In "Pre-Writing: Models for Concept Formation in Writing", Rohman and Wlecke state: "There is no one philosophy of writing; consequently there can be no one method to teach it....The most that can be done, it seems to us, is frankly to state your philosophy of writing, and within those frontiers establish whatever methodological and pedagogical laws seem appropriate."
That's easier said than done. But here is my fumbling attempt to sketch out my basic pedagogical beliefs:
1. I believe that grammar is of the utmost importance. Grammar, to me, is a broad term that blankets the mechanics of language, i.e. word choice, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation. When I write, I am very conscious of my grammar because I know that if my work is full of little mechanical errors, those errors can detract from the more important part, the ideas and content of the piece. Too many errors distract me, so I have little patience for them.
2. I believe that people need to make coherent arguments in their compositions. Free-writing is a great activity to help someone brainstorm or express their feelings, but that kind of writing is best for a journal. In an actual paper, thoughts must be focused and clear. Creative writing also must follow some sort of logic train. Even stream-of-consciousness has a method to its madness.
3. I believe in learning how to use technology - computers, multimedia, books, etc. - to aid in composition. Now more than ever in the history of mankind do we have an abundance of resources at our disposal. We would be fools not to use these tools to our advantage.
4. I believe in allowing everyone their own opinion, even if it disagrees with my own. Everyone has had a unique life full of unique experiences that has imparted a unique point of view. All views should be respected.
5. I believe in fostering creativity, not only in the people around me, but in myself as well.
6. I believe that the teacher should run the classroom, not the other way around.
7. I believe that people learn best by doing, not seeing. Experience is the best teacher of all.
8. I believe that while some people are born with a passion and gift for writing, ALL people can be taught to write better, even if they're not naturally predisposed to it.
9. I believe that the road to Hell is paved with adverbs.
2. I believe that people need to make coherent arguments in their compositions. Free-writing is a great activity to help someone brainstorm or express their feelings, but that kind of writing is best for a journal. In an actual paper, thoughts must be focused and clear. Creative writing also must follow some sort of logic train. Even stream-of-consciousness has a method to its madness.
3. I believe in learning how to use technology - computers, multimedia, books, etc. - to aid in composition. Now more than ever in the history of mankind do we have an abundance of resources at our disposal. We would be fools not to use these tools to our advantage.
4. I believe in allowing everyone their own opinion, even if it disagrees with my own. Everyone has had a unique life full of unique experiences that has imparted a unique point of view. All views should be respected.
5. I believe in fostering creativity, not only in the people around me, but in myself as well.
6. I believe that the teacher should run the classroom, not the other way around.
7. I believe that people learn best by doing, not seeing. Experience is the best teacher of all.
8. I believe that while some people are born with a passion and gift for writing, ALL people can be taught to write better, even if they're not naturally predisposed to it.
9. I believe that the road to Hell is paved with adverbs.
You already know how I feel about grammar, but ditto on #1.
ReplyDeleteOn # 2, I agree with your thoughts and think another way to phrase that would be letting the form determine the expression, or vice versa. In other words, if the student is writing a paper, it should be structured logically and be precise. If they're writing a journal entry, different rules apply. This is another part of giving tools to students. If they understand the variety and uses of different writing forms, they may be more inclined to pay attention to #1!
I would like to comment on #2. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Although I do not currently teach it, I did teach 9th Grade Literature and Composition last school year. One of the biggest problems I saw was that students weren't able to distinguish when they should use their free-writing skills and their formal writing skills. They did not see a difference between the two. I did my best to show them different pieces of writing so that they would understand that there are different levels of formality. I proctored the CSAP in March of last year and was appalled that some students used texting jargon in their formal essay responses. The hardest part was not being able to grab her eraser from her and tell her, "Start over and this time, use your real words!" I like that you include something related to this in your pedagogy statement.
ReplyDeleteThank you both for the insightful comments! Erin, as always, you get to the meat of what I was trying to say. Amy, your example of the kids using texting jargon in their CSAPs frightens me. I'm very scared for the future of the written language if that kind of thing is happening...
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