Before I jump into my educational topic for the day, I just want to provide two quick updates.
Update One – Getting Squirrelly
Not sure how many humans are reading my blog, but the squirrels seem to be. I had mentioned the stupid, yet intrepid, squirrels that populate my complex. Leaving today, not one, not two, but three squirrels waited for me to hit the narrowest part of the driveway to jump out in military sequence. Once again, I rolled over one of them with my 2011 Highlander. Luckily, it was not hurt. They seem to understand traffic patterns and even human empathy. Maybe, like in Starship Troopers, there is a Chief Brain Squirrel, who is teaching techniques for assimilation. I would love to see his or her collection of nuts.
Update Two – Steaking Claim
I had meant to provide this little gem in last week’s Food Focus Friday, but seeing as I will be addressing AI in the Lounge today, I wanted to share a quick, pertinent anecdote.
When we first encountered ChatGpt in my high school, we were both amazed and disturbed by the facility and implications of the technology. In fear of a robot takeover, we instantly started assessing its capabilities but also its limitations. I asked the bot about where to get the best cheesesteaks. The bot, quickly and politely responded that it could not formulate a true opinion, but that the best were probably served in Philadelphia with Jimmy’s, Geno’s, Pat’s and Tony Luke’s making the list. Information I had already discerned from human experience, so not only can the tech abomination not provide opinions, it cannot provide details about the sensorial experience. One of my classmates, a resident of Philadelphia, highly praises Dalassandro’s Steaks and Hoagies. He has offered to take me to continue my quest, and I will certainly take him up on it. Thanks, but no thanks, ChatGpt, but I will continue to trust in the recommendations of entities with a pulse.
Now, that I have whet your whistle, let’s hit the Lounge.
Hitting the Spa
Last week, I discussed the basics of promoting interactive reading. This week, I would like to talk about writing and some ways to combat student indifference and instructor burnout. When I start my writing class, I always tell my students that writing is hard work and that when they work hard, they are entitled to some cozy indulgence at the SPA.
S – Style (the appropriate format for the composition)
s- Personal Style and voice
P – Purpose
A- Audience.
If they take nothing away from that first day or the course as a whole except this acronym, then I am happy. If it is all you take away from my blathering, than I will also be happy.
Clearly, the form should match the intent. You don’t want to write a dual timeframe narrative to complete your shopping. A list will do. Although, that is a cool creative writing assignment. If you are writing a letter, use letter format.
Similarly, the audience of the piece will dictate the diction, elaboration and even tone. “If you satiate yourself with the homogenized byproduct of a bovine, you may experience rapid reverse peristalsis.” Don’t think a second grader is going to grasp this. “If you drink too much milk, you may vomit.” Now, we’re talking.
With those key elements broached and considered, I shine my learning light on the most important aspect of my writing philosophy- purpose. My students were always asking me for relevancy in their learning, but the power of a writing class is that the students themselves are creating relevancy.
I do not give writing assignments. I offer writing opportunities. Semantics, yes, but necessary semantics. I have already discussed how the archaic, traditional nature and timetable of school is not conducive to effective reading, and the same is true for writing. Every student has their own writing process, and their own needs, so teaching a writing assignment in a set pattern, is inorganic and counterproductive.
P., I teach composition every fourth period, every day. Yes. I will discuss alternative schedules and instructional pedagogy soon. The key is not when you are teaching writing, but how.
Provide opportunities for writing that have real purpose and let the students dictate those purposes. The workshop model works if there is a self-directed end game, and flexibility during the idea gathering, drafting, and revising stages.
There will always be problems with complacency and accountability, but if young writers can write, “what they want,” and the instructor can reflect and respond to what is being produced, then the writing will be authentic, enlightening and provide clear formative direction to each of your student writers.
Teachers should not be grading or providing feedback for every word that is written. Sessions should be held to discuss pre-writing techniques and some professional discretion of which ones will yield the best results for the business at hand should be overtly taught. This may sound contradictory, but if the students are working on narrative (which can take many forms), then narrative pre-writing techniques should be highlighted. It just makes sense, but, at the end of the day, how the student writer lands on a topic is not important.
I will say, that, once again, this requires patience, tolerance and a bit of anxiety for the teacher. Students will be at different stages of their process, will need different “feed forward,” (a term coined by my colleague Mark Dursin), and, based on their own writing ability and experience, will have different approaches to even a “stock” writing assignment.
The only reasons your 20-22 writers are sitting in your writing class is 1) It’s required 2) They were born in the same year 3) It fits their schedule. None of these reasons take into account their readiness, talent, interest, or desire.
Some practical advice:
Writing assignments with inherent purpose:
Poetry – especially about love and relationships
Letters – of complaint, of request, of introduction. – Students have real complaints and these writing assignments not only bear authentic response; they have pragmatic applications outside the classroom.
College Admissions Essays – One of my students (thank you Keira) called these PPE (Personal Purpose Experiences) applicable to even those students who do not plan on attending college. The personal essay allows students to take stock of who they are and what they like to do (at least in the short term).
Reviews – They are structured and work on many different elements of style, they are also low stakes and objective.
Commentary – Persuasion is a form and a bit didactic. Commentary allows more freedom of expression and more nuance of argumentative technique.
Rhetorical Analysis (Warning: Could Cause Writer’s Block and Revolt). I feel strongly that looking at the models of someone who does a task/craft way better than you is always beneficial. My caveat is do not bog down in the written expression of what they are seeing. It is strained and dreadful. Let them pick one or two techniques and experiment with them. Small group and full class analysis can help illuminate different techniques used by the chosen authors. Do not spend too much time discussing what the terms are – they will most likely never remember them – but they will learn strategies in augmenting their expression.
DON’T TEACH LITERARY ANALYSIS
This assignment is a staple of any English class, and it is clear why it has lasted. One of the best ways to assess critical reading and teach the foundations of expository writing is the tried-and-true literary analysis. The issue is that very few, even fewer if you read my first column from The Lounge, of young writers will choose to become English majors and fewer still will end up as ELA teachers.
There are other ways to assess effective reading, and there is really no room for a literary analysis in a composition course.
The literary analysis is used so often, that this is the core of where students lean on artificial intelligence. In future posts, I will discuss how to deal with this new challenge in a productive way. My only comment today, is that the answer is not to accept it. The answer is not to have all graded writing done in class with you, the teacher, hovering over shoulder. The answer is in the previous paragraphs. Make the writing done in class, worthwhile, purposeful, and personal. Students are driven by grades and extrinsic motivators, no question, but they all have an innate desire to express themselves. Let them, on their own terms, and in their own time.
The naively optimistic last sentence necessitates a paradigm shift in class construction, class enrollment and teacher load limits, and a commitment to a focus on writing in every class. At one point, during my career, writing WAS emphasized in every class, duties were aligned to aid in writing instruction, and a human being reviewed teacher’s schedules before they were assigned. That was a glorious time, and a time that can and should come again.
Final Thoughts
Writing needs to be graded in a holistic manner (portfolio). Students should not be penalized for missing parts of the process.
In order to effectively teach writing, there should be two teachers in each composition classroom (regardless of level).
Artificial Intelligence should be acknowledged and used effectively, but the penalties for inappropriate use and plagiarism should be stern and impactful.
English teachers, whose schedules are rife with writing courses, should have the option of only teaching four classes.
Lean on Me
One of the other major aspects of writing I stress to my students is being an observer of life, so you are open to any and all occasions for writing. In the inchoate stages of this blog, I have had to sincerely practice what I preach. My aforementioned colleague Mark Dursin was in school today to prepare for the upcoming year. His classes have been scheduled in my old room, and he was given pause by the stir of echoes. He texted me, and I began to commiserate with Mark and all other educators.
I will not be in the classroom this fall. Hopefully, I will not be beset by the unnerving school dreams or the slow grind of an eroding summer, but I know my fellow teachers, my dear friends, and even my daughter are experiencing these very things.
All I can say, is that once a teacher always a teacher. Lean on your colleagues, inside the classroom and out. Complain to each other. Laugh with each other. Learn from each other. Best of luck to all of you, and have a wonderful start to the school year. If I can help, only in the case of a dire emergency, feel free to break the glass.
Love and laughter,
P.