“Prof. Dalton led the class with a great deal of energy, and the students appeared engaged and interested in the lesson from beginning to end….The classroom atmosphere was warm and enthusiastic, while serious in its intent. This was an excellent lesson.”

SUNY-F.I.T. Faculty Member Observing A Composition I course in Fall 2013

I have taught first-semester college composition at many colleges for many years. Below is a sampling of syllabi from my work at CUNY’s two- and four-year colleges, as well as from work in the SUNY system. Everything listed is a course I have taught multiple times. Sample teaching observations are also included, as are relevant quotes from those documents. Additional materials, such as course websites and lesson plans, are available upon request.

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ENG 101: Composition I

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC)

“English Composition is the standard freshman writing course. The course introduces students to academic writing. By its conclusion, students will be ready for English 201 and for the writing they will be asked to do in advanced courses across the curriculum. Students completing ENG 101 will have mastered the fundamentals of college-level reading and writing, including developing a thesis-driven response to the writing of others and following the basic conventions of citation and documentation. They will have practiced what Mike Rose calls the “habits of mind” necessary for success in college and in the larger world: summarizing, classifying, comparing, contrasting, and analyzing. Students will be introduced to basic research methods and MLA documentation and complete a research project. Students are required to take a departmental final exam that requires the composition of a 500 word, thesis-driven essay in conversation with two designated texts.” (BMCC Catalog)

While keeping within the above course description, in my ENG 101s at BMCC, I aim to make things a little more interesting, centering student work, introducing a range of genres, and running lively class discussions. Over the years, a wide range of sources and methods has informed my work and the conversations we’ve had. Below are two sample syllabi and a representative teaching observation.

Sample syllabus: “Bodies of Work”

Culminating in a full-class read of the autobiographical graphic novel El Deafo, this course used carefully paired essays in a range of genres and media to engage students in critical reading and writing activities.

Sample syllabus: “Whose Sidewalks? Our Sidewalks!”

Building towards end-of-semester small-group, student-led discussions of text focused on social justice issues, this course considered a few big questions at the center of previous movements, including language and the resources inherent in its varieties, education and the dynamics that inform the power structures in classrooms, and access to and uses of public spaces.

Representative teaching observation

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ENG 111: Composition I

Lehman College

Focus on all aspects of reading and writing, with particular attention to summary, critical responses to short texts, argumentative development in paragraphs and essays, and the rewriting process. Emphasis on organization, language, accuracy, grammar, and mechanics. Classroom instruction supplemented by individual conferences on drafts with instructor, library resources sessions, and appropriate use of available technology. (Lehman College Catalog)

Sample syllabus: “Reading the World as a Text”

As the pandemic isolated us, I designed a course centered on ways to keep people in conversation: this one focused on book groups. We used this occasion to practice a range of reading skills, including previewing, internet source evaluation, academic reading conventions, and exposure to genres awaiting students in their future classes, such as fieldwork and ethnography–all of which helped us understand the work of being part of a book group.

Representative teaching observation

“I found the class to be working efficiently on multiple levels, whether it was the “living” webpage where class discussion and discourse occurred with Dalton or the clarity with which he empowered them to think critically about course materials individually and collectively. He shared that this class was a “pivot” for the semester so entering in media res suggested that students were rather confident and comfortable not only with the workflow, but also what was expected of them going forward. I also found the “exploded” syllabus interesting where students could navigate the course website as needed for all things course related.”

Lehman College Faculty Member, Observing an ENG 111 (Composition I) course, Fall 2021

“Mr Dalton did an excellent job, especially given the limitations of an online system. He was personable and well-prepared; he managed the technology seamlessly; and he facilitated discussions around exercises. Mr. Dalton interacted with individual students, pairs, groups, and the class at large. Throughout the class, he facilitated discussions, used break-out rooms, shared editable documents, and complimented individual students when they asked a question or offered an insightful comment. He responded to students whether they used audio or chat. He created relevant exercises, used germane examples, helped students offer pertinent, respectful comments, and converting complex, intangible concepts into actionable, concrete imperatives.”

Lehman College Faculty Member, Observing an ENG 111 (Composition I) Course in Fall 2020

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Freshman Inquiry Writing Seminar / Composition I

City College of New York

Sample syllabus: “Self & Other in Literature” (co-taught with Dave Crohn)

This course explored reading, writing, and rhetoric through readings concerned with the relationship between self and other in literature. In particular, we discussed aspects of identity such as disability, gender, race, age, and sexuality. We read various genres, including essays, short fiction, graphic novels/comics, journalism, video, and others. These texts varied in their approach, style, and difficulty. They all addressed the complex relationship between self and other in society and offered students the opportunity to examine how different genres engage their subjects. Each reading and writing assignment complemented students’ work in another course, “Self and Other in Literature,” all while supporting their growth as critical thinkers, close readers, and effective writers in the academic setting. 

Sample syllabus: “City Architecture” (co-taught with Alan Feigenberg)

This course explored reading, writing, and rhetoric through readings concerned with design. These readings varied in their approach, style, and difficulty. They addressed intersections of design with aesthetics, technology, disability, child development, urban life, and more. Each reading and writing assignment complemented students’ work in a “partner” course, Architecture 128, while supporting their growth as critical thinkers, close readers, and effective writers in the academic setting.

Representative teaching observation

“The small group discussion was based on paragraphs that students had written; Tim had made copies and passed them out to facilitate the group discussion. The group work was highly structured; students were asked to answer a list of questions that we (sic) printed on the handout. The group then worked through one of the questions together. The whole class was, in effect, an extended exercise in identifying specific textual information to support their claims.”

CITY COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBER, OBSERVING A FIQWS (COMPOSITION I) COURSE IN FALL 2018

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ENG 121: Composition I

SUNY/Fashion Institute of Technology

Sample syllabus: “Written on the Body”

Culminating in a full-class read of a variety of works engaging Deaf and disability identities, this course used carefully paired essays modeling in a range of genres, modes, techniques, and media to engage students in critical reading and writing activities.

Representative teaching observation

“This was an excellent lesson, well delivered (sic), to guide students from selecting a topic of personal interest, to isolating an angle or approach, and to narrowing the topic appropriately for an essay.”

FIT/SUNY Faculty Member, Observing An ENG 121 (Composition I) course, Fall 2013

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ENG 101: Composition I

LaGuardia Community College/CUNY

Sample syllabus: “What is Power?”

In this section of English 101, students read a number of texts relating directly or less directly to power in education and politics. We also considered the role power plays in reading and writing. What makes something abstract so real?

Sample syllabus: “Language and Identity”

In this section of English 101, students students read a number of texts relating to language and identity. We also considered the role power plays in reading and writing.