Denise Comer Archive

Why do I get the blues at the end of each semester? Each time a course ends, pretty much as soon as I submit course grades, I experience the blues: I feel slightly bored, restless, dissatisfied. It usually takes me a week …

Duke University Professor of Writing Dr. Denise Comer lists her top ten reasons why writing can be just plain hard. Many shortcomings or delays in writing are not due to laziness or lack of motivation, but are symptoms of the larger underlying issue: …

Duke University Professor of Writing Dr. Denise Comer shares her experience of advancing writing studies as a discipline in India and creating global exchanges among writing faculty about writing pedagogy, language, power, and culture. Located outside of Delhi, India, Shiv Nadar University …

I hate writing. I’m a terrible writer. I won’t need to write in my career. Do attitude, confidence, and self-efficacy make a difference in the teaching and learning of writing? Some students love to write. They may have been positively rewarded for …

Duke University Professor of Writing, Dr. Denise Comer shares her best practices for achieving research objectives by integrating library instruction into writing intensive courses. In what ways, if any, does your institution’s library intersect with writing courses? How does this relationship (or lack thereof) …

Duke University Professor of Writing, Dr. Denise Comer shares her top 5 writing activities that facilitate contextual learning both inside or outside the classroom. Part of what makes teaching writing fun is how different each class can be. With each iteration of a course, …

Essential Concepts for Designing Compelling, Successful, and Meaningful Writing Projects  Denise K. Comer, Associate Professor of the Practice of Writing Studies and Director of First-Year Writing, Duke University Of the many writing projects you have completed across your education, which ones were your favorites? …

Considering “Classroom” Politics (Formerly Known as Classroom Community) Denise K. Comer, Associate Professor of the Practice of Writing Studies and Director of First-Year Writing, Duke University One of—if not the—most important features of writing pedagogy: considering classroom politics. Broadly conceived, this involves considering …