Teaching Resources

Faculty & Writing at NPU: An Explanation from the Writing Coordinator -C. Martin
"I need to make a confession," said the professor. . . As a very last resort, I finally tried something you guys have recommended for a couple of years but I never thought made much sense - I made the whole class write on a particular question for 10 minutes. And, you know, it worked; after those 10 minutes, they had thought of something to talk about."

African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) -T. Hatcher
While walking around on the North Park University campus, you will hear multiple dialects. One of the most common is African American Vernacular English (AAVE), otherwise known as Ebonics.

Conferencing in the Writing Center -C. Martin
Faculty members sometimes refer students to the Writing Center on an individual basis; they may just recommend that the student come for a conference, or they may require a student to confer on a paper and then rewrite it. . .

Suggestions for Dealing w/ Writing Assignments -C. Martin
Students write up-or down-to the standards we set. Good writing takes time, and most students think they don't have enough time--so they'll try for shortcuts if they think they can get away with them.

Formal & Informal Composition -C. Martin
What kinds of writing assignments, other than formal essays, can serve your pedagogical purposes? This is a quick look at the structures of in-class composition.

English Grammar and Linguistics -C. Martin
English has certainly changed as a language since the mid-19th-century, and Latin grammar isn't always appropriate for English, which has affinities with Latin but is basically a Germanic language. The fact that conscientious teachers keep flagging some of the same grammatical "errors" suggests that at least some of them are simply a normal usage appropriate to English (notoriously, split infinitives).

Grammar Slippages -C. Martin
Six of the most frequent grammar/mechanics/spelling writing slippages in first-year college papers. A good paper should have no more than one of these kinds of errors per page, so don't neglect to proofread for them.


Photography courtesy of Stephanie Leahy & Kathryn Sinor | Designed by Marcus Simmons 2009
The Writing Center at North Park University | 5114 N. Christiana | Chicago, Illinois 60625-4895 | (773) 244-4975