ENGL 101 - Delgado Community College - Professor Mankin
Class overview
This course is designed to support your development as a writer so that you can confidently and intentionally compose a variety of texts for both the academic and real-world audiences that you want and may need to influence. Our goal in this course is not to "do assignments" but to understand and practice the craft of writing, so we will practice thinking critically about reading and writing, thinking for ourselves, and thinking about our own thinking. By the end of this course, you should be able to (1) develop and organize your ideas, (2) effectively compose texts for various audiences and purposes, and (3) synthesize your own ideas and compositions with those of other writers. I hope this course engages you in building a perspective that supports your agency to make choices as a creator and communicator.
About me
My name is Monica Mankin (she/her). I'm a poet and Associate Professor of English here at Delgado Community College. I’m originally from Southern California where I earned a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside. I earned an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Idaho, Moscow, and I have been teaching college composition and literature for twenty-two years. I love to travel, take photographs, and go for walks with my dog, Lucy. As a practicing writer, I am always trying to learn from life and from other people. This past June, I attended the Can Serrat International Art Residency in Spain to work on a poetry manuscript. If you're interested, some of my poems can be found online at Blood Orange Review, Connotation Press, and Split Rock Review.
My Teaching Philosophy
"I favor the student who will convert my claim on him into his claim on me."
Robert Frost
This line from an interview with the poet Robert Frost, Education by Presence, heavily influences my teaching practice. I believe my responsibility as the professor is to be a facilitator and supporter of your learning, not to be a gate-keeper of knowledge. I want you to engage in your growth as a thinker and writer not because I, the teacher, am telling you that you should, but because you truly want to. Thus, I want to develop and support you as students as you take ownership of your educational journeys so that you find your own real-life motivations for learning.
Questions?
My number-one tip for success is communication! Ask questions, multiple times a day if needed, and please never think that I don't want to hear from you--I always do! Also communicate with me if you anticipate any issues, delays, or absences. The more we're on the same page about class and life, the more I can help you stay on track and succeed.
Email is my main line of communication: mmanki@dcc.edu.
You can also come directly to my office at City Park Building 1, Room 115e, Office 20:
Tuesdays & Thursdays 9-9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Or you can call my office telephone number at (504) 671-6357.
If you want to meet "in person" but you can't make it to campus or connect during the hours listed above, just email me, and we will set up an on-campus or Zoom appointment that fits your schedule.