Essay Drafts

A reminder that I would like to see full-scale drafts of your essay projects next week. Let's say by Friday at 5.

Also, of course, I presume you will be reading the books you have selected (has everyone spoken with me about a book?) and taking detailed notes toward your analysis, so as not to be doing it at the last minute (I have to read these things, remember!).

Essay projects

Apologies for not returning your drafts and annotated bibliographies yesterday. I read and commented on them over break, and then conveniently misplaced them. As soon as I sort out my piling system, I'll give them back to you. Meanwhile, please forge ahead constructing your arguments.

Refining the Circle-ocracy

I thought our class on Monday went unusually well, due in large part I am sure to my own comparative silence. I don’t expect I will be able to restrain myself so readily when it doesn’t actually hurt to speak, but perhaps we can continue with some of the same procedures, such as each speaker calling on the next. Also, I would like to suggest that we refrain from raising our hands until after each speaker has finished, so we are more inclined to say something thoughtful in direct response to that person’s comment.

Class Process

In any social situation, such as a classroom, certain personalities naturally tend to dominate discussion. It comes as no surprise that more often than not it is men who find ourselves in this role, particularly when there are more men than women in the room, as has turned out to be the case in our seminar/ovular. This is not in any way to criticize anyone's behavior -- I think the class has gone quite well so far. I would like, however, to recommend some attention on everyone's part to the importance of every participant's getting her or his thoughts out and well heard. One way to do this is for all of you to encourage each other to participate (particularly those, men or women, who have heretofore been reticent), perhaps using blog discussions as a starting point.

Speaking of blog discussions, this past week was the lowest point yet in blog participation, even as my first-year students are starting to ramp up and do it pretty well. Please build regular blogging in to your study schedule for the balance of the semester.

Updated Readings

Here are reading assignments for the balance of the semester:

(Week of)
March 5:  pp. 214-229

March 12 (break)

March 19:  Beauvoir pp. 229-278; Midgley

March 26:  pp. 279-340; Almond

April 2:  pp. 341-416; Assiter

April 9:  pp. 417-523; Hughes

April 16:  pp. 524-598; Grimshaw

April 23:  pp. 599-666; Whitford

April 30:  pp. 667-720; Seller

May 7:  pp. 721-766