As I thought about the writing prompt for today’s blog, it soon became difficult to decide what the three most important beliefs I had about teaching. I kept thinking what values would I teach about composition, and I soon realized that my own values would integrate core theoretical frameworks of composition as well as pragmatic examples that have shaped me mentally as well as socially and cultural. Therefore, my first teaching value is that a teacher should have a sincere understanding of societal, cultural and socio-economic values as well as the willingness to teach different cultural perspectives in their classrooms.
I believe that this notion of teaching different perspectives is not only important for the students but for the professor as well. Along with this concept of teaching different perspectives, sometimes the assumption is made by many that I am speaking of diversity and of course this would automatically make it a racial issue. Sadly and mistakenly this is not the case, and while some people ignorantly make these assumptions, it reaffirms my first value. Because when professors make the error of teaching different cultural perspectives focused only on race, it marginalizes and displaces other cultural groups.
Secondly, I believe another important concept of teaching composition is learning to teach it as a necessity to success instead of a commodity that is consumed and discarded by students after the semester is finished. It is inevitable that as a professor of composition, a wide range of students will be taking the course, therefore; these students will be from all types of majors. This may be the only time that any of these students will be in an environment where they will be able to focus solely on their writing skills. As a teacher of composition this is the perfect opportunity to really help students understand rhetoric and the importance of developing good writing skills for all their future endeavors.
Lastly, my third value is teaching classes in order for the students to really learn. I understand that ‘learning just to learn’ is a romanticized notion, especially when it is competing in a capitalistic society ruled by consumerism. But it is a value that is important. Coming into graduate course work, I hold the unique position of being a teacher and a student, but I was also an undergraduate three moths ago. I was the student who was obsessed about grades and not concerned about the ideology of learning. However, as I became a junior and a senior at Texas A&M, my perspectives began to change, especially when I began to prepare for graduate school.
I remembered a professor my freshmen year of college who taught bell hooks in her English women writers’ class. As a student I was delighted when I discovered a new perspective on racial politics. It changed my life, figuratively and literally. That professor was amazing. I recalled being eighteen and naively thinking that a woman of a different race knew more about African-American literature than I did at the time. In addition, she was more open-minded to different perspectives. For me, it only took one professor. It only took one person who believed in teaching to give me the knowledge and the tools to succeed. Because of her, I wanted to achieve more. I received a C that semester in the course, but it did not matter, because that professor gave me the tools that started me on the path that I am still walking today.
1 comment:
I have to say that this is a powerful and moving description of important concepts for a freshman composition class. I agree that instructors have a unique opportunity to affect the way that students view the world. However, I question whether anyone can truly teach from different perspectives. A wise man once said, “That I may never reach my goal does not matter, the effort yields its own rewards.” I believe that the attempt to teach from differing perspectives is of more value to students than succeeding in teaching from those perspectives. It would enable students to feel comfortable to try visualizing from outside their comfort zones. If they don’t make it, that’s okay. The attempt is what matters. It seems that many of us in this course concur that educating students to the value of writing is vital to their success not only as undergraduate students, but also in life. I agree that learning for the sake of learning is a “romanticized notion” and teachers should try (again the importance of the attempt) to instill this idea in their students. I also have had several professors who helped me realize and/or remember my love of learning. The next step is how do we persuade/instruct all teachers to promote this idea? Any thoughts?
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