Theory and Practice of of Teaching Creative Writing--1 credit hour

In order to excel in the teaching of creative writing, instructors need to draw upon more than just a handful of workshop models acquired through the experience of gaining an MFA and/or PhD. A creative writing instructor should understand the history of creative writing within the academy, its relationship to composition/rhetoric, and the current consensus (and debates) concerning best practices in the workshop model—as well as be versed in the theories that undergird these practices, and be familiar with existing challenges to the predominant workshop model. This course will focus on all of the above, as well as practical strategies for teaching discrete fiction-writing, nonfiction-writing, and poetry-writing skills; assessing, commenting upon, and grading creative work; and managing issues of power, identity, and engagement in the creative writing classroom.