Cynicism/Discipline Seminar Coaching and Prewrite

DUE DATES- ON TIME​​​​​​

1. Annotations for "Habits of Highly Cynical People" and "Screw motivation, what you need is discipline" articles. DUE: Tuesday 10/3, End of Class. Turn these in with the in-class writing that day- you may need them to complete it.
2. Idea Fishing- Part 2. DUE: Wednesday 10/4, Start of 2nd period (9:25 am).  Google Classroom.

 
DUE DATES- LATE (-10%)​​

1. Signed Syllabus. LAST DAY TO TURN IN: Tuesday 9/3, Start of Class.  In Turn In Box.
2. Idea Fishing. LAST DAY TO TURN IN: Wednesday 10/4, Start of 2nd period (9:25 am).  Google Classroom.

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Starter 2- Seminar Norms (15 min)

1. What needs to happen for a class to have a successful seminar?  What behaviors do you need to see, and what kind of thinking and preparation need to occur?
2. Do you prefer to have seminars graded or ungraded?  Why?  If graded, what kind of grading system makes sense?

Reading Time- 10 min
Finish reading and annotating both seminar texts. If you're done, add to your annotations, or work on Idea Fishing Part 2.

Seminar Coaching 
Review of Coaching Goals

1. Get everyone on the same page about the basic meaning of the text
2. Clarify confusions

Step 1: Habits of Highly Cynical People

1. Summarize the main point of this article.  What, in one sentence, is it saying?
2. Go paragraph by paragraph.  Pay special attention to paragraphs 3-7, 20, 23
   1. Summarize main idea
   2. Answer questions/clarify meaning

Step 2: Screw motivation, what you need is discipline

1. Summarize the main point of this article.  What, in one sentence, is it saying?
2. Go page by page
   1. Summarize the main ideas/points made on that page
   2. Answer questions/clarify meaning/vocab

Step 3: Generate seminar questions

1. Your coaching group needs to write 2-3 discussion questions for seminar on an index card and give it to me. These could be large questions, or questions that ask the class to focus on specific aspects of one or both texts.

Seminar Prewrite (rest of class, due tomorrow)
For this, you must answer two questions. One is required, and the other you may choose from the list provided. Each question should be answered in a full paragraph, and should reference something specific from the text. 

Required: What are the connections between these two essays? 

Choose ONE of the following in addition:

1. What is Solnit’s definition of a naïve cynic?  What are the two types (see paragraphs 8 and 11), and what characterizes their thinking?
2. What is the difference between being cynical and being critical/skeptical? 
3. To what extent are you a naïve cynic?  How much of what Solnit describes rings true to you about yourself?  Explain.
4. In paragraph 6, Solnit makes a number of points about complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity.  To what extent are you comfortable with complexity and uncertainty?  Give a concrete example.
5. In paragraph 7, Solnit offers a number of criticisms of naïve cynicism.  What is the most important/cutting critique she offers in this paragraph?  Why?
6. In paragraph 20, Solnit says, “Accommodating change and uncertainty requires a looser sense of self…”  What does she mean by this? 
7. What kind of thinking habits do we need to cultivate to move beyond naïve cynicism?
8. How does this article connect to your education?  To your goals this year in Humanities? To your senior project? Choose something specific to focus the connection on.