Potpourri
So, I'm not really a journal person, either. I guess I think the idea of informal "free" writing that you have to do is a bit contradictory. I also agree with Faith that the word "journal" can signal thoughts of weepy teen confessionals, and the term can also immediately connotate busy work for students because trust me, they're smart enough to know that teachers can't really read and respond thoughtfully to every single entry. I think that to do journals well in your class you really need to be vigilant, organized, and dedicated to making sure that it doesn't become a busy work activity. The students have to know that the journals really are useful/essential to developing class discussion, and truthfully, you are fully responsible for communicating that idea to them. I've never been able to do journals well as a teacher, so I'm sure that contributes to my bias, but they just get a bit overwhelming in terms of grading, so I always ended up letting them wane as the year progressed until they were just completely phased out.
A quick word on grading, Brittany -- the key is rubrics. Develop a detailed rubric with clear categories and specifications, and that'll really cut down on a lot of the "I got a C and I don't know why" responses. Developing the rubric is a bit tricky, I think, because you wrestle with those issues you were talking about: how much weight to give to mechanics, style, content, etc. But there are books and sources to help you do that, and I'm sure we'll talk about the topic of grading extensively in class.
I would just like to say that I'm really appreciating the time we're devoting in class to discussing each other's syllabi. Nothing is more helpful to me right now than seeing what other people are putting down on paper as they design their classes and getting input about my class from those people. Sometimes I feel as though the readings we're doing are interesting but not necessarily very applicable to our current practical concerns, but I appreciate the class time we're devoting to practical matters, particularly since those practical matters usually lead to more theoretical discussions.
And I just want to send a shout-out to my fellow burdened, overloaded grad students. I think most of us are struggling a bit right now. We're doing it together, guys. And an extra shout-out to those of you doing this while trying to lead the life of a parent or spouse, too -- I cannot fathom how you're managing it all. Kudos.
A quick word on grading, Brittany -- the key is rubrics. Develop a detailed rubric with clear categories and specifications, and that'll really cut down on a lot of the "I got a C and I don't know why" responses. Developing the rubric is a bit tricky, I think, because you wrestle with those issues you were talking about: how much weight to give to mechanics, style, content, etc. But there are books and sources to help you do that, and I'm sure we'll talk about the topic of grading extensively in class.
I would just like to say that I'm really appreciating the time we're devoting in class to discussing each other's syllabi. Nothing is more helpful to me right now than seeing what other people are putting down on paper as they design their classes and getting input about my class from those people. Sometimes I feel as though the readings we're doing are interesting but not necessarily very applicable to our current practical concerns, but I appreciate the class time we're devoting to practical matters, particularly since those practical matters usually lead to more theoretical discussions.
And I just want to send a shout-out to my fellow burdened, overloaded grad students. I think most of us are struggling a bit right now. We're doing it together, guys. And an extra shout-out to those of you doing this while trying to lead the life of a parent or spouse, too -- I cannot fathom how you're managing it all. Kudos.
posted by K. | 10:59 PM
1 Comments:
Kristen,
You cover a lot of territory in your post, but the first comment I need to make is in regards to your last paragraph - it is a struggle right now, isn't it? I'm so glad February is almost over (between illness and two out-of-town conferences, I need some time to work and catch up!). Thus, I benefited from Donna's Mindfulness Meditation in class. This is a way of being that I need to adopt into my teaching. Too often I feel like the "me" in a classroom is on some kind of overload and I need to stop and breathe. Thank you, Donna! I will take this gentleness of breath in to the classroom.
From the writing standpoint, the meditation before freewriting was helpful. This brings me back to your comments, Kristen. I don't view "free writing" as being "free" meaning without constraints and expectations. I think of free as in it lets my mind some "freedom" within boundaries. It also means that I am free in the form my writing takes and in some of the directions I go. But it is not free in that I need to keep writing - would that be the contradiction of it all? Yet, that forced writing is what I find so critical and valuable to finally discover what I want to say. Thus it "frees" my ideas so that I can think more clearly. I find that as I read about writers who share their approaches, this forced writing is necessary to their process.
Post a Comment
<< Home