And…We’re Back! (Spooky Edition)

Happy All Hallow’s Eve, Spooky Scholars!

We are so happy to bring you a special edition of The Rhetorical Situation that is sure to give you a fright! 

We hope everyone had a great summer and has come back to the Fall quarter rejuvenated and ready to mold young minds. The Writing Program has a lot of cool things planned and the Teaching Team is excited to share with you our mission for this year.

First, we want to thank everyone who attended our first workshop on October 14th, Conversations on Teaching! This was a new format that we were trying out to supplement Teaching Circles, while also giving folks an opportunity to talk more openly about their teaching concerns and teaching wins. We have heard your feedback and are planning to do it again! Be on the lookout for more information about our next Conversations on Teaching Workshop in Winter 2026.

Also, during our All-Hands Faculty Meeting in September, the Teaching Team asked you all to fill out a survey to help us figure out what our focus should be this year. The results of the surveys showed how faculty really want to learn more about technology that can help their teaching and accessibility. So, this year, we will continue the work we have done in the past, while also creating more opportunities to learn more about tech and accessibility.

From the 2025-2026 Teaching Team: Brenda, Brij, Taylor, and Alexandra

Upcoming Important Dates

Faculty Spotlight

Kim Helmer

Teaching Professor and Writing Program Chair

The thought of becoming the Writing Program Chair scared me; but being scared can be a good thing. It generally means being pushed in a good way and, ultimately, being better off for it. 

When I was in elementary school my parent-teacher conferences were pretty good except for teachers reporting that “Kimmie can be pretty bossy.” At 60, I have no desire to be your “boss.” Instead, I believe it is important for people to do personally meaningful projects that excite them.

What excites me is being part of a community personally and professionally. I miss team teaching. Participating in book clubs, yoga retreats, cookbook dinner clubs, and writing groups make me happy. I hope to infuse my love for community in my leadership style.

I’m starting a few new things this quarter that taps into this community spirit. At our First Fall Meeting I wanted to share the “stage” with colleagues and provide space for us to hang out with one another while creating Community Agreements. At our last meeting this quarter, we will have “Book Club” to discuss A Pedagogy of Kindness, followed later in February by a book talk and workshop with Cate Denial, the book’s author. 

I hope you join me for “Community Study Hall” intended for us to write, create, and do “have-to-do” work in the company of others, which is way more fun than doing it alone: research shows that it also supports wellbeing. A few years back, I was in a writing group with Denise Silva and Robin Sommers while I was writing my book. I would not have finished it if it hadn’t been for the writing group and the writing routine it created. Not long ago I attended Robin’s book talk at Book Shop Santa Cruz where she also credited our writing group for inspiring her work. Writing in community not only motivates, but it supports the soul.

Indeed, my current scholarly passion lies in Writing and Wellbeing, and I am working on an edited collection on the topic. I now teach using this framework where writing studies scholars believe we can teach composition while supporting student wellbeing in tandem (check out Yagelski & Collins, 2022, pp. 16-33, in particular, in the above link). It is my intention to also chair the Writing Program, using faculty wellbeing as a leadership framework. 

Contributing to wellbeing is being immersed in nature. A dream for me would be to lead a Writing Program faculty retreat to Big Sur at UC’s Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve. It’s a magical space, and I know we would have fun. 

When I walk Ruby, I often listen to the podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler. It inspires me when Poehler reminisces with Parks and Recreation cast members regarding how much fun they had working together and the overall good vibe of the set and working process. I, too, aspire for us to continue to work creatively together and enjoy one another as our faculty is truly special. Writing Program people are creative, dedicated, talented, smart, and funny. I just want to be in more rooms with you all, and I will try to make that happen more.

What’s your dream for the Writing Program? Let me know. Let’s control what we can control. I’m looking forward to a great year working with you all.

Teaching Circles

Teaching Circles are an informal and supportive space for us as colleagues to share ideas and experiences, typically in pairs but sometimes in small groups.  They are an opportunity for us to develop professionally in a way that is non-evaluative and flexible, while also making space for comradery and community. The frequency of your engagement is up to you, and your Teaching Circle can really take any form you like. Here are some of the ways faculty have chosen to engage with Teaching Circles so far: 

• Meeting up on Zoom or in-person to brainstorm ideas and work through struggles
• Exchanging material for feedback (e.g., assignments, syllabi, Canvas pages, lesson plans, readings, modules, lecture notes)
• Sharing tips and resources 
• Visiting each others’ classes 

You should have received an email from Taylor earlier this week with your Teaching Team pairings.

Community Corner

Take a gander at some of our ~ SpOoKy ~ Scholars who love to dress up for Halloween!

Introducing: The Tech Tips Archive!

Many of you have expressed interests this year in learning more about tech and how this can assist your teaching. Well, ask and you shall receive!

This year, we are incorporating Tech Tips during our faculty meetings where we will demo specific tech concepts, how they assist your teaching, and help with things like time management and accessibility. Then, we will post an infographic that summarizes the demo and incorporate it into the blog called Tech Tips Archive.

Here is the infographic about how to Set Default Grade in the Canvas Grade Book.

Is there a topic you’d like us to cover? Let us know in the comments or email a member of the Teaching Team.

Visit the Tech Tips Archive for more information!

Celebrating Dia de los Muertos

As we transition from Halloween and into Native American Heritage Month, finding ways to honor other cultures, thus decolonizing our understanding of them, becomes paramount to our work as educators. While most associate this time of year with spookiness and dressing up in their favorite costumes, many Latin American and Indigenous cultures use this time of year to honor their ancestors who have passed on.

Believed to have originated with the Aztecs, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) honors the souls of ancestors, welcomes their return between the physical and spiritual worlds, and graciously prays for their return the following year. It is a time of reunion and celebration!

There is a Dia de los Muertos event on All Souls Day: November 2, 2025, at the UCSC Quarry Amphitheater. You can scan the QR code in the bottom of the image for more information!

Recommended Readings

November is Native American Heritage Month

Coming soon!

Our blog is going under some major changes in order to give you greater access to teaching tools and resources!

Some changes to look out for:

• Tech Tips Archive
• Faculty Meetings Archive
• Support Message Boards
• DEIA Resources
• And many more!

That’s all for now, folks! We hope everyone has a safe Halloween (if you celebrate) and have a great rest of the quarter. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if there is anything you need. See you soon!