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Rewriting How We See Composition #3: The Teacher and the Student

The Teacher and the Student Rewriting How We See Composition #3 of 3      When I first began writing this post, I tried to distinguish between the teacher and the student, as an organizational approach. However, it became increasingly difficult to do so. Why, you might ask? Because the teacher and the student are inseparable entities. The identity of either role is defined by that of the other.       “Well, duh, that’s obvious.” Yes, I suppose it is...       However, it’s an idea that we don’t always acknowledge the significance of. And it's important to see that students' experiences are  affected by the teacher's disposition, approach to learning, and instructional practices.      Being a teacher of writing can be challenging. The skill and concept of writing contains complex concepts and nuanced strategies that can feel...nebulous to grasp. This can make it difficult to transfer ideas to students.  Teac...
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Rewriting How We See Composition #2: The Classroom

  The Classroom Rewriting How We See Composition #2 of 3      One of the biggest problems in teaching writing: motivation. Whether it’s the teacher or the student, it’s hard to get students to write. Even harder is getting students to want to write. So what needs to change? What can we do? Environmental Awareness      Imagine an English classroom—maybe yours. Several students are nodding off, barely catching unassociated phrases of the teacher’s lecture. Others are doodling in the margins or studying the layout of the ceiling tile—which can be very interesting, might I add—completely ambivalent to the lesson. The teacher has lost her students. Perhaps their “behavior” is fine, but their minds aren’t engaged, and they don’t care about the “learning” taking place. Maybe this is what your classroom looks like, and you feel like hope is lost. How will you ever convince thirty unengaged children or adolescents that what you’re showing them is worth engag...
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Rewriting How We See Composition #1: Belief and Perspective

  Belief and Perspective Rewriting How We See Composition #1 of 3 Let’s begin with a story… Most of us will recall a tale about an emperor who believed he wore fabulous clothes that everyone could see. Yet, everyone only pretended to admire the magnificent new clothes of the emperor...  Everyone could (regrettably) see that he wore no clothes...  No one told him or tried to persuade him otherwise but let him march unclothed down the street. No one acknowledged his faulty beliefs , allowing him to humiliate himself in front of his kingdom, unwittingly. In a strangely like manner, we often press forward in composition instruction, utilizing old practices or approaches, but often unsuccessfully engaging our students.  In some cases, we do so unknowingly, not knowing any better than that which we’ve always done.  In others, we recognize the issues but don’t know how to proceed—how to change.  In others still, we may believe that the traditional manner of...
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