During last semester's Teaching Adolescent Lit final, Shannon asked our class to identify one thing that we had learned throughout the course of the class. It didn't take me long to realize that I want to be an influence to my students' discovery and development of their voices. It is interesting to now think about empowering my students in the context of grammar.
Weaver's discussion about second language acquisition particularly ties into my hope. Language is power: How something is said is just as important - if not more important - than what is said. We gravitate to errors; they glare at us, obscuring whatever meaning is within them. But when we bleed corrections over a student's page, the student is cut too. If you are always told that you are doing wrong, you begin to feel wrong.
Has a teacher ever made you feel like a failure? Just last week, a professor responded to me in a way that made me feel like the most disappointing, wretched failure that ever dared to breathe a word in her class.
This is true for all students, but especially students who are working with English for the first time. They are acutely aware that they are behind. They do not feel confident with this new language. Thus, Weaver advocates a constructivist approach to grammar that will empower - not discourage - the student in his language acquisition.
Code-switching: A really effective visual. A balance of respect for the student's language and understanding of the role of a unified standard of the rules of English. Maintains the student's voice in his initial language while allowing them an "in" to the English language.
No failure here: Treating errors as learning opportunities versus failures. It hurts to be labeled as a failure. We need to keep our students as far away from this fruitless construction as possible.
The Perfection Trap: As a self-professed perfectionist and optimist (especially when it comes to writing), it is difficult to accept that students will not fully grasp every single grammar concept. Every error will not disappear. But didn't we already establish that we are not going to focus on errors? [Working on that...]
Encourage risks: A comfortable classroom environment is a nonnegotiable. Students must be able to trust and experiment. This is the only way to ensure organic and real growth in student writing. Also inspires confidence and excitement in writing. "[C]hildren - everyone, really - will work much harder on a piece of writing when they are truly engaged with it and truly eager to share it with a wider audience" (183).
Saving expository writing: Yes! Persuasive writing can be exciting! Every single thing that a student writes is an expression of that student. Expository writing - and every writing - must be transformed into an opportunity for our students. Not to write another "5 paragraph essay" but to let their voice be heard.
***A final, barely-developed thought: Breaking the rules can say more than following them.***
I think that you summed up the message of this passage more beautifully than I could, so I'll simply respond to your thoughts. I believe that as teachers, we need to remember the power that our opinions, either percieved or real, can have upon our students. Since I can certainly remember feeling like a "disappointing, wretched failure" in my classes, I hope that I can cultivate an environment in which students can feel comfortable in making mistakes. I think that part of that is acknowledge that we as teachers are also learning along with our students. We're just as prone to mistakes as them, and I think that if we can admit that to our students they might be more inclined to trust us and not feel as if their mistakes must be burned in the flames of red pen.
ReplyDelete"Language is power: How something is said is just as important - if not more important - than what is said. We gravitate to errors; they glare at us, obscuring whatever meaning is within them. But when we bleed corrections over a student's page, the student is cut too. If you are always told that you are doing wrong, you begin to feel wrong."
ReplyDelete^This is a perfect example of POWERFUL LANGUAGE. I am sentence stalking you! THis passage is both true and moving, and any teacher who has ever held a red pen over a paper without taking into consideration the damage they are about to do, should have to read this. I know that not making any corrections isn't realistic or even helpful- of course, there are some things in students writing that need correction, but there are ways of doing that so that student's don't get "cut". Learning is an experience, and mistakes are expected. Give students a chance to learn from those mistakes...
I love the idea of "code-switching." As everybody knows, I am never going to be a teacher, but having a writing concentration as allowed me to see what happens when writers spend too much time focusing on the rules. They lose their unique writing voice. I really love how teachers are trying to find a balance between letting students be unique while still teaching them the rules. Good job pointing this out! I thought it was important too!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think the passage you pointed out about "encouraging risks" is another wonderful teaching strategy. Pointing out that students won't be as engaged in their writing unless they are willing to share it with a wider audience, is a really good point. I don't unnecessarily know if a student should always want to go out and publish everything that they write, but what this passage shows is that students should always have pride in their writing. Encouraging pride is the key to an effective writing classroom.