"Write now. Don't wait for an idea...Don't worry about being silly or stupid or clumsy or accurate or sensible, not now. Out run all the censors in your head."
Write to Learn by Donald Murray
The purpose of this blog is to display polished writing and to share my writings that are explorations.
A Pedagogy-Under-Construction
Once I told a man in a Mexican book store that my major was anthropology. He responded cynically, “antropologia es para los ricos.” An anthropological lens is indeed reserved for the elite, as is excessive idealism in education. We teachers construct ostensibly free institutional worlds with our language and ideologies, while we remain contained and constrained by hegemony, ie. those who sign our paychecks.
I am resistant to overly idealistic liberation pedagogy, especially in multilingual/ transnational classrooms. This is especially because of my multinational experience in the classroom. I believe that the content of the class, the content of Composition and Rhetoric and its current trends are overly idealistic. Truthfully, I would prefer to be a more directive teacher when it comes to grammar. Writing essayist prose just does not come “naturally” to those from different linguistic and dialectic backgrounds than that of formal academic English. However, if we are to accept all languages and all dialects, then how are we to teach? We do not all come from the same discourse community.
As a well travelled teacher, I have experienced first-hand how desperately students from developing countries wanted to acquire English like a “native speaker” in order to compete in a World English discourse community, making them competitive in an elite world workforce. Should I discourage them from acquiring a skill that will help them succeed and accomplish their goals? Up to this point, I have referred to those who speak English as a non-native language, but this can easily be applied to those who do not speak or write in Standard American English. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a dialect. But, we have different voices for different genres and should teach students how and when to wear certain linguistic hats in differnt contexts.
I would like to believe in bell-hooks-style-liberatory-education whole-heartedly, but I think that we should be honest with ourselves and our students about the way the world works. My philosophy is that we should acknowledge and discuss the power differential. It is only through the system that one can actually change it. Realistically, I am an educator working through the system to effect change, but I do not want to give the illusion that the system is changed just because my classroom has.
Once I told a man in a Mexican book store that my major was anthropology. He responded cynically, “antropologia es para los ricos.” An anthropological lens is indeed reserved for the elite, as is excessive idealism in education. We teachers construct ostensibly free institutional worlds with our language and ideologies, while we remain contained and constrained by hegemony, ie. those who sign our paychecks.
I am resistant to overly idealistic liberation pedagogy, especially in multilingual/ transnational classrooms. This is especially because of my multinational experience in the classroom. I believe that the content of the class, the content of Composition and Rhetoric and its current trends are overly idealistic. Truthfully, I would prefer to be a more directive teacher when it comes to grammar. Writing essayist prose just does not come “naturally” to those from different linguistic and dialectic backgrounds than that of formal academic English. However, if we are to accept all languages and all dialects, then how are we to teach? We do not all come from the same discourse community.
As a well travelled teacher, I have experienced first-hand how desperately students from developing countries wanted to acquire English like a “native speaker” in order to compete in a World English discourse community, making them competitive in an elite world workforce. Should I discourage them from acquiring a skill that will help them succeed and accomplish their goals? Up to this point, I have referred to those who speak English as a non-native language, but this can easily be applied to those who do not speak or write in Standard American English. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a dialect. But, we have different voices for different genres and should teach students how and when to wear certain linguistic hats in differnt contexts.
I would like to believe in bell-hooks-style-liberatory-education whole-heartedly, but I think that we should be honest with ourselves and our students about the way the world works. My philosophy is that we should acknowledge and discuss the power differential. It is only through the system that one can actually change it. Realistically, I am an educator working through the system to effect change, but I do not want to give the illusion that the system is changed just because my classroom has.
Reflection after a Year of Teaching First Year Writing
In "On Writing," Stephen King recommends that writers complete the first draft with the door closed and the second draft with the door open. I would like to add there is a time to close the door and get down to business, and there is also a time for talking out a topic. It really helps to join a writer's community, and it really helps to open the door when a writer needs inspiration in the pre-writing stages as well. I personally prefer to talk out my ideas before closing the door and writing my first draft. I am learning to open up the door again for the second draft.
As a result, my students have actually embraced peer revision workshops this year. This is a complete surprise to me, because usually most writers are resistant to feedback, especially those who are either insecure or overly egotistical about their work. I prefer to think of a teacher's response as feedback and not constructive criticism. I hope that my students appreciate my responses, and I also believe that taking some of the grading out of the drafting process and involving peer groups in several phases of the writing process is a way to create, not just better writers, but a better writing community.
As a result, my students have actually embraced peer revision workshops this year. This is a complete surprise to me, because usually most writers are resistant to feedback, especially those who are either insecure or overly egotistical about their work. I prefer to think of a teacher's response as feedback and not constructive criticism. I hope that my students appreciate my responses, and I also believe that taking some of the grading out of the drafting process and involving peer groups in several phases of the writing process is a way to create, not just better writers, but a better writing community.