This week’s readings made me reevaluate some of my commentary on freshman work. Both Bruffee and Hartwell made excellent points about how students learn writing. After reading Bruffee, I began to take a much less authoritative stance in my commentary. Instead of handing out absolute truths from my ivory tower, I began to ask questions and frame comments, aiming to be more conversational than prescriptive. For example, I’d ask the a student “can you convince the reader that ‘specific examples’ is a rhetorical device?” Before I would write something like “your words choice is too vague to write a meaningful rhetorical analysis.” I wonder which approach is more effective. I think that leading a student to her or his own conclusions is a much gentler and more helpful way of meaning making.
However, since I can’t see students' reactions to my comments, it’s difficult to know exactly what kind of impact my comments have. I worry that students don’t care enough to ponder my questions, and that they look at my commentary and become frustrated, thinking, “you’re supposed to tell me what to do.” If this is the case, then the students’ whole mental map of education is flawed. Education is ultimately about having intelligent conversations, but it isn’t modeled that way, especially throughout elementary, middle, and high school. In those models, students are supposed to shut up and listen to the teacher. This sets up a flawed power structure where students necessarily feel inferior when they might have fresh and new perspectives on things.
As a grader, I feel powerless to combat the years of faulty institutional training students may have received. I feel damned no matter what course of action I take.
Damned if we do, damned if we don't. I know how you feel. And you are right about how the, "you're supposed to tell me what to do" mentality is fostered by the education system. This even flows into the college level. Most undergrad classes operate upon the premise of the "superior" instructor imparting his/her "wisdom" to the "inferior" students. I realized really quickly as an undergrad that it was about figuring out what the instructor wanted, giving to him/her, getting the grade, and moving on to the next thing. Honestly, it broke my heart. With few exceptions, it wasn't until grad school that I had a true learning experience. We can't revolutionize the system, at least not yet. All we can do is the best we know how and hope it is enough.
ReplyDeleteI understand how you feel. I sometimes frame my commentary in the form of questions, though I also wonder about its effectiveness. If there were a bigger space in the system for us to discourse with students, it would definitely be a more effective method of giving feedback. As it is, collaborative learning may be beyond the limits of our current job responsibilities. (Next year will be a different story.) That doesn't mean I think we should limit ourselves to dictatorial prescriptive commentary. I think we should try to include both. We do have a measure of authority over these students, as we’re handing out their grades. Our commentary needs to reflect that. At the same time, we should try to create opportunities for discourse (limited as they may be) by asking them open-ended questions that they can choose to engage with or not. Some students might get frustrated, but the opportunity is being held out there for them anyway. I’m not saying it’s a perfect compromise, but I think it’s the best we can do for now.
ReplyDeleteI too have felt like my commentary and way of approaching student papers has changed as a result of this class. The ideas presented by many of these writers assert that students need to be treated not as equals, but not as complete inferiors either. This then will allow them to enter into the conversation and that their ideas will flower and flourish into higher and better education. However, we know that this is not necessarily the truth try as we might, and I think you hit it on the head by attributing it to the flawed elementary and secondary education systems. Students are taught not to think and just to listen from the beginning, look for the number or letter at the top of their page and move on. It is sad, and it is worse that this is what we are dealing with in our grading. I guess in my opinion, we just keep giving them helpful and useful commentary with some instructions, but ultimately giving them an open ending to do with as they like.
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