How to Reach Realistic Expectations in the Classroom

As teachers, we have certain expectations we want students to achieve. These are often the driving force behind each task we assign to the student. In FSEM 100L1: the Beatles in the 21st Century, the students' first written assignment instructed them how to gather secondary field information through interviews with two separate generations of Beatles' fans. The first oral assignment taught them how to form a successful argument through the correct use of ethos, pathos and logos, as well as giving each student what might be his or her first experience in public speaking.

These goals are absolutely necessary for a student to succeed in the college environment and in the professional workplace. However, other small goals are just as important as public argumentation and field research. For example, class participation. Expressing opinions in the classroom may seem like a given, or even not that important, but a student who offers a perspective relative to the subject will most likely continue this practice outside of the classroom, whereas students who don't participate as regularly are less likely to share opinions and ideas within the professional workplace.

Now, there are exceptions to every rule. Many students choose not to speak up in class due to a shy nature. Other students are wary of the classroom atmosphere, either through fear of their opinions being shot down or being unsure whether their opinion would be considered relevant material. Personally, I fall into both categories. As an introvert, I often test the waters, as it were, during the first several weeks of classes. I take into account the professor's demeanor, the personalities of the different students and the class expectations. I usually won't speak out in class until after I feel comfortable with the classroom setting, and this process can take a while, anywhere from the first two weeks to halfway through the semester.

I have great sympathy for students struggling to find the courage to speak up and participate in class, but there is one type of student who frustrates me, and many teachers and professors, greatly: the one who simply doesn't care. All teachers experience this student at one time or another. They show up on the first day and sometimes won't be back until the first test of the semester. They choose the seat furthest from the professor and avoid eye contact during discussion ("if I don't look at him, he won't call on me" style). This student is not only doing themselves a disservice, but it's frustrating for the professor who sees the student's potential, and how much opportunity is just going past them without the student's apparent notice.

I've found that the most effective way to encourage class participation is through the use of participation cards. Each time a student contributes to the discussion in class, he or she writes down the date (and sometimes the topic) on an index card and turns it into the professor at the conclusion of class. This method is particularly effective with placing the responsibility of participation on the student. If she or he doesn't meet the standards of class participation, well, the card's in their hands.

I mentioned earlier the underlying motivations of each writing/oral assignment. In her blog Bits, Elizabeth Wardle describes the expectations behind the writing assignments she gives her students: 1) Readers and writers observe what is in the text; 2) Writing requires revision and can never be entirely perfect; 3) Using writing knowledge in disparate contexts requires careful reflection. These expectations are set for upperclassmen as opposed to first-year students, but the precedent still holds true. Good student writing requires lots of revision, and an awareness of the audience's interpretation of the piece. The sooner these rules can be instilled in the minds of first-year students, the sooner they will reach their full potential as college-level writers.

The Purpose of Transformation

One of the toughest college courses I ever took was English 101.

It was the first semester of my freshman year, and thus, the selection of open classes was pretty sparse. But the one I was most looking forward to was English 101. It was titled "Writing Workshop" (best words to a prospective creative writing major's ears). And after all, how hard could a 100 level course be?

A week later, I was overwhelmed, just from "Writing Workshop". Yes, the 101 class. The professor, now active chair of the University of Mary Washington (UMW)'s ELC (English, Linguistics, and Communications Dept.), assigned the students a personal essay due the first week. Then the sixteen or so students were divided into groups to workshop each other's essays. On top of that, we continued to write more essays. By the end of two weeks maximum, I was so stressed that I dropped the class.

Looking back at that 101 class with a senior's perspective, I realize it actually wasn't as intensive as it seemed to my freshman self. But this brings up an interesting point: what is the role of English 101 in college?

Nichole Stack calls this course a "transformation", specifically about the ways in which we think about writing and actually applying them. Stack defines this transformation as "the emancipatory process of becoming critically aware ot how and why the structure of psycho-cultural assumptions has come to constrain the way we see ourselves and our relationships, reconstituting this structure to permit a more inclusive and discriminating integration of experience and acting upon these new understandings." Stack goes on to examine which areas of the thought process can be influenced by this transformation, including

• explorations for new roles and actions
• building of self-confidence and competence in new roles
• planning a course of action and acquisition for knowledge and skills 

Although these areas appear as rather general, they can certainly be narrowed down to influence the writing process for college students. We can look at the different areas of focus in my English 101 class and see elements of Stack's transformation process:

1) Writing personal essays: My professor assigned each student to write from their own perspective on a subject matter of their choice. This assignment can be seen as a method of building self-confidence in the young writer. Rather than being given a topic, the professor gave her students the ability to choose their own, but also gave them the realization that their opinions and their choice of subject were important.

2) Workshopping: My introduction to the workshop process in English 101 was terrifying at the time, but I have since workshopped in no less than five other classes, and find it the most helpful tool for my writing process. One benefit of the workshop is the ability to experiment with different styles of writing and form, either through personal choice or through the suggestion of a classmate. An outside perspective is, I would argue, absolutely necessary for good writing. It allows the piece to be examined by actual writers prior to publication who will bring up questions and concerns which may affect future readers. 

3) Tying it together: Writing and editing. This is the core of the writing process. And what better way than to repeat it on a weekly basis? Well, at the time it was an overwhelming experience, but theoretically it makes sense. Practice makes perfect, you know.

So, now we know the necessity of English 101. But many universities, including UMW, don't consider this a mandatory class. This is where the freshman seminar can step in. The point of the freshman seminar is to introduce first-year students to the fundamentals of writing at a college level. Incorporating these methods of the transformation process will address the same issues as the English 101 course (in a less intimidating way, one hopes). 

College-level writing...what "level"?

In my previous journal, I cited passages from Sullivan and Tinberg's What Is "College-Level" Writing? which describe the many methods of teaching college level writing, including the First Year Writing Experience, group workshop and the Rhetoric program. Each method prepares the student for a different area of collegiate writing and the methods can (and should) be combined and interchanged for diverse writing.

However, not everyone is of the same opinion. Peter Elbow, emeritus professor of English at the University of Massachusetts, wrote "What is Real College Writing? Let the Disagreement Never End" as an argument against Sullivan and Tinberg's methods. Elbow argues that if there is a "college-level" which students must attain, than how does one determine what this level is? And with such a diversity in students' academic strengths, should there be one level for all students?

Elbow writes, "I'm troubled at a decision to investigate what goes on or what ought to go on in first-year composition without looking at all the rest of the writing that the students will have to do in their continuing college courses...But I had a larger and more complicated frustration. That little word "level" in the title was a signal that I missed at first. Bur it preoccupied most of the writers and led them to assume that their job was to figure our levels or standards. In other words, the impulse that informs both volumes is mostly normative. They investigate not so much what college writing is but what it should be." (Elbow, 154)

Unfortunately, Elbow doesn't specifically state what he means by "preoccupation". If I understand his definition, however, I'd say this is less of a preoccupation and more of a concern that these students are receiving the preparation they need for higher levels of learning, not to mention the skills that a prospective career may demand from them in the future. 

Elbow states four main objections to this standard of college-level writing: "refuseniks" (kids or adults who don't like to follow instruction); those who don't meet the standard because they don't like the standard set for them; those who prefer an inferior style of writing; and those who are academically slow. These kinds of people drop out of an academic setting, Elbow writes, because they can't reach the level set for college students.

So, what Elbow is stating is that if certain types of students are unable or unwilling to reach this academic level, than the level should no longer be an issue. Remove it, he argues. But if you remove the barrier which may be keeping some students from reaching the "college-level", you are also removing the challenge that enables not only these students, but all college students, to become excellent writers. 

Let's break down these four types of students:

"Refuseniks" and dislike of set standards: Elbow refers to their unwillingness to prescribe to the standards of college-level writing as a dislike of obedience, but the name he gives them pretty much summarizes their attitude: they refuse to adhere to the academic responsibility they are held to. If such a student is allowed to slack on academics, any type of academia, how will this refusal to follow assignments change when they reach the corporate world? Chances are a boss is not going to exempt them from standards because they refuse to adhere to them.

Preference of inferior writing styles: Unfortunately, these writers are becoming more prolific. Just look at E.L. James and Fifty Shades of Grey. Because writers like James are producing the New York Times Bestsellers, we are looking at poorly written books which are influencing writers of the future. Writers are influenced by everything around them, and especially by what they read. They will strive to imitate the writing styles of their favorite writers. If these authors are writing books like FSOG, the bar is lowered. And slowly the level of writing produced by authors will be lowered as well.

The mentally-slow learner: It's tempting to lower the bar for mentally-challenged students. After all, aren't they trying twice as hard to complete the same task that another student can complete in one sitting? In the end, however, this lowering of the bar does nothing for the student. Setting these challenges before such a student is a mental challenge. It exercises the brain in such a way that an easy task could never do. This is the reason many colleges have a campus writing center with tutors to train students in the process of college level writing. It may take longer for students with these mental challenges to reach college-level writing, but once they reach the bar, their writing will blossom. This perseverance will carry them through university and into the professional world where they will be able to compete with their peers.  

When you look at the solutions to solve the challenges faced by college students, there is no reason to remove the level set for college students. In fact, it makes these standards of "college-level writing" all the more necessary for student success in and beyond university. 

College Writing Styles: What's the Difference?

The freshman seminar is a great way to introduce first-year students to the collegiate environment through introducing speaking, writing and technological skills necessary for college through an alternate subject of interest to the student.

But is the freshman seminar the only way to introduce first year students to collegiate level writing?

According to "What is College Writing for?", from What is College Level Writing?, the freshman seminar, or "First Year Writing Orientation", is one of many successful methods of teaching collegiate writing skills to freshman students. Others include the traditional five-paragraph essay, Sociopolitical writing, and the Rhetoric program.

All of these methods successfully teach students how to write at a college level.The only twist is some are better at certain writing styles than others. The Rhetoric program incorporates classical rhetorical concepts to contemporary essays through the use of ethos, pathos and logos. Sociopolitical writing teaches students how to bring about more democratic and personally humane economic, social and political arrangements.

The benefit of the First Year Writing Orientation (FSEM) over these other methods is the opportunity to incorporate different styles of writing and argumentation, including the ones mentioned above, into one course. It also offers the opportunity to introduce first year students to academic life through discussion based argumentation, which aren't necessarily incorporated into these other programs.

Another benefit that the FSEM offers is an immersion in discussion and technology through multimedia presentations. Classroom discussion offers students a chance to practice argumentation and exchange opinions. These opinions are just as important to collegiate writing as traditional research, and this method of discussion allows freshmen students to practice this exchange of opinion on a casual level before incorporating them into an argument.

One method not mentioned in the "What is College Writing for?" is the use of writing workshop. In the chapter "The Great Conversation (of the Dining Hall)", one student offers her opinion on learning collegiate writing the hard way: through writing a six page, researched paper on Tolkien's fantasy for her honors class. After several failed attempts and sleepless nights, she recalls sitting down with a group of friends in the dining hall and asking, "Do you mind if I talk about Tolkien?"

She expressed her opinions and what she was trying to argue. Her friends asked questions and offered arguments of their own. She gathered the information from their opinions as material and received an excellent grade on her final paper.

As a creative writing major, I can attest to the importance of writing workshops. I can write and rewrite a paper, creative or academic, and think it covers all necessary angles, but if I show it to a few of my friends, they can usually find a weak link in the argument. Now I use the writing workshop method not only for creative writing and academic work but also for personal writing, especially if I'm looking to have the work published.

I consider the methods taught in the FSEM to be a great introduction to college level writing and believe it offers students a thorough immersion into the academic atmosphere. However, I wish I had been introduced to the writing workshop during my FSEM. My papers have always been improved through asking others' opinions and I feel that this is an essential skill for first year students to incorporate into their collegiate wriitng skills.

Music: a Vehicle for Learning

When writing an academic journal, there are three essential components: Report, React, and Reflect. These three  levels help by accessing the information, forming one's own opinion of the information and compiling into a journal that clearly reflects the information and the personal opinion in a ____ manner.

These first few weeks of the FSEM have been focused on addressing the Beatles as a vehicle to assist college freshman in understanding their academic responsibilities. To understand the subject material, the students have been introduced to the music of the Beatles through Tim Riley's discography Tell Me Why. Riley writes out the music on each track, noting chord changes, key changes, drum fills and lyrics to write out the music on paper. However, one can't actually hear the music from reading Riley's book. To hear these different components Riley sites in Tell Me Why, the students listen to the songs while reading the material corresponding to each song. 

The interesting part about this method is how it works both sides of the brain through visual and auditory learning. The right side of the brain is primarily dominant in language: reading, writing, and speaking. The left side of the brain processes recognition and music. In this type of assignment, reading and listening to the accompanying music allows both sides of the brain to be actively processing the information for better understanding and comprehension.  

Since the FSEM is focused on assisting students to develop speaking, writing and technology to be better equipped for academic studies, each assignment focuses on taking a subject of interest, in this case the Beatles' music, and applying the information to an area of study. One of the assignments this past week was to write a short in-class essay on their favorite Beatles' song from their first album and first five singles, with an explanation of why it was their favorite. The responses of what made a particular Beatles' song their favorite ranged from subject content and harmony to historical value and voice. 

Although discussing the components of one's favorite pop song may seem unimportant, there is an underlying factor: the argument of value. By compiling a list of reasons as to why this particular song was their favorite, the students established criteria (stating which song they felt was the best of these particular songs) and reasons showing how the subject met the stated criteria through a list of sound reasons. 

I consider these methods to be successful in helping students to acquire writing skills necessary for collegiate level courses. By introducing these skills through a subject that the student already finds interesting, they will adopt these skills more easily than through a challenging academic subject. After acquire these writing skills, the student will be able to successfully adapt them to upper level research and writing projects.