintain my attention on the assignment instead of procrastinating and made the development of research and writing quality easier to handle—I plan to employ this method in other papers in the future.”

18. Incremental Improvement • “I like the portfolio method because it allowed me to see my writing as a whole, and I can ‘see’ the progress.”

19. A Marathon, Not a Sprint • “As the end of the semester approaches, I have never felt more grateful than I am now of a professor [who] required my term paper in such small doses. With two other research papers that are due on the same day as this one, I did not have a final sprint to the finish, additional and unnecessary anxiety, or crippling amounts of hours to be spent at the last minute regarding this Shakespeare paper. I now wish that my other two papers were turned in in the same fashion. I have even taken time to apply some of these techniques to my other final papers.”

20. Multiple Stages • “This paper has been quite the learning experience for me. I have [not] been required (since 11th grade) to work in a research paper using the writing process / multiple–drafting. This process is a wake-up call for me. If I am going to be the best English major I can be, I need to step it up a notch and work harder (use this writing process) on my research papers.”

21. No Train Wrecks • “I am so glad that this paper had to be written in stages. Otherwise, it would probably be as terrible as some of the others I am turning in this same week ([they] are so terrible because I have been allowed to procrastinate in writing them). I have four other papers due right now[,] and two of them have not even been started….”

22. No Procrastination • “The biggest weakness I have is procrastinating. … Thankfully…the overall product required steps throughout the semester. Honestly, had the project not been structured as such, I would have done appallingly on this paper. Having pieces due at various times throughout the semester allowed me time to pick a more specific topic, refine my thesis, meet with Dr. Fike, and generally organize my thoughts and argument. The time required also allowed me to find more applicable sources and learn how to better locate sources for any research paper.”

23. From a Graduate Student • “Normally, I procrastinate…. [But] the incentive of assignments and grades has worked in my favor. This has been the least stressful paper I have ever written[;]and the stages, which I tried to do completely and well, meant that the paper came together automatically. Most of all, I appreciate the way the paper assignment has been designed for my success by gently forcing me to do all the required steps.”

24. Thinking Takes Time • “The gradual graded process of brainstorming, researching, writing, and rewriting was very beneficial. This format for the project helped me manage my time well enough to seriously consider each step and produce work that I am proud to present. I had enough time to rethink ideas, work out problems, and enjoy the research.”

25. Process Rocks • “I have learned that everyone is in charge of the quality of their own paper writing experience. If one procrastinates, fails to do the proper amount of research, or does not meet with Dr. Fike when they need help, the process will be unpleasant and stressful. However, if one carefully follows the process for each step, puts in the work, and asks for help if needed, this paper has the potential to be a highly enjoyable and satisfying learning experience.”

26. Outlines Are Cool • “In writing this paper, I learned how helpful the writing process is, and especially how helpful an outline is. I am notorious for waiting until the last minute to write a paper, and having this set up in steps to force me to do work has made this much less stressful for me. I have no doubts that if it had not been set up like that, I would have started my eight pages last night and not gotten any sleep.”

27. My Favorite Comment • “Each time a graded draft of my essay was returned, the lazy part of my personality would look over the comment sheet and complain, ‘It’s not good enough yet!’ Reluctantly, I would read over the comments and the paper, and as I reread my essay, new ideas would slowly start to connect in my brain. With each new epiphany, I would become prouder of my paper. I even had moments when I [couldn’t] resist the urge to do a little jig around my room while boasting, ‘I’m so smart,’ in a sing-song voice.”

28. Another Option • Those seeking teacher licensure at the bachelor’s level (and only those people) may elect a lesson plan for teaching a Shakespeare play at the high school level. • This option should be about 5 times as much work as a term paper and should be at least 5 times as long (~50-75 pages). • If you are seeking teacher licensure you do not have to do a lesson plan. • A lesson plan is NOT a way to avoid reading criticism. In fact, the plan requires a minimum 10-page critical introduction. That single assignment is longer than the 8-page minimum for the final draft of the researched essay. • Elect this option only if you are “all in” and want to work really hard to produce a superior product. • Do not elect this option if you have trouble with lower-order matters. • I can only handle 1 or 2 lesson plans per semester.

29. A Frequent Objection • “We are not studying any of the plays that are taught in SC high schools--Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar.” • My reply: The curriculum in SC high schools is not driving the reading assignments in this university-level class. • If you are an English education student, consider doing a lesson plan on one of those three plays. • I picked the plays that are, in my view, the best preparation for the GRE subject test and for graduate study. • They are also, in my view, among the richest, most accessible examples of comedy, history, tragedy, and romance. • Plus they enable us to introduce many key concepts relevant to the Elizabethan period and the Renaissance.

30. Options for Term Project • Term paper in multiple stages • Lesson plan in multiple stages

31. In a Nutshell • ENGL 305 is the study of the following things: • 8 plays • 4 types of drama (comedy, history, tragedy, romance): “modes” • 40-50 key concepts (a bow to CRTW) • Shakespeare’s life and times • A term project

32. The Third Rail Attendance: We will follow Winthrop's standard attendance policy: "If a student's absences in a course total 25 percent or more of the class meetings for the course, the student will receive a grade of N, F, or U, whichever is appropriate" (Undergraduate Catalog 2005-2006 30). There are 28 scheduled class meetings; therefore, a seventh absence means that you have failed the course. In order to make up a missed assignment, you must provide some kind of official paper documentation (e.g., doctor's note, obituary, letter from the athletic department). I will keep the documentation in a file until the end of the semester. This policy holds for all absences, regardless of the cause; this includes absences for Winthrop-sponsored activities like athletic competitions and Model UN. Remember: An "excused" absence means that you may make up work that was due on that day, but the absence still counts toward the total number of absences. If you do not provide documentation, you will not be allowed to make up missed work. If you will be absent because of university business on a due date, you must submit your work in advance.

33. Tardiness Tardiness:  Please remember that coming in late disrupts everyone and may even stop the class for a few moments.  Try to arrive at least a few minutes early and be ready to begin right at the start of the hour. Get out your book, notebook, and pen or pencil BEFORE the day’s activities begin.  Arriving 10 or more minutes late (or leaving 10 or more minutes early) will be considered a full absence.  I will count every three tardy arrivals (less than 10 minutes late) as a full absence.  Tardy-generated absences will count against the university's 25% attendance policy.  Finally, if you come in late, you must see me after class so that I change your absence mark to a tardy mark. If you do not see me after class, your tardiness will count as an absence.

34. Past vs. Future • Until recently, I have not spoken to those who did not turn in assignments or who were frequently late or absent. • I plan to continue a more active approach because I want you to do well and because I want us to avoid conflict at the end of the semester when, for example, you have earned 58% or have been absent 8 times. • I will e-mail you. I will speak to you. I will call the Academic Success Center about you.

35. Memorandum of Understanding • Punctuality: The class starts on time. Please be a few minutes early. If you happen to arrive late, speak to the professor after class so that he converts your absence to a tardy. Be sure to review the tardy and absence policies in the syllabus. • Reading: You are required to read, annotate, and bring to class the day's assigned materials, as indicated on the course calendar. For HMXP and CRTW: All of the books required for this course are on reserve at the Dacus Library: you can make a photocopy of the day's text(s) even if you do not yet own the book. • Preparation: I send students out of the room to get their materials if they do not bring them. Tardy and absence policies apply. (Ask me why I have this policy.) • Electronic devices: Turn off and put away all electronic devices. • Eating and drinking: You may consume clear water with no ice but nothing else. You may not eat in the classroom before or during class. • Comprehension: If you do not understand what the professor is saying, ask him a question about it. • Conferences with the professor: If you want your professor to read your paper, ask him to do so at your conference. Bring two word-processed copies. You need to express clearly the degree of assistance you seek. He will gladly let you know if you are on the right track. He will answer whatever questions you have. • Nontraditional Students: Please come see me this week.

36. Questions • Do you have any questions at this point?

37. Day Two’s Assignment • Bedford Companion: • Shakespeare, "Shakespeare," and the Problem of Authorship, 11-28 • Comedy, 81-85 • Performances, Playhouses, and Players, 109-28; esp. The Countryside, 225-28 • A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 1 • Pre-proposal due

38. Pre-Proposal • It may be handwritten on notebook paper or word processed. • List your top 3 paper topics. • In order to do this, have a look at the suggested topics online at http://faculty.winthrop.edu/fikem/Courses/ENGL%20305/ENGL%20305%20Paper%20Topics.htm

39. Write a page in response to the following questions: • What motivated you to take ENGL 305? • What is your previous experience with Shakespeare? • What are your favorite activities? • What makes you unique? Is there anything else you’d like me to know about you? • Is there anything that makes it difficult for you to meet the requirements of this course? • Will you need any accommodations?

40. Sonnet 73 That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hangUpon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. In me thou seest the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by black night doth take away,Death's second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed whereon it must expire Consumed with that which it was nourish'd by.    This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,   To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

41. Video • The Elizabethan Age, DA 355 .E45 1990 OR • Shakespeare in London: The Life & Times of the Real William Shakespeare, PR 2918 .S5 1999 END