A Short History of Graduate Preparation of Writing Teachers.

The current practice and theory of preparing college teachers of writing can benefit greatly by considering the history of writing teacher education as practiced in this country since at least 1894. Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) offered the first course for new teachers of writing in 1912, and in the early years of this century, occasional calls for better graduate training programs were made . 1 articles published in "English Journal. " However, in the 1940s, 195Us, and the 1960s, few beginning teachers were even given such essential ingredients as course syllabi, office space, or any training for their first course as instructors. By the end of the 1960s, the newly-formed field of composition studies began to develop increasing influence in teacher preparation. But it was in the 1950s that secondary English education was transformed into the triad of language, literature, and composition, a move that ended up greatly affecting the way graduate students were trained to teach. The great wave of war veterans who entered American universities in the late 'forties and 'fifties had sudden impact in how composition was to be taught. The same questions being asked today were addressed during the crucial transition period of the 1950s: questions about methods, curricula, texts, assessment, and management. How teachers in the 'fifties answered these and other questions is instructive to today's professionals, and in fact profoundly changed the field. Further, a new interest in research and the theory of composition studies forever changed the way new instructors were trained. (Contains 21 references.) (HB) ******************************1n*************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Betty P. Pyilik Ohio University PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED Ett TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC, National Council of Teachers of English Louisville, Kentucky November 1992 U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Once of Educahonat Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (ERIC) INFORMATION CE Ce'rrhs document has been reproduced as recewed from the person or organaabon ongmating a C Mmor changes have been made to rnprove reproduction quality Ponts of new or oprhons stated INS 00C u ment do not necessarily represent otl.c. a, OE RI position or ool-Cy A Short History of Graduate Preparation of Writing Teachers 1 If you think the phenomenon of the graduate teaching assistant in English departments is recent, you will be surprised to know that graduate students assisted instructors in reading themes as early as 1894, when the weekly themes of nearly 1200 University of Michigan students were corrected by a staff of four full-time teachers and two graduate students (Kitzhaber 44). And if you have been part of the debate about how to prepare graduate students, you may be interested in knowing that that debate began nearly a hundred years ago, as evidenced in the results of a 1900 MLA survey: The majority of respondents to the survey favored graduate level study of rhetoric. Some respondents believed that future instructors should be trained in the methods of teaching rhetoric, including practical exercise in composition, though some argued that "such practice shouldn't be included in degree requirements" (Stewart 740). The first course for new teachers of college writing was offered at Harvard in 1912 to candidates for apprenticeships in freshman composition. Half of the course was based on the professor's belief that "[T]he chief requisite for success in teaching freshmen to write is to be able to write everything that a Freshman would be required to write . "