Approach

• The exercises should be :written grammatically, in a :formal style, with a focus on simple language and clear communication.
• Write with a focus on simple language and do NOT try to impress me or your classmates with your big vocabulary. It often backfires and goes against the main purpose of academic writing, which is communicating your ideas clearly.
• Don’t cite sources or use quotes in the exercises unless I specifically tell you to.
• Don’t do any outside research for the exercises. The exercises are ways to encourage your thinking, they are not research exercises where you are supposed to get ideas from other people or sources.
• Don’t include introductions or conclusions for the exercises. Get right to the point.

:x grammar

Write grammatically so I know that any writing errors are not due to carelessness. It doesn’t work to write the exercises carelessly with the plan to proofread more carefully for the papers. I need to see what your “good” writing looks like before the paper drafts so I know what I need to teach you.

:x formal

By “formal style” I don’t mean bureaucratic or pretentious; I just mean write it like an essay for class rather than a personal reflection paper, a causal email, or a bunch of notes.

Expectations

• I do not expect the exercises to provide brilliant insights. I expect them to show your thoughts about the readings based on the prompt, even if your thoughts are confused or you have many questions.
• Exercises are not intended to take lots of time. Please aim to finish them in one hour or less (not including reading time), and don’t spend more than two hours on any exercise.

Logistics

• Exercises are always due at 11:59pm. Proper sleep is important for health (both physical and mental) and I do not want you staying up late to finish.
• You may resubmit exercises until the deadline if needed (for example, if you are reading over your submission and see an embarrassing typo).
• Your exercises must follow :formatting guidelines to receive credit

Comments

• I read all assignments thoroughly, whether or not I write a lot of comments.
• I will write comments on your first exercise submitted through Canvas. Let me know if you don’t see the comments so we can troubleshoot.
• You are always welcome to ask for additional feedback