Final Reflection for Basic Writing Theory

For this past year, being in the class Writing Center Theories and Practice and Basic Writing Theory, I was made aware of how challenged my students are in being successful as college students. Even though, this program is focused on Adult and non traditional students in college, I believe that my high school students will be students that will face the same issues and problems that adult and non-traditional students will face. Primarily, many of my students are generation 1.5 students, ESL, or they have many issues with their literacy skills. I started to treat my class as if it was an adult education class. I thought to myself, “aren’t they adults?” Most of my students work to support their families, or they are young mothers with their own families, some of them have been in and out of jail already, and they are trying to balance school responsibilities with home life and work.

I was moved by the issues that incoming Basic Writing students face, because I know that in a year, if my students decide to go to college they’ll be in those classes. Most of my students are not confident in their abilities because there is no one they felt would be proud of them, or told them “good job.” I took the information I learned about access to education and created some access for them to learn about colleges and have them think about the paths they want to take. I transformed my class into a writing and reading intensive class so they have many opportunities to produce and interact with text. Fortunately, my attrition rates for my class has significantly increased. Even though I could not get some of my students, it was a relief looking in my grade book that there was an increase in student achievement.

My students are not fluent with language, but I believe they are well on their way. They want to go to college, and a good number of them are planning on attending community college and then transferring to a senior college. Before, college was not in their sights, and they have an idea on how intensive college courses can be because I tried my best to incorporate the theories of Basic Writing into my classrooms. I feel as if this year of teaching has been my most successful year because I learned how to design a syllabus which has eased some stress from teaching because now I can create a clear plan for myself and also some of my students are walking away with confidence of their abilities and goals to overcome when before they had none.

Curriculum Research Project

The following link will lead you to my curriculum research project of Facts, Artifacts and Counterfacts by David Bartholomae and David Petrosky.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u071J_r7bUwVQguqcNfx-qDNRiqvL5QLFuwFpGJhs3w/edit?hl=en&authkey=COmsqq4M

Syllabus Design Project

The first syllabus design project that I had submitted I had received a B+. I have updated and revised the project and this is my updated project.

My Assignment has been uploaded on google documents and you just need to paste this link and my assignment should appear.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EoKHSd9uzQHrC-a63pmu2sbHfve0Y-liXSbsqWVrzoU/edit?hl=en&authkey=CNLQitYB

Response to Jane Parkerton

I agree that a relationship with the student makes a world of a difference. A lot of inner city students do not have guidance at home because they have an absentee father and a mother who works many hours. These students lack direction and structure. Or because of circumstances, they feel as if no one cares about them, and they have no one to be proud of their accomplishments. I know that my students beam when I put "good job" on their test with a shiny star sticker. And they collect these stickers as if they are badges of accomplishments. To them, if it seems like someone cares about them they care more about themselves, and they try harder to make their teacher and themselves proud.
By creating an environment where the student feels safe, connected, encouraged and accomplished can foster tools for the student to apply in different classes and aspects of their lives.
It takes a lot of time and effort on both the student and teacher to establish a relationship, and this is a necessary step. For students to trust a teacher with their academic vulnerability is very scary for them. And for a teacher to help develop their skills, they have to develop trust with the student. By letting the teacher in on their troubles with writing can they let their defenses down to be shaped into better writers.

Response to Jane Maher

I really enjoyed Jane Maher's visit to our class. I thought at first it would be specifically about Mina Shaugnessy and her work. I was very interested and amazed at all the artifacts Jane Maher had brought to the classroom. I felt very apprehensive getting a glimpse into Mina Shaugnessy's life through pictures and letters she had written at first. She was a distant figure, and I felt more appreciative of her efforts for basic writing by seeing her as a human being.
Jane was hilarious and so easy to listen to. I appreciated her divulging her academic struggles and the work she's doing for non-traditional students. And I felt inspired because she works so hard for the women in prison by always fighting for their education and their right to learn. She's making a difference because she's a resource to give these women a better way of life so that they do not return to prison. Sometimes I wonder if I should stay in a tough impact school with high crime rates, but if they don't have care and support then they fail, which doesn't help society. Jane helped reinforce that I want to continue to teach students that need a lot of attention and guidance.

Response to Melanie

I was a student of an educator that neglected my differences. When I had started Kindergarden I did not know how to speak any English. My parents spoke Bangla to me at home, and when I started school, I didn't know how to communicate with my teacher. My classmates all spoke English, and were predominantly white. I didn't know what my teacher was saying to me, but, I understood her body language, tone of voice and facial expression. She was extremely frustrated with me and in turn, neglected me. She just avoided teaching me, and sent me to the ESL office when I didn't understand anything. The ESL office only knew how to deal with students that spoke Spanish and not Bangla. I didn't want to go to school. I used to feign illness, because I felt like an outsider, and because my teacher was so mean, I didn't want to be in her presence.
Being an educator now, I try my hardest to include my students' differences, and not shun them because of it. I know that it was a troubling time for me until I did learn English. But because I felt unwanted, and that I was a nuisance, I didn't want to go to school. I am sure that this does not change for many other students at whatever age they are. The feeling of being put down for my differences was enough for me to want to give up.

Response to Natasha

It is very upsetting to learn of the injustice Willie and his family faced over his brother's death. Unfortunately, the stereotype is that Black English is seen as unintelligible and unintelligent. That people that speak with that dialect or ignorant and ill-educated people. This same stereotype is perpetuated by educators, they these students and their voices are not worth listening to because they "sound ignorant." Many students become resistant and resentful because they feel as if their identity is being stripped away. But it's not just Black English, any other form of English that isn't White English is seen that way.
I think that the letters may have been taken more seriously if it was written in White English because it is the standard. But overall, I believe that with the bias against inner-city black people, they are stereotyped as criminals and cops are always shown leniency. Even today, with all of the media and news coverage of unwarranted cop shootings and beatings, these cops don't ever receive an extreme form of punishment. Now if a cop shot an upper-class white person with no just cause, I am sure the media and public would be in an uproar and the policemen would receive punishment.