Syllabi
Here are examples of syllabi of courses I have taught at the University of Memphis:
- Undergraduate courses:
- Graduate Courses:
Rubrics
I am a big believer in rubrics to help students to produce better work and to make my own grading more equitable (not to mention easier). Here are some rubrics I have developed to evaluate different kinds of student work:
- Undergraduate Courses
- In my survey course, I have started to require students to write paragraphs and fill out paper planning worksheets for homework. (My newfound commitment to student paragraph-writing is fully attributable to my colleague, Susan O’Donovan; my adoration of paper planning worksheets to Chrystal Goudsouzian.) My graders use the following rubric to evaluate these paragraphs and worksheets: Rubric for Homework Paragraphs and Rubric for Evaluating Paper Plan Worksheet. I will post examples of these assignments after the semester is over. I want my students to see them for the first time as I teach them.
- My graders use the following holistic rubric to evaluate the final papers in my survey course: Grading Rubric for Papers
- Graduate Courses
- Graduate Presentation Rubric
- Graduate Paragraph Rubric (Like my undergraduates, my graduate students write a lot of paragraphs. See my US Post-1945 syllabus for details.)
- Graduate Booknotes Rubric (My graduate students are required to fill out the following form for each week’s reading: Reading Notes Template.)
- Graduate Historiographical Essay Rubric
- Graduate Class Participation Rubric
Clickers
I regularly teach a survey course in a large lecture hall with 165 students. I use “clickers” to increase student learning and engagement. I will try to post here soon a quick video demonstration of some of the ways I use clickers to facilitate discussion and to help students think more strategically about their writing.
Handouts
Here are a few handouts that I use in my undergraduate survey course to help them with basic skills they will need to succeed in my course:
Sarah Potter 