Julius and Jesse in 003 [1996]

Feeling a need to shake things up, flip the script, depart from the skill and drill stuff that transpired in most basic writing courses dubbed ENGW 003, I decided to have students read several stories that deal extensively with the theme of language empowerment. I wanted them to understand that in some respect these stories address their struggles as language users, particularly ones of African descent who had been classified as remedial writers. However, the specific connections between the texts and their lives would be something the students mostly articulated themselves. I planned to provide commentary, but not before the students had given theirs. The main task I set for myself was to be relatively unobtrusive and allow students to do their work.