Composition & Rhetoric

Professor Brady
Fall 2010
Support Groups – Writing Workshop & Response Paper

Task: Believe me, if there is one thing that I do understand it’s that students have
deadlines and papers can be a major challenge! The good news is that you will have
a support team to be there for you when you are down and out! This team will meet
you in the library, offer you advice on research and more importantly, answer the
phone when it’s late and you have had just about enough! Maybe, they might even
offer to buy you a tall café latte from Starbucks just so you can keep your eyes open
when tackling the final days, hours, minutes before the paper is due. As you know,
the paper is due on DECEMBER 7th! You should print two copies of your paper. This
means that you must show up to class with two copies of your final draft AND the
enthusiasm necessary to present your paper! This is very exciting! Truly! There is
nothing better than being a freshman in college! The world is yours and you are
ready to tackle it!
Requirements:
• Support groups must meet a total of 5 hours. (library or informal meeting
place)
• Group members must exchange numbers and make selected and confirmed
appointments to meet.
• Group members should get together at a time when they will work on the
paper.
• Group members will work together in unison to prepare and tackle the
research element as well as editing the final draft.
• Group members should be flexible. Keep in mind, the paper is your goal.
• Each group member must hand in a Support Group Response !
Purpose of Support Group Teams
• You will NOT write your paper with your group!
• Someone to call/work with when you are stumped
• Your team may come across a piece of information that may be helpful to you
and your research. Your team should know your topic.
• Make library trips together/ meet in dorms/ Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts
• You can exchange ideas, bounce ideas off of one another and ask questions,
state concerns etc. You must contribute to the group by giving them ideas etc.
it is an even exchange!

The Support Group Paper- DUE THE DAY OF YOUR CONFERENCE WITH ME!
Each student is responsible for a one page paper. Your paper should be typed and
written in MLA format.
1. Who did you work with? Support team members?
2. Evaluate the team- How did the team work together? Give concrete examples!
3. What did you like about having a support team?
4. In what ways did you benefit from having a support team? Any challenges? Give
concrete examples!
5. One funny thing that happened while working with the group- One frustrating
element
6. Would you rather work alone in the library? OR Do you like working with a group?
Did it help you focus and commit to library time and research?
7. Final Analysis- How do you feel about doing research? Constructing a research
paper?