I Am Writer - Comp Tales Response 7

I think, as writers, we often run into people thinking we have an easy job or they question our motives in conversation--or as Lubarsky puts it in tale 83, they have "a fear that I will critique each word they utter for the rest of the evening. I, for one, was tired of getting asked, "Oh... What are you going to do with that?" with a sympathetic facial expression, like my pet had just died, when stating I was studying for a degree in Creative Writing. I still get that question consistently. While I realize the job market sucks and it's hard to find exactly what we are looking for, I'm not sure why people deem it necessary to condemn us for choosing to work in a field that we love--I mean, I love what I do, I'm assuming most others do as well. So why do professors in other disciplines denounce composition and why do people in other fields think we're stupid for studying English, because there just has to be something better out there? This whole idea of "the public," and how they see us, as writers and academics in English, is frustrating, because everyone knows the importance of communication, but when it comes to studying writing it suddenly loses it's appeal. Do you not communicate by writing every single f#@&ing day?! Anyone--and by anyone, I mean people that can afford the technology which promotes said interactions, but even then, notebooks and pencils are a cheap form to write--who says otherwise is a liar.

So what is the difference between academic writing and all of the connotations that come with it and writing for pleasure? And why is it such a big deal?

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In Class Work - Personal Comp Tale 7

Yesterday I had the students do some in class work to find ONE source for their paper, however, one group sat there quietly and didn't do anything. I was walking around the class asking each group what they were searching for, if it was academic or popular, how it would be useful, etc. When I got to this group and asked if they had found a source, they looked at me with those half-smiles where they're considering lying to you about what they have done. Eventually one of them said they didn't look anything up. So I talked to them about what they could possibly look up. One student said that he wasn't clear about the expectations for sources--what they need is clearly spelled out on the assignment sheet and I noted it in class as well. So, I explained in further detail, but I'm not sure if that was to detract the attention from the fact that they didn't do their work or because he was genuinely confused. I don't want to think the worst of this student, but I didn't ask them for too much.

How do you deal with students not participating (or doing what you ask in general) in class?

Building Lesson Plans - Personal Comp Tale 6

I was worried that it would be extremely difficult to build a lesson plan--especially around rhet/comp ideas that can be difficult to explain and, if done incorrectly, very dry for the students. But I found that, not only did I have fun making lesson plans for my unit, the kids are seeming to enjoy them as well.  I think what I was worried about most was creating this boring lesson that no one cared about, but getting good ideas for activities or ways to get students involved has been helpful. In fact, a student came up to me after class yesterday and told me that class was really fun and she thinks I'm doing well teaching--keep in mind this was only the second class I was teaching. That made me feel extremely good about what I am doing and gave me motivation to strive to be even better.

So what was my activity? Well, we were discussing finding a problem, solutions to that problem, and then selecting the best solution for this problem. I gave them the problem of "The Ball State Ass Slapper"--if you haven't heard of it, I have attached the news report. I could talk about the Ass Slapper for quite some time and all of the issues involved with it--like the fact that it got state-wide news coverage, yet we didn't get an email about an armed robbery that happened the day after this happened. I digress--but I had students get into groups of two and answer these questions of what the problem is, why is it a problem, what are solutions, etc. The group that had the best answer--and by best answer I mean the most ridiculous and made everyone laugh the most--would get to pick out the type of candy that the whole class will get (considering Halloween is nearing). What was the best solution, you ask? A butt bear-trap. Yes, that's right. A. Butt. Bear. Trap. I found that not only did this activity help them work through these questions and utilize the skills and see why it is important, but it also really lightened the mood. It felt good to break up the monotony of early morning classes with a bit of fun.

So what have been some of your best activities?

Phallic-ies - Comp Tales Response 6

I think the main message in tale 65 is that clarity is important. Miscommunication is a typical issue--I would imagine and have witnessed--in a teaching classroom. Obviously the way this is worded could drive a rowdy teen to talking about his penis. It's interesting what students think of when we say things like, "Think of a common object that is personally important." Where on Earth do you automatically think penis? Anyway, wording is important--that's what I'm trying to say. Get it? Got it? Good.

In a weird round-about way, I had this issue with a quiz question--yes, I gave them a quiz my first day teaching. Muahahaha. I worded a question, asking about things discussed in the chapter, in a way that students misunderstood. All but one of the students actually got it right. So, clearly I worded it wrong. I feel like this is unavoidable. In this instance I just gave them the point, but how can we avoid these situations as much as possible?

http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4742514/Misunderstanding

All right, kids, it is now my job to teach you... - Personal Comp Tale 5

I begin teaching on Monday! I'm excited to finally be in front of the classroom and test out my skills as a teacher--I've always felt like I would be good that this. My first three majors in undergrad were teaching majors, after all. I'll be teaching a group project (an ethnography), so this will be quite an interesting unit to jump start my time as an instructor.

I think my influence comes from teachers in high school and undergraduate course work (whether good or bad--mostly bad). It's always been a goal of mine to teach students in ways that would have helped me learn better in school. CLARITY is a huge thing. I never understood what a teacher meant--and being the introvert that I am, I never asked for clarification--so providing that clarity seems important. PROVIDING EXAMPLES is another tool. I learn best by doing, so seeing examples of what other students have done or what the instructor is looking for were always helpful. So, pulling from my own experience has always been motivation.

I'm wondering what got others interested in teaching--besides being required to do so for an assistantship (if applicable). What are some first-time/first-day teaching tips? I am here to be the best damn instructor I can be.

http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/images/shows/south-park/clip-thumbnails/s
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Student Conferences?... I Guess Not - Personal Comp Tale 4

I have been with my mentor a few times over the course of the semester during his suggested office hours and during conferences. The immediate concern is, of course, the fact that most students just don't show up. I know we have talked in class about making these mandatory and having it count against attendance, but it's frustrating to know that students don't really take it seriously. I have seen students benefit greatly from these conferences and sometimes it is quite obvious that help would be beneficial.

It's the same for the Writing Center. Instructors suggest that you go, instructors suggest you attend office hours, etc. So how can we as instructors do more than suggest strongly? Making the Writing Center mandatory class wide is obviously not the best solution. I've thought that--after the first essay--if a student needs help writing, then making it mandatory on a case by case basis would be helpful. Giving the students that necessary push to see that the Writing Center isn't all that bad and, indeed, quite helpful.

So how can we fix this issue: guiding students that really need the help to these resources that would be incredibly helpful without making it mandatory or being forceful about it?

I Swear It's Spelled That Way - Comp Tales Response 5

In comp tale 51, Maria Knudtson has a student misspell "neurotic" as "necrotic," due to the fact that spell checker didn't catch the mistake. My mentor often tells students that Microsoft Word's spell checker is terrible and that they shouldn't rely on it so heavily. As Knudtson says, my mentor also says, to check their work--even after using spell check. I once had this issue when trying to write "conscious," I wrote "conscience." While it's easy to get these words confused--phonetically and definition-wise--I relied on spell checker to catch this error for me. And lo and behold, I was wrong.

I think technology gives students--well, everyone--this false sense of security. Thinking it will catch mistakes and tell you when a word or grammar is wrong is something you learn of years of using Word's spell checker as a crutch. While its rate of success is higher than its failure, it's extremely important to use, as Knudtson states, "their own knowledge of words... and they must proofread after they spell check" (65).

So how can we convince students that spell checker isn't all that it's cracked up to be? I, for one, think--beyond blatantly stating it--telling stories, such as my little slip up, has more of an impact. Not only that, but telling the students that grammar and spelling mistakes can affect their grade is always an important note.