As a writing teacher, I find myself pulled in several directions: the study of writing; the study of how to teach writing; the study of teaching... It is with this last constituent of being a writing teacher that I would like to make some space for comment this week.
Admittedly, not everyone that teaches first-year writing is vested in composition (and rhetorical) studies. This is not a judgment on teachers from other fields of interest, but, rather, a reality I am interested in understanding insofar as I believe it creates very real "differences" in writing teaching methodologies that teachers from all corners of the Writing Program can benefit from. *(If nothing else, scholars like Anzaldua and Bakhtin write to open up perceptions about polyphony, hybridity and heteroglossia to help us understand the power that synergy and collaboration, rather than exclusion and individualism, bring to bear on teaching, in this case, writing).
That said, even those writing teachers who don't study rhet-comp per se, still have to teach, and for many of them the course is first-year composition (at UofA it is divided into 101 (Fall) and 102 (Spring)). And, at the end of the semester, writing teachers are accountable to both their respective writing programs and their students for qualifying that teaching through quantitative means: assigning grades. Often, I think, teachers can feel pulled by grading; after all, as Richard Straub has eloquently written about here and there, teacher's comments and grades on the page are a reflection of our teaching persona and our success as teachers as much as a reflection of the success of the student's we teach. This is no little statement.
With this in mind, this week I would like to focus on the following questions:
1. Do you consider yourself a good writing teacher?
a. Why or why not?
b. What makes a good writing teacher?
2. Do you make time or space for self-reflection on how, what, and why you teach composition?
a. If yes, what activities encompass this self-reflexivity?
b. If yes, how do you see your personal method of reflection benefiting your teaching praxis?
c. Benefiting your students?
3. Does the writing teacher's job end at the end of the semester?
a. Do you feel convinced you have reached the goals of your class by the 16 wk deadline?
b. What do you do at the end of the semester when you feel you haven't reached those goals with your students?
I think these questions say a lot about who we are as teachers. I know I ask myself these questions repeatedly every semester; my answers aren't always consistent either. But I think it is important that I do ask them, for me anyway, because I feel the critical self-reflectivity keeps me honest and helps me close the gap that may occur between praxis and theory; between my teaching philosophy and what I really teach. It, in other words, constantly puts the "old" me in dialog with the "new" me in ways that I find productive in continuing to shape a space for me as a writing teacher.
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4 comments:
Cassie - You pose some very interesting questions here. Your focus on self-reflective practice is, in fact, one of the attributes that I believe makes a good writing teacher. Being conscious of the choices we make in the classroom - about how to implement the goals and assignments, how to respond to student writing, or how to engage students in discussion - is critically important. Though we may support breaking down the authority barriers between us as teachers and our students, we still have so much influence in the classroom - without self-reflexivity, we run the risk of not accomplishing our goals or, even worse, damaging our students' learning and emotions. Sharing your writing means sharing a piece of you, and I try to remember that each time a go through a stack of student papers.
I think the act of self-reflection can happen in a lot of ways that we don't always consider. There's the more formal way of keeping a teaching journal throughout the semester. I've tried this, but it doesn't really work for me. I end up writing a few entries at the beginning of the semester and then it trails off. One act of self-reflection that I've kept up with a bit more effectively is simply writing notes in the margin of my syllabus calendar. These help me remember the successes and pitfalls of assignments on a daily basis; I just have to remember to look back at those notes when planning the next semester. Some of my best self-reflection as a teacher happens when I'm driving to campus or walking to class. During these times, I can get into my own head and spend time alone with my thoughts. Sometimes I play over and over again a conversation with a student that I wish I had handled more effectively; this sometimes results in a follow-up email with the student, so I can clarify myself and what I had said. I also do my best course planning walking to class - I often get a great idea for the next week's lesson just by contemplating where we are in the course and where we need to be to accomplish the goals. Lastly, I think talking with colleagues is very important to being a self-reflective teacher. Teaching can be lonely and solitary - we need to share our ideas, seek feedback, and (to be honest) vent at times. Forums like this blog, encourage the discussion we need to be more conscious and self-reflective about our teaching.
Thanks for the engaging discussion questions!
Watch out... here comes some major ego!!!
1. Do you consider yourself a good writing teacher?
ABSOLUTELY I do.
a. Why or why not?
I am a very reflective and committed instructor who take the time to study pedagogical theories and praxis. I infuse my daily lessons with these and take into consideration differentiated instruction for multiple intelligences. I negotiate the success of the class with my students, asking for feedback and guidance on what they need. None of this means that I am perfect, mind you, but I am very critical of my praxis and keep refining and changing my lessons and strategies to keep making the courses I instruct better.
b. What makes a good writing teacher?
First of all, a good writing teacher understands process and also the unique challenges each student has with writing. A good writing teacher knows there's no one "catch all" to getting students to produce effective texts. A good writing teacher is patient and creative. A good writing teacher is a good reader. A good writing teacher is constantly questioning "is this an effective lesson/strategy? What could I have done better? What went well? What do my students still need?"
2. Do you make time or space for self-reflection on how, what, and why you teach composition?
a. If yes, what activities encompass this self-reflexivity?
b. If yes, how do you see your personal method of reflection benefiting your teaching praxis?
c. Benefiting your students?
These all go together so I will answer together. I write lesson plans. Old school style. Type them up, make notes on them as I am teaching, go back to them after I am done and write notes for the next time that I teach the lesson. All of this gives me documentation and reflection on what happened. Then, when I need to teach that lesson again, I go back and read over my lesson, notes, and reflection. I make changes. I trash certain lessons. But what I like about this is the documentation... it creates an institutional history of my pedagogy. It gives me that Freirian action, reflection, action model.
Also, I use email communications with students to reflect and get feedback. Often, they write me with questions about the course and assignments. In my response, I make sure to ask one question (very open ended) about the clarity of the lesson in question or how certain activities or feedback affected them. With their answers, I get a clearer reflection on my practice.
3. Does the writing teacher's job end at the end of the semester?
yes and no. I believe in giving yourself space to decompress and unplug from students, since they can be so demanding. But I still read journal articles, review books, and plan for the next semester.
a. Do you feel convinced you have reached the goals of your class by the 16 wk deadline?
No, most of the goals I have for my students are not reached by the end of the semester, but I feel fairly confident that over time and with exposure to other rhetorical situations, they will sink in.
b. What do you do at the end of the semester when you feel you haven't reached those goals with your students?
Honestly, there is always one or two (or four) students who I feel like I didn't get to a good spot... for various reasons. But usually the reflection I've been doing semester long helps me understand why I feel this way. And once the semester is over, I try to let it go. I can do things differently with the next batch of students, but you never have the same group... no students are the exact same. So I try to be gentle with myself and say "you've done your best."
I'm surprised and disappointed that more of my colleagues aren't supporting you with their comments here. But we're all busy, I guess.
And yet I never cease to be surprised and disappointed....
1. Do you consider yourself a good writing teacher?
Yes.
a. Why or why not?
Because my students' writing improves in my classes.
b. What makes a good writing teacher?
His or her students' writing improves.
2. Do you make time or space for self-reflection on how, what, and why you teach composition?
Yes.
a. If yes, what activities encompass this self-reflexivity?
I like that we're required to do a reflection at the end of each term. It forces me to put into writing what I would change about the way that I did things that term so that I have that resource for the next time I teach that or a similar course (or, sometimes, any course). I also ask my students to do an anonymous midterm eval so that I can get a sense of what is and is not working for them in my class, and I always get some clever idea from one of them that I then incorporate into my teaching thereafter. And I ask everyone that I meet, around campus, for feedback when I am uncertain about something - from a problem student to an activity with a particular purpose - before coming to a resolution as to how I am going to handle it after that.
b. If yes, how do you see your personal method of reflection benefiting your teaching praxis?
In terms of the written reflection, I don't forget what I learned in the classroom, and so I can do it again and/or do it better next time. In terms of the midterm evals, I can adjust my approach in accordance with my students' needs, and I can add the perspective gained thereby to my general instinct and understanding of teaching. (Usually I figure that a good mix between "you're going too fast" and "you're going too slow" or "more of A" and "less of A" is ideal.) And my colleagues give me their perspectives, to expand my own - that's my philosophy of life, you might say - and their ideas, to steal and use, muahahaha.
c. Benefiting your students?
I guess I figure if it benefits my teaching praxis, it thereby benefits my students.
3. Does the writing teacher's job end at the end of the semester?
Nope. If someone asks me for a rec, I'll write one.
a. Do you feel convinced you have reached the goals of your class by the 16 wk deadline?
Sometimes.
b. What do you do at the end of the semester when you feel you haven't reached those goals with your students?
Figure out, through conversations with colleagues, reflection writing, and then more trial and error, what to do differently. And then just try to forgive myself.
I think Jessica Burstrem's definition of a good writing teacher is particularly apt. Someone could plan perfect lessons and implement the theoretically sound assignments, but that doesn't necessarily make her/him a good teacher. What's most important - I would argue even more important than our teaching - is our students' learning. Obviously, I believe that teaching (esp. effective teaching) enhances and promotes student learning. But, the measure of a good teacher is in how much her students learn - are the lessons and content getting through to them. And if the content isn't getting through, I think a good teacher is self-reflexive enough to inquire about this and is conscious of listening to student suggestions and changing her pedagogy to improve student learning.
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