This semester has been both challenging and rewarding. I have never taught before so I was a little nervous at first, but my confidence has grown and I now feel comfortable teaching. I have learned to plan lessons effectively and I have even come up with some innovative in-class writing exercises that my students have enjoyed. This has been my favorite part of teaching so far. I also enjoyed having individual conferences because of the one-on-one time I get to spend with each student. It is important to be able to discuss specific strengths and weaknesses with them and the feedback I received on the Flashlight survey told me that this was the students' favorite part of the course, as well.
I recently completed my lesson plan for my Spring ENC 1102 courses and I actually enjoyed going through the texts and coordinating readings, lessons, and homework assignments. The projects I have chosen look interesting and I am looking forward to teaching without training wheels next semester.
One thing that I will still have to work on is grading papers, since it takes me a long time to grade a set. I have learned to mark the first page in a very detailed manner and then start circling and make abbreviated comments on the rest of the page. My students seem to have caught on to this and most of them realize that they are making the same few mistakes over and over, so I am saving some time using this method.
All in all, this has been a productive semester. I have enjoyed teaching and I am looking forward the next semester.
Susan C. Jarratt's essay, ''Feminist Pedagogy,'' addresses the difficulty of integrating feminist pedagogy into a composition classroom. I was particularly drawn to the section titled ''Feminism as a Topic in the Composition Classroom.,'' in which she discusses the resistance some students have to the topic. I have been hesitant to bring up this topic in my class because I fear the very reactions she discusses. Jarratt's suggestion to use this resistance to lead a discussion about language and stereotypes is extremely helpful. This is another way to get students to closely examine their culture and their participation in it. As Jarratt suggests in the essay, I used a discussion of gendered pronouns and sexist language to show how language can be both inclusive and exclusive. I am interested in some of the readings she recommends on this topic, especially the collections by Findlen and Walker, which ''provide perspectives and experiences closer to those of the traditional 18- to 22-year-old students than the now-classix second-wave feminist texts'' (126). All in all, I really enjoyed this essay.
Ann George's article, "Critical Pedagogy: Dreaming of Democracy," raises important questions about the function of education in a democratic society. I admire George's intention to "empower students, to engage them in cultural critique, to make a change" (92), as well as the manner in which she addressess the difficulties of implementing critcal pedagogy into the classroom. She points out an interesting paradox when she discusses Gregory Jay and Gerald Graff's critique of this methodology; they essentially state that "in theory, critical pedagogy speaks of dialogue and students' authority to initiate and freely pursue critical analyses, in practice such a pedagogy merely reaffirms the authority of the teacher who has the 'political clarity' (the term is Freire's) students lack" (100). George goes on to discuss the problem of teaching students to question the very culture that they aspire to join. Most of them are in college to pursue the American Dream, not to destroy it. How resistant will they be to a course if they perceive that an instructor is urging them to criticize society? By leading students to find their own voices, do we inadvertently push our own political agenda? Is this inevitable? I do not think that I have an overt political agenda for my class, but I do want them to learn to question their culture and how they fit into it. Does anyone else have any thoughts about this aspect of George's article? I find this article very intriguing.
Portfolios do have an important function because they encourage students to see their work as a whole, not just a string of disjointed essays. Portfolios also allow more revision, which is always a good thing. I like the idea of students being able to upload their portfolios on to Blackboard and manage them themselves. It affirms ownership of their writing and archives the work for them for easy access at a later date. I am going to demonstrate how to upload their papers during my next class so I will be able report back later this week how my students react to this new requirement. Many of them have been quick to learn the other things associated with technology, so I do not foresee eportfolios causing too much stress or confusion. They will most likely see the benefits of storing their writing online and appreciate the class time spent demonstrating this function of Blackboard.
Diana George and John Trimbur's article, "Cultural Studies and Composition," situates Cultural studies as a reaction to the conservative era of the 1980s and 1990s. The authors' trace its origins to an earlier period, the late 1950s and early 1960s, and they see the founders of this pedagogy as the heroes who "wanted to recover the culture of the common people as a Promethean political act, to reclaim culture from its monopoly by antidemocratic and elitist forces both inside and outside the academy" (73). Cultural studies functions as an equalizer, then, striving for the elimination of the class distinctions which hamper education and democracy. The criticism this approach invites from conservatives is obvious, as the methodology poses a threat to the privileged class, but the authors point out that within cultural studies challenges have been because of a lack of attention to gender and race issues (77). This would suggest that the movement is not as liberal as it is perceived.
It is interesting to see how this movement has influenced composition. As instructors, we incorporate many texts into the classroom and encourage our students to think critically about the popular texts, such as film, television, and music, which are marketed to them as consumers. In this regard, Cultural studies offers a practical approach to get students more involved as critics. When they realize that, as critics, they have power and responsibility they become more engaged, both in the classroom and in our culture in general. In my opinion, this is one of the most important lessons we have to teach.
Mike Rose's article, "The Language of Exclusion: Writing at the University," raises some interesting questions about the role of composition courses at universities. He writes defensively about this topic, which right away informs the reader that composition programs are under scrutiny. Rose makes a convincing argument for the continued need for freshman English courses and he is correct in stating that "it would be hard to think of an ability more desired than the ability to write" (548). Other than the obvious "duh" factor in this statement, how well are students expected to perform in other disciplines if they are unable to write effectively? They will need this skill (and I realize that word is one of the reasons why this controversy rages on) in order to achieve success in any discipline. Also, other skills are taught and valued at universities, such as scientific experimentation, research skills, medical evaluation, etc. Writing well is the foundation upon which the rest of an education is built and Rose believes that it "is essential to the very existence of certain kinds of knowledge" (555). I whole-heartedly agree with him. I sometimes feel as if some of my students are not taking composition seriously, but this article affirms the importance of learning to write effectively and provides ammunition which can be used to counter student apathy.
Rebecca Moore Howard's article, "Collaborative Pedagogy," found in A Guide to Composition Pedagogy, explains the benefits of collaborative writing practices that are often used in composition classes. She points out that many professional disciplines, such as science, use collaborative writing to produce multi-authored texts with positive results. Her exploration of of the many different classroom practices that involve collaborative pedagogy, such as group work and class discussions, offer concrete examples for instructors to employ in their classrooms. The democratic ideology which lies behind this approach to writing and discussions is particularly appealing to me.
I was surprised to read about the criticism that has been directed at writing centers because of the use of collaborative writing practices that they employ. I can see the validity in the specific concern that tutors may be too involved in the students' writing, but the division between helping and writing seems pretty clear. Howard points out that, according to Andrea Lunsford, many writing centers now "enable community meaning-making that far exceeds what any single individual could accomplish" (58). After reading Howard's article, I am still enthusiastic about referring my students to the writing center (not that I was hesitant before, but I had not considered the possibility that tutuors would actually write papers for students).
In response to Quentin Vieregge's annotated bibliography entry on Jim Ridolfo's article, "Comprehensive Online Document Evaluation," contains useful information about teaching students to be more critical about online resources. I find myself using the internet in my own research but explaining to students the difference between reliable and unreliable online sources is a bit complicated. It sounds as if the article provides detailed criteria for assessing the authority, purpose, and value of online documents. I will definitely find this article and read this article after reading Quentin's entry. I am especially excited to see the detailed handouts and worksheets that are contained in the article. I enjoy seeing the works that others have put together for their classes and I am always on the lookout for great ideas which I can incorporate into my own classroom.
Suzanne Desmond's annotated bibliography of Mark Evans Edwards' article, "Writing Before Students: A Model for Teaching Sociological Writing," raised an interesting question. How do we, as instructors, share our writing processes, including stumbling blocks, with our students and still maintain our authority? I have mentioned that I tend to procrastinate to my students when talking about deadlines as a warning to motivate them to not wait until the last minute to complete assignments. I did not think about the consequences that the statement would have at the time, but I hoped that it would show them that I struggle with some of the same issues as they do. I want them to feel as if they can approach me with any problems that they may encounter while writing and know that I will understand and have helpful advice to offer them. Edward's study, while not scientifically exact, offers encouragement for this type of approach to teaching. I have shown my class a sample of an annotated bibliography of mine from a previous class in order to provide an example and I feel comfortable with that decision. I would be willing to share more of my writing and experinces with my class in the future, as well. Edwards' article validates this decision and provides ideas for future classes. Overall, I found the ideas his article presents to be quite useful.
William Covino offers a brief historical survey of the rhetorical tradition of Western culture in his essay, "Rhetorical Pedagogy." By starting with Plato and Aristotle, Covino provides the ancient origins upon which current rhetorical practices are based. He then provides brief information about key texts from the last century, placing them in context against Aristotle's original treatise on rhetoric. He concludes with an analysis of the current state of rhetorical pedagogy, noting that feminist and cultural studies have changed the field.
The schism between Expessivism and Current-Traditional theorists continues to puzzle me. After reading about both methodologies, I see positive attributes to both methodologies. If most Rhetoric and Composition programs blend the two ideologies together in their writing programs, why hasn't another (new) theory emerged as a compromise? Just a thought.
I recently wrote that, as an new instructor, I can learn from the methods of both theories. Students benefit from the freedom that Expressivism offers to find their own voice but they need the structure that Current-Traditionalism offers in terms of grammar and logic. Does anyone else agree or disagree? I would like to hear other thoughts on this debate. My understanding that both theories can blend together feels somewhat naive to me, as I am so new to these issues. Thanks and have a great day.
Tiffany
"Moderate Work at Teaching" (author unknown) addresses many of the fears and doubts that those who are new to teaching must feel. I feel more assured after reading these chapters and the sage advice that the author offers. The "Eight Rules for Working at Teaching with Moderation" (18) contain advice which would seem obvious at first, but his explanations demonstrate the complexity and insight behind the rules.
I was particulary intrigued by the suggestion to "actively and patiently wait" (20). The rewards this approach to planning offers to busy graduate students are obvious. I tend to complete projects in one sitting, if possible. In my rush to finish and move on to my next task, I occasionally miss mistakes and stress affects me much more than it should. This advice also ties in to chapter 3, "Prepare and Present in Brief, Regular Sessions," in which the author suggests working in shorter periods in order to avoid stress and burnout (39). Again, this suggestion seems obvious, but, as the author points out, most of us have conditioned ourselves to work "in great binges and under looming deadlines" (39). I find myself working in these conditions but I never really thought of the alternative approach offered by the author. I am going to make a concious effort to incorporate these suggestions into my own routine.
Tiffany
Christopher Burnham's "Expressive Pedagogy: Practice/Theory, Theory/Practice" addresses the many critics of Expressivist theory in a controlled and somewhat impartial manner. He introduces the concepts and classroom practices that are at the heart of the Expressivist approach to composition studies in a clear manner. I better understand the movement because of his method of introducing specific criticism of Expressivism and then addressing each point individually. I appreciate the fact that he even concedes certain weaknesses, such as how its focus on the individual can lead to a point of view that may ignore larger social issues, and then offers other scholars' research that specifically addresses each potential weakness.
Burnham's essay presents a comprehensive survey of Expressivism that illustrates the advantages this approach offers to composition programs. While I agree that Expressivism has much to offer to both instructors and students, I also believe that the structure that Current-Traditional theory offers in terms of grammar and structure should still have a central role in writing programs. Students need these tools in order to succeed in their college and professional careers.
Tiffany
I finished grading the first set of papers this weekend and the process was not as bad as I expected. I started going faster after the first couple of papers. I do not think I was as prepared for the quantity of grammatical mistakes, but most of them were so similar that they just started jumping off the page. A few of the papers really impressed me, although I only awarded one A-. The rest were in the D-B range.
My co-teacher and I did a great in-class exercise last week to illustrate the difference between speaking and writing. We had the class break into groups and write a page-length story. We told them they could write fact or fiction. We asked them to write one version in their vernacular and one in proper English. They read both papers to the entire class and we led a discussion after each paper, asking the class to name positive aspects as well as what could be improved. They really had fun with the assignment and their stories showed a lot of imagination. We also asked them to write a short homework assignment about what they learned and they all got the point of the lesson.
Does anyone else have any similar in-class stories to share about creative in-class exercises? I would love to hear them if anyone would like to share. Thanks and have a great day!
Tiffany
Afer reading Richard Fulkerson's article, "Composition at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century," my first response was, "Can't we all just get along?" It seems to me that, in a field as diverse as Composition, there is room for different "axiologies" (655). As a new composition instructor, I plan on using a combination of approaches in the classroom in order to find the one that works best for both my students and me and I appreciate the latitude our FYC program gives to its instructors.
Fulkerson provides a thorough, if somewhat confusing, assessment of the current state of Compositions studies. He does a good job of presenting the positive and negative aspects of each school of thought. His article forced me to examine my own goals and expectations in the classroom. I can see the purpose of exposing students to cultural criticism as well as the the goal of expressivism, which is "to have students write with 'voice'" (667). At this point, three weeks into teaching, I do not feel qualified to choose one method as superior to the others. I hope that, with experience, I will find my own unique style of teaching.
Question of the day: which approach do you favor? Does one hold more appeal or yield better results? I know many of my fellow G.A.'s have past teaching experience, so I would like to hear what has worked for you in the past, as well as what has not been that effective. Thanks and see you in class.
Tiffany