The practice of genre: Composing in an expert community

The Practice of Genre: Composing (in) an Expert Community, directed by Dr. Louise Wetherbee Phelps. A rhetorical study of situated writing, examining teachers' professional workplace texts, especially as they perform concrete tasks and establish pragmatic reflective practice. Influenced by genre theory, a branch of rhetorical studies. Addresses historical development of pedagogical genres. Studies community of expert but non-mainstream composition instructors who have appropriated and constituted a set of pre-existing genres: syllabi, writing assignments, reflective teaching essays. Conclusions include observations of how a reflective community might be formed and how teacher expertise is achieved. Five chapters, most followed by a response from many of the participants in the study. Appendices include the primary texts teachers composed.