I will do all the assigned work and read all the assigned readings.
- I will correct students' bad behavior politely after class, not witheringly during class (although that would be fun as well as salutary).
- I will *stop* being such a nebbish about correcting my fellow students' grammar, spelling, and gross assaults on the English language when we critique each others' rough drafts.
- I will be polite but firm when I see insipid theses, incoherent paragraphs, and insufficient documentation.
- I will challenge myself intellectually, reading not just the required material but also unassigned texts relevant to the reading material.
- I will analyze the works of essayists with established reputations, whether they are assigned or not, for their rhetorical choices and incorporate what I learn into my own writing.
- I will read books outside of assigned texts to refine and challenge my thinking.
- I will *never* write an essay about the death penalty, abortion, or the legalization of marijuana unless one of these topics is absolutely required of me - and may I be struck down if I break that vow.
