Teaching First-Year English
Compiled here are internal and external resources to help instructors navigate the policies, procedures, and expectations for teaching first-year English as laid out by the Department of English and Texas State University.
For any further questions, please contact Nancy Wilson.
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A.I. Committee's Newsletters and Recommended Reads
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AI Committee's February 2025 Newsletter
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"The Urgency of Interpretability" by Dario Amodei
https://www.darioamodei.com/post/the-urgency-of-interpretability
Excerpt: Under the "Dangers of Ignorance" section, Amodei wrote, "Modern generative AI systems are opaque in a way that fundamentally differs from traditional software. If an ordinary software program does something—for example, a character in a video game says a line of dialogue, or my food delivery app allows me to tip my driver—it does those things because a human specifically programmed them in. Generative AI is not like that at all. When a generative AI system does something, like summarize a financial document, we have no idea, at a specific or precise level, why it makes the choices it does—why it chooses certain words over others, or why it occasionally makes a mistake despite usually being accurate."
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Quick Guide to Artificial Intelligence - Faculty Usage
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Course Planning Resources (Syllabuses, Calendars, Textbooks)
FYE Overviews
Approved FYE Textbooks
The Texas State Department of English requires all FYE faculty to choose textbooks (a handbook and a reader) from a list of vetted texts.
FYE Syllabus
You must use a university syllabus template for English 1310 and English 1320. Be sure to include the correct section number.
P-Sections: If you are teaching a P-section of English 1310, you may wish to include in your syllabus this explanation of the grade required for becoming TSI-compliant:
FYE Course Calendar
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Teaching Resources (SharePoint)
https://txst.sharepoint.com/sites/TeachingFYE
In SharePoint, you can find a myriad of lesson plans, prompts, sample essays, and other teaching resources that will aid you in your time as a TA. If you develop successful original lesson plans or resources, please send them to nw05@txstate.edu.
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Policies and Procedures
Below are several important University and departmental policies and procedures that pertain to teaching First-Year English.
- Official First-Year English Syllabus
- Attendance Policy
- Academic Dishonesty
- University Academic Calendar
- Final Exam Schedule
- Campus Carry
- Title IX
- HB 2504 Site
- CV-Template for TAs***
***Each semester, all faculty are required to upload their syllabi and current CV to the "HB 2504" site (see link above).
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Reading Committee's Newsletters and Recommended Reads
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Student Referral Resources (Academic)
With small class sizes, students often turn to their First-Year English instructors for guidance. One of the ways you can be most helpful is to refer students to available University resources.
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Student Referral Resources (Mental Health Concerns)
With the rise of mental health awareness and concerns on universities, it's important to know your resources and what actions you can take. This link provides websites, assessments, and other tools for you. Find Resources for Student Mental Health Concerns.
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Classroom Management Committee