April 15th, 2008 Sandy
There has been a small discussion revealed in the comments on my last post, so I thought that I would bring it to light here instead of keeping it there.
Here is what Mark said….
“Also, good question about intentions, but there is really no way to separate the two, I believe. We ask our students to create assignments based on intended audiences, but are actually asking them to write to multiple audiences at the same time.They know that their grade is based on the product and our judging of it as a teacher, regardless if we pretend to be another audience or not-so can we truly escape our own intentions? And, if so how?”
This one comment really gets at two things that I was wanted to respond to, one of which I was already thinking of posting about. But, before I go to that, I think that Mark misunderstood what I meant by intentions. When I say change your intention for what you want them to do, I mean that I think that changing your energy in the classroom is needed. If students sense the fact that you are frustrated with the idea of workshopping because you can’t get them to care, then they are going to respond in such a way that fulfills that expectation.
It is like the same thing I always tell students on the first day of class. If you think that this is going to be the worst class you have ever had to take, then you will be right. And, in fact, if you can get students to examine the language they are using surrounding the ideas of “having to” or being “required” to take courses, you might be able to get them to change their energy. We have a whole file of crap that comes with us when we “have to” do something. And, we often don’t consider why it is that we needed to do it begin with. But, imagine if students came into your class and said that this was a class they “needed.” How would that influence their energy?
I don’t know if it will work completely, but I know that the classes where I walk in dreading what will happen before we even get started aren’t good classes. If I walk in thinking that I have something fun for us to try and what a positive outcome there will be, then I have noticed that those classes are more fun to be in for the students and for myself. The teacher is the pack leader in the classroom, and we have to be wary of what energy we put off for our students.
But, what your comment really discusses is something that I was very interested in talking about as well because it is something that I am trying hard to foster in my class. It seems like the heart of your comment goes to the idea of transparency or explicitness in our teaching. And, I completely agree that no matter what scenario you give to your students, you have to acknowledge the fact that they are writing to a teacher for a grade.
The way I have started to accommodate for this in my classes is changing my role. This works particularly well in my technical writing courses. I explain that I would really like to have students consider me their supervisor instead of their teacher. Of course, there is no real way to remove ourselves as teachers of the class, and quite frankly, I think that it does a disservice to our students when we say we are trying. But, we can move ourselves into another role besides just that of keeper of the gradebook.
What this has done for me is that I allow my students to be the experts of what they know best, and I get to remain the expert of what I know best. This has given them a certain amount of agency in class, and they have ended up caring more because they see the usefulness of our class content for their future careers. There is also less conflict in class because I have given them power in what they know.
Now, this doesn’t work for all students. There are students that will fight you giving up power because it is easier to dislike you and the class if they are victims. And, I also haven’t perfected this in all classes. However, I think that there is a way to do it in other classes. Figuring out the method would allow students to feel they had control over situations that otherwise they can feel very helpless in. And, quite frankly it is easier for them to dislike and disengage when they don’t feel the relevance to their own lives and interests.
I think that this goes back to the transparency model I referred to above nicely, which I will explain in more depth in the future, because while you are making all these moves in the classroom, you can tell your students what you are doing. As I have said a million times before, you are removing the “man from behind the curtain” when you tell your students why you are doing what you are doing and what you want them to get out of it. This also gives them knowledge about your goals and desires for their behavior that go hand-in-hand with your intentions. It all works together to make happier classrooms and students.
Posted in intentions, teaching | 4 Comments »
April 8th, 2008 Sandy
Well, just a few posts in, and I am already seeing happen what I was hoping for. I already have two blog posts I am interested in making! I am home sick today. I have the kind of cold that absolutely impedes being able to speak in front of a classroom. My only hope is that it vacates by tomorrow. I have work to do! But, I thought that I would take a few minutes and respond to Mark’s question about workshops.
I think workshops are a tricky thing. But, there are a few things I have done that have helped over the years I have been teaching. The very first thing I decided about workshops after they were failing miserably in my class is that they are for the students. They are not for me. As teachers, we want our students to learn from their mistakes, and I believe at the core of workshops is the belief that once you can identify mistakes in others’ writing, you can do the same in your own. And, I am a believer that they work, but I think in order for them to work, you have to let your preconceived notions of correctness and perfection go.
Those of you who know me might be surprised that I would ever consider letting something be imperfect, but this is one area I will let go because I realize that workshops are not about me. And, what is perfect for me won’t necessarily be perfect for my students. Therefore, I have a couple of things that I like to do with workshops.
This is my way to doing things, but one of the things I think is essential about workshops is that you have to figure out the method that works the best for you. There is so much literature out there and so many techniques. These methods just work the best for me because they fit my teaching style.
Posted in workshops | 3 Comments »
April 6th, 2008 mark
We’ve had some interesting, spirited discussions lately within our department concerning the role and importance of standardized testing for developmental/provisional English courses. As a community college, over half of our incoming students are in need of some form of non-credit, developmental coursework. Current practices here include requiring the students to complete a district-wide common final (hereto referred to as a “DCF”). You see, we are part of a college district made up of five separate “college campuses,” and each campus is struggling with district policies and preferences while attempting to keep some autonomy.
While the conversation has begun to get more spirited, I find myself having to play departmental politics in ways I’ve always avoided in the past. As a representative at the district level for the Reading DCF, I am quite careful to make sure that I show a neutrality towards my colleagues as to the test’s worth- and I try (so far so good) to keep my opinion out of the conversation. While discussions about these issues continue, I have become privy to a certain belief that some of my colleagues don’t believe that there even is such a thing as a “developmental specialist.”
I spend a lot of my time as an educator presenting the view (I cannot remember who originally coined it) ” There are two ways to slide easily through life, to question everything, or to believe everything- both ways save us from thinking.” I wonder if taking up the view that specialists such as these are not really specialists truly embraces the aforementioned philosophy. After all, who are we to tell them they wasted their academic lives by telling them their “expertise” is useless? Then again, are we as non-specialists best suited to help our students with grammar and form and all of the “basics” because we better understand where they need to be- and what they will be judged on in the future- like coherency and fluidity and focus, etc.?
I am not sure how y’all feel about this view, but I’d be interested to here what you think. Is the term “developmental specialist” a valid one? Or, as teachers of Comp I classes in both community college and University settings are we better suited to help our students navigate successfully into a world of academia than individuals who have earned degrees in the field of developmental studies. Who “better” understands best practices within the field?
On a personal note, I believe this blog is an excellent idea. Any time we can get ourselves as educators to act more like concerned people and less like stuffy academics it is a positive for our students. I look forward to the conversations, where ever they may lead…
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
April 1st, 2008 Sandy
One of my guilty pleasures is watching a few select reality T.V. shows. I think that it would surprise me how many academics actually do this, but for me it is definitely not something I advertise, particularly to students. However, after grading my way through a batch of group assignments, I find that an analogy to a current reality T.V. show is an awesome way to make an important point to students (or anyone for that matter) who are working on projects in groups.
One of the reality shows I indulge in is Top Chef. Like I said, it is only a select few that I watch, but I really like Top Chef. It fascinates me what they make with the ingredients they are given, and I am always counting how many things they make that I have no clue what they are. They make food sound so interesting. And, in my world, we are just always asking what’s for dinner. It gives me a nice break from normal food.
The way Top Chef works is just like Project Runway (don’t watch that one) for food. It is simple. There are tasks. If you are the best (ie: the judges like your food), you win. While I am watching, I usually learn the most from the groups that lose. And, I am usually not learning about food, but rather how teams work together effectively and where they break down. Often, if a group loses on Top Chef, it is because the chefs admit that they didn’t taste each other’s before it was served. One person will over salt something. And, someone else’s dish will be bland, and it will taint the entire group’s performance and presentation. And, the judges always yell at them for it.
Well, after reading through just a few of these group projects, it was obvious to me that my students were not tasting each other’s food. Styles didn’t match up from area to area in the documents. Personal pronouns like “I” are used where there should be a “we.” So, I took my analogy to class with me, and I hope that it sunk in. With students that are so concerned with their personal successes and grades, they don’t always consider the implications to their own ethos when their group performance suffers.
As teachers, we need whatever arsenal of analogies to make solid points that we can get. I will definitely be tucking this one away for future classes.
Posted in analogies, teaching | 1 Comment »