American Romanticism Syllabus Element

Student Presentations--options & responsibilities

A web posting is required for all presentations--see Model Assignments.

Most class meetings feature 2 or more student presentations. Each student will lead at least one. The purposes are to develop the seminar style and give students practice in managing high-level presentations and discussions. The purpose is not to relieve the professor of his duties. The easiest class to prepare is one in which I just talk for three hours. You’ll hear plenty from me anyway . . . .

Student presentations take three forms:

• Text-objective discussion leader

• Poetry reader

• Web highlight

Assignments are decided partly by student choice and partly by chance; student preferences are not guaranteed. On the first class day, students indicate preferences for presentations, and volunteers are solicited to make the next class’s presentations. Before that meeting I will prepare a presentation schedule and email it to the class for review. Everyone will receive a printed-out schedule assigning students to presentations for the rest of the session.

 “Silent Grade” for presentation, responses, etc.

            You are graded for the quality of your work in presentations, responses, and general class participation, but this grade is not announced until the end of the semester, when it is recorded in your “Final Grade Report” (see below).  The reason for this “silent grade” is to avoid unproductive behavior from students in relation to the presentations, such as second-guessing, comparing grades, competing to each other’s detriment, or performing to the teacher.  Altogether the presentations are a cooperative exercise on the part of the class, so it’s better to keep grading out of sight; however, since some students would work less otherwise, the leverage of a grade is necessary.

Main mistake or misconception to avoid: Your presentation may be your big moment leading the class, but you must avoid the temptation to use it as a do-or-die opportunity to deliver a lecture or demonstrate your mastery of the course’s subject matter. Your purpose is above all to start and lead a discussion. As a veteran teacher, I can swear that you never finish saying all you could say, and no one ever wishes you could!

            Having instructed this course several times, I’ve consistently found that in the best presentations the presenter speaks well but briefly, rarely more than 2-3 minutes at a time, and interspersing insights into the comments before and after the reading and into the discussion.