Overview

Preparing College Teachers of Writing: Histories, Theories, Programs, Practices offers essential advice to writing program administrators, teachers of methods courses and practica, and mentors of new writing faculty, as well as graduate students studying for professions in writing program administration. This extensive collection discusses the contexts, structures, development, practices, and evaluation of teaching assistant (TA) preparation programs in writing pedagogy. It features essays by thirty-five prominent experts in college composition and three former graduate students who participated in TA preparation programs. These contributors, from twenty-nine different institutions, represent decades of experience as well as significant geographic and demographic diversity. Focusing on what new college teachers need to learn about teaching writing and what types of programs best facilitate this learning, Preparing College Teachers of Writing answers these vital questions: What are the historical contexts for current TA preparation programs? What theories inform TA preparation programs? How are successful TA programs structured? and What teaching practices have proven effective in preparing TAs for college writing classrooms? The selections cover a wide range of TA preparation structures including summer orientations and theory and methods courses. Several essays address the most recent topics in the field: mentoring, reflective practices, evaluation of teaching strategies and student writing, and job preparation. The essays are optimistic and emphasize proven practices; when contributors discuss program failures, they do so to provide contexts for their programs' changes and subsequent successes. Ideal for courses in teaching college composition, Preparing College Teachers of Writing provides a uniquely comprehensive treatment of this complex topic.