Some tips...
-be prepared (know your environment)
-when in doubt ask a veteran
-know your department's goals and rules (the heirarchies)
-manage time wisely
-be yourself (as comp teacher, you'll be playing many roles- "Years from now, our advice about essay leads or paragraphing will have evaported from our students' brains, but students may stll remember, may have internalized, the enthusiasm we bring to writing, our empahsi on discovery, our high standards and generosity" (110)
-ask, what would my good/bad teacher do? with discretion, don't cling to everything your teachers did
-be human "struggling always to 'make teaching personal' without 'taking it personally'" (113).
-continue to REFLECT
-like your students and be positive, have conferences
-use your imagination
-keep it simple, less is more, keep your word
-be flexible, open to interpretations, CONNECT, accept change (don't be stubborn)
-refer to p. 121 for Grading Persuasion/Rubric, p123 for Feedback Guidelines
Being an English major (Creative Writing), I was surprised to find out that composition was usually not highly regarded by other departments (even in most English departments). Composition is at the bottom of the learning/academic heirarchy (132).