The Commons provides models for course syllabi, ideas for teaching, course-specific peripheral reference materials, and a list of links to texts commonly assigned in English courses. Click on a course or topic above to begin exploring the Commons.
Talia Lakshmi Kolluri’s stories What We Fed to the Manticore
As with many short fiction and poetry collections, over half of stories in What We Fed to the Manticore (Tin House 2022) are free to share with students via links to websites and Hostos Library holdings. Find these by searching…
Current Events Assignment
Task: Come into class with a recent story in the news that you feel will stimulate debate among your peers. Do not simply read the article aloud. Instead, summarize its contents and then pose three questions for the class. The…
Growth Mindset Activity
This activity that was created by Professor Munoz for a Professional Development Event for the Writing Center’s tutors. It may also be adapted as an exercise for students in 100-level English courses. The purpose of the activity is to help…
Building Supportive Classroom Communities with Peer Review
Peer Review exercises provide an opportunity for students to practice giving and responding to constructive feedback and can also be a great way to build classroom camaraderie. While peer review can also be challenging in practice, some research-based strategies for…
ENG 111 In-Class Activity: Poetry Analysis
I’ve attached an in-class activity. I’ve paired the poem, “Calculations” with another poem, “My Papa’s Waltz.” Feel free to substitute “Calculations” with another bilingual poem and tweak the questions and/or pair this with another poem.
ENG 100/110 Resource: Handout on Thesis Statements
In this post, please find a handout for teaching thesis statements. While I pair this handout with Richard Rodriguez’s “Aria,” feel free to make adjustments based on your own syllabi / needs!
Purposeful posting: building robust discussion forums
Robust discussion forums can increase usefulness of informal writing assignments in sections with diverse student needs and across modalities. Students post for classmates to read and discuss in asynchronous, synchronous, and in-person classes. Posting for classmates encourages students to review…
English Club Dramatic Reading Contest, Spring 2018
The annual English Club Student Dramatic Reading Contest will be Tuesday, April 10, from 12:30 to 2:00 PM in the Savoy Multipurpose Room. Students who wish to perform a piece of creative writing at the event should email Professor Christine Hutchins, chutchins@hostos.cuny.edu, to register. There will be…
CUNY-Wide Conference on Academic Integrity, Sept. 29, 2017
The English Rigor Committee and Hostos Community College are pleased to host a CUNY-wide conference on academic integrity on Sept. 29, 2017 on the Hostos Campus. More than 12 CUNY campuses will be represented! Show your support by attending, and…
English Club Dramatic Reading, Spring 2017
The English Club’s Dramatic Reading for Spring 2017 will take place on Thursday, April 27, from 12:15 to 2 PM in the Savoy Multi-Purpose Room. Perform or come to enjoy literary works by other writers, in any language! For more…
