13

Swanson

Linda Swanson

Dr Tara Lockhart

English 718

12 December 2012

Reflections: My First Semester of Teaching

104.37 & 104.51 First Year Composition Stretch

At the beginning of the semester, I envisioned this essay reflection to be a narrative of how I had made sense of my teaching experiences and the ongoing process of applying what I discovered to my teaching: how the course design and curriculum had worked, what I learned about the students, and what I learned about my teaching. But I had not expected an additional component, to learn about me. In my first semester of teaching, I discovered this is a soul-baring experience. As I journaled and wrote notes for each teaching session, I found myself spanning the spectrum of emotions, from elated after especially successful class sessions that rocked, to thoughts of Tintern Abbey and running off into the countryside to live as a hermit. At the semesters end, I know I am doing just what it is I should, teaching first year composition to my students. Now, as I write my reflections, I begin with the least personal aspect, what I learned about my course design and curriculum, and move toward me with, what I learned about & from my students, what I learned about my teaching, to finally what I learned about me. I conclude with how I am applying what I have learned.

What I learned about my course design and curriculum:

I had designed a theme-based course in English 710, Reading & Writing: Ecology, Ecocriticism, and the Environment, but when offered a GTA position, immediately opted to create a more student-focused course The Best Nonrequired Reading & Writing, covering a variety of topics based on the text, The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011. I also compiled a course reader to augment this text with articles, essays, excerpts from larger works, and short stories to complete the semesters curriculum. I reworked the five major essay assignments to replace those for the environmentally themed course, but retained the original trajectory of essay genres: a personal narrative, a reflective and expository essay, a difficulty paper, a research and rhetorical analysis, and culminating with a book club reflective essay. I was encouraged from feedback on my original essay prompts, and was confident that the redesigned essay assignments would provide effective learning opportunities and outcomes for the students.

Then it was day one of classes and I was still scrambling for just the right prompt for the in-class diagnostic essay for our next class session. None of the sample prompts seemed to be the right fit, and then it came to me: What obstacles, challenges, and discoveries have you made in your transition to college? I trusted that this question would generate responses from the students about their experiences after becoming acquainted in our first class meeting, and with about half of the students newly arrived in San Francisco for college. This prompt did indeed work, and became a thread throughout the series of essays over the semester. There it was, a work in progress that first week, but I did not recognize it in the moment, nor did I realize that I would be adapting all of the major essay assignments over the semester.

Essay one remained a personal narrative based on an oral history reading selection from the course text, An Oral History of Adama Bah. The prompt was adapted to refer to the components used in the diagnostic essay of personal obstacles, challenges, and discoveries made in the transition to college, and asked the students to write about their education, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Essay two was to be based on mapping annotation, a writing practice I had developed in English 715, and taught with a successful outcome as a guest teacher in English 555, The Short Story. Mapping annotation is the practice of creating and drawing a map from the annotations of a reading. I have been excited about mapping annotation and how it is generative for a deeper analysis of a text. But instead I discovered this practice did not work with my students, and they needed much more foregrounding for this to be a productive practice. A component of the lesson that has been successful is having students become more creative in their outlines for writing, encouraging them to draw arrows and various markings to connect ideas, and some students have expressed this has been helpful, perhaps the visual learners. However, I had to redesign essay two.

I retained the Mapping Annotation essay title as I was not ready to let it entirely go, but reworked the prompt to be an analysis and reflection of the short story, Leaving Maverley, with the students focusing on one of the two main characters. They were to look at their chosen character yesterday, today, and tomorrow, picking up this thread from essay one. The students were also to include two quotes from the story, and I prefaced this with in-class lessons on using quotes. This was a difficult essay, but it was productive. The students did a good job with their analysis of the story, their inclusion of quotes, and to consider a possible tomorrow for their chosen character. An added bonus to this assignment was that the short story had been taken from The New Yorker, November 28, 2011 issue, before it was published in the collection of short stories, Dear Life, by Alice Munro on November 13, 2012, and after the students had already completed their analyses. I was able to share with the students that their scholarship had been some of the first done with Leaving Maverley and the students were collectively impressed, and I heard some utterances of cool. But now I was facing essay three, and it was either a disaster waiting to happen, or the essay design would undergo a complete overhaul. I was able to acknowledge that the trajectory of my essays as originally planned, had been something of a train wreck. I had made the necessary repairs to essays one and two, and now I would dig in and keep this course on track. In retrospect, it is clear that what drove me to refine and redesign the essay assignments and corresponding lessons, was my students. I wanted to provide them with a course design that continued to build on writing and reading practices over the semester.

Out went the difficulty paper for essay three on The Death of the Author by Roland Barthes and Rereading Barthes and Nabokov by Zadie Smith, and instead this became a minor reading and writing lesson that surprisingly produced outstanding results. And in came a reflective and narrative essay on definitions based on Solitude and Leadership, the text of a speech given to an incoming class of plebes at the United States Military Academy at West Point by William Deresiewicz. The students building continued as they learned to access the Oxford English Dictionary and include a definition in their essay. The thread of obstacles the students have faced reappeared in this essay as they chose a characteristic of leadership discussed in the selection and related it to their own college experiences. This essay was the pinnacle of the five essays.

Essay four was originally to be a research and analysis essay of The Banking Concept of Education by Paulo Freire, and although the research component was put on hold for next semesters English 105 curriculum, I assigned the Freire chapter. In order to accommodate the assignment over fall break, I designed the essay as an interview of any combination of three family members and friends. The students were to explain the banking concept of education and critical thinking, and then pose questions to their interviewees asking about their educational experiences with the banking concept and critical thinking. The format of this interview essay included the questions the students asked, the interviewees responses, and the reflections by the students. The thread of education continued with this essay, and the students reflections about educational practices. I held my breath with this assignment over break, as they were also to be reading their book club selections, but it was a success, with only one student not submitting an essay. The interview responses and the students reflections were a pleasure to read. A few interviews were with elder family members and poignant, and I encouraged students to keep these essays.

Essay five remained in its original design, and is the reflection of the book club experience: the book selection, working with club members, and the book club presentation that includes an informational handout. Students will be turning in a final portfolio with the four essays of the semester and all revisions. Included in the portfolio will be essay five and a short reflective portfolio essay on the students writing over this semester. I distributed pocket folders, binder clips, and nametags for the portfolios, and a handout detailing the contents of the portfolio. I also handed out the prompts for essay five and the reflection essay for the portfolio so that all the information needed for the end of the semester is explicit.

My decision to change the course from my interests with an environmentally themed course to one the students could relate to, and one that covered a variety of topics with Nonrequired Reading & Writing and the accompanying text The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011, also known as BANR, was the basis for a successful course. Although I can envision teaching an environmentally themed course, it is my perception that I am not experienced enough to carry this off. BANR has a hip factor, is slightly edgy, and is so varied it accommodates changes and revisions in reading and writing assignments. My required text next semester is BANR 2012. The course reader worked well, took much thoughtful time to compile but was worth it, and may serve as a useful reference for students in the future.

What I learned about & from my students:

When I walk into my 104.51 class at 12:35 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday, I am energized and cannot help smiling at this group. What a powerhouse of personalities. I love my 104.37 eight oclock class too, but the students are sleepy and their energy level is in start-mode, so we approach things a bit more low-key. Collectively I have learned from my students about my teaching: their responses are the window to what works and what does not. As I reflected on various experiences with students this semester, I created this list of students and the various lessons, insights, and takeaways they have provided as an overview model.

Luis one of my AB 540 students. When I met with him to go over revisions in his personal narrative essay, he said this was the first time he had come out as being an AB 540 student and that it had empowered him.

Michelle the student that met me in my office to talk about how she could improve her C essay grades and her eyes just filled up with tears, but did not spill over, thankfully. Fortunately I had reread her student questionnaire before our meeting and was able to speak to her about her sports activities and it made all the difference. She tries so very hard, but English is not her native language. Her writing is improving.

Ruby & Eunice from China and Korea, respectively, and both adopted their own first names. They met in this English class and the two of them will begin whispering to one another while I am teaching like second graders. And these are two of the shyest students in my classes. Although their talking is of course unacceptable, it secretly warms my heart that they have become such good friends.

Faviola plagiarism. Ending your essay with a copy & paste paragraph-length flourish from a blog is unacceptable. The design of my essays has precluded much opportunity for plagiarism, but due to this episode, I now have the experience of speaking with a student in my office about the matter, resolving the issue, and lecturing to both classes on this.

Claire she self-describes in her interview essay reflection as, I have always been a teachers best friend and worst enemy. This is somewhat true, but she is her own worst enemy, not the teachers. She is a wonderful contributor, but has difficulty completing her assignments. She sat in a conference and blatantly lied to me that she had emailed me her essay. After receiving a 0/F on that essay, she was one of the first to turn in the next essay, and did an excellent job on it.

Robert the student that was not participatory, until given an iLearn news rant posting challenge. Competition works for Robert and he produced stellar responses, and won the book prize to this challenge rant. He is into his work for this course, and I suspect this is a change for him. He even presented me with a Giants rally towel one day after class.

Jenny the student that just stares at me and I know she wants to say something. She has shyly approached me after class to help with essay revision. She revealed in a recent essay that she wants to speak up in class, but is afraid her ideas are not worthy. I have been encouraging her, calling on her in class, and last week she took star status for her thorough book club postings.

Jessica a blatant texter, but once I got her to come in for her conference, she seems to have changed her attitude and become more attentive. The one-on-one personal contact makes a difference.

Priscilla the student with persistence, she joined our class in the second week, transferring sections which technically is not allowed. Her home is in Hong Kong, and she is self-navigating her education here, living with her grandparents. Her English reading and writing skills are commendable.

Clarisa & Ramona my withdrawal students. I tried reaching out to them both, but ultimately it was up to them. I had no closure with Clarisas withdrawal, as she did not attend class after emailing me that she was going through a difficult time, nor respond to any of my emails, and those informing her of the withdrawal and how to contact Karen Kingsbury to continue her studies at SFSU. Ramona was the opposite experience, not only showing up to meet with me in my office and stating her failure in the class was her fault, she misunderstood the consequences and showed up to the class session following her withdrawal, of which she had been informed through an email exchange. The withdrawals are unfortunate situations.

Courtney & Darryl my students that have shown resistance to every assignment, every class lesson, until fall break. After Courtney received a 0/F for an essay she did not do, she has turned it around. Since Darryl met with me in my office recently, he was the first person in his book club to complete the book, and I overheard him tell his group he could not put the book down. During his book club presentation he emphatically informed the class they must read this book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Daz. Score.

Oscar the student that continually enlightens me, helps me to see things from various perspectives, augments our lessons with theory, criticism, and relevant scholarship.

What I learned about my teaching:

I learned that becoming a teacher cannot be taught, but rather that it comes with the experience paired with a sense of confidence. Although I was comfortable in front of the classroom when I began teaching this semester, I had the sense that there was a missing component. Some class sessions went well and I felt good about what I was doing, and then others made me want to run off into the sunset, as I like to say. On October 2, I wrote decided today my students own me. There are thirty-five leeches attached to my body. I was being flip, and was in response to the many emails from students and all their individual needs, but it also was a good feeling, my sense of responsibility to each student. But after the next class session on October 4, I wrote, six weeks done! So exhausted and feeling of being utterly spent, fatigue, what will I do next week. Went running and felt great, and encouraged. I remember distinctly that day leaving campus, pushing myself to grocery shop on the way home, then peeled on my running clothes and went to Golden Gate Park for my run and felt good again. But I was not sure teaching was for me. Or rather that I was a good enough teacher for my students. A failure. But then thankfully the transformation took place.

My teaching took a dramatic turn after my classroom observation on October 25 by Tara Lockhart. Something clicked, and after that very session, I embodied being a teacher. It was not a role, but who I was with my students. There was no longer a sense of failure. And I have remained confident of my teaching. The changes I made with my curriculum correspond with the date of October 25, and the redesigned essay three prompt was distributed that day. Once I had this confidence in my curriculum and the remaining semester plan, I made this change in my teaching persona.

My favorite aspect of teaching is interacting with the students. I thoroughly enjoy each and every student and try to do the best for each student. Although challenging to reach each student, I find with creativity thrown into the lessons and teaching, various students are reached. An example is my student, Robert, as he became a standout student after the news rant challenge I offered on iLearn. And he has remained a pillar in our class. I enjoy being able to impart some little bits of wisdom with my students, and to be an encourager to them. As this course is something of a homeroom, I take this into consideration and provide information that will help the students navigate college.

Conferencing with students is a strong point for me. I enjoy working one-on-one with students with their edits and revisions and find this generative in both helping to improve their writing skills, and also with their participation in class. I discovered I could not return graded essays to the students without making this an individual practice. It is now my standard that I have the students working in groups so that I can say at least a few words personally to each student as I return their graded essays. A high point in the semester for me was conferencing in my office with each student for twenty-minute blocks as I returned their third essays. I had to cancel one class session and spend two full days in my office to accomplish this, but it was at the arc of the semester.

I learned to work collaboratively: during the summer shortly after I selected BANR: The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011 as the course text, I ran into my neighbors and discovered their daughter, Althea James, had been on the Reading Committee for this anthology at 826 Valencia, founded by Dave Eggers, during her senior year in high school. As Eggers describes, the BANR Reading Committee, they "unearthed articles and stories, read them, sparred over their merits and flaws, and helped with the sprawling task of putting together this collection" (471). Althea and I met over coffee and discussed her experiences with BANR and she eagerly accepted my invitation to speak to my classes. I then discovered Hollie Hardy, my GTA colleague, was also using BANR as her course text, so we arranged to have Althea speak on September 20, in two sessions to our combined four classes. As Althea is currently a sophomore at UC Santa Cruz, the students were able to relate to her and she was an excellent speaker, talking about her writing process, and answering any and all questions from the students. Our next collaboration came after Hollie contacted Daniel Alarcn, author of a short story in BANR, Second Lives. Alarcn lives locally, and with Hollies persistence, we arranged to have him speak in two sessions to our classes on October 18. He read a new short story and spoke of his writing, and answered questions from the students. He was a captivating presence and Hollie and I wondered if the students really got it, how amazing and fortunate this experience was. One line from Alarcns new short story was one I will not ever forget, the first place you flee is where you are from. A current project of Alarcns is Radio Ambulante. Hollie and I have been able to share teaching ideas with how we have presented various selections from the text and our collaborations have been priceless for me.

Our GTA office has also been a source of collaboration both in teaching ideas and teaching support. I feel extremely fortunate to work in our shared office with colleagues that respect each others time and space, and also provide professional and emotional support with our teaching.

I learned in my teaching that when pushing students beyond the expected level, they can and have risen to the occasion. Its all in the expectation. I learned that if I give the students wiggle room, they take advantage of it, of course. But with our book club unit, the last of the semester, the students have exceeded all expectations. Their collaborative efforts with presentations, handouts, and commitment have been excellent and could not have ended the semester better. It has been the highlight of our semester and I could not be more proud of my students.

It is part of my teaching practice to teach for transfer. An example is annotation, a reading practice I have returned to throughout the semester, illustrating both how to annotate, and using the annotations in writing. I make it a point to inform students of the future applications of skills and practices as I teach them in my course, how they will be used in future courses, and naming those courses. Some of these practices are: voice, audience, essay genre,

paper formatting, and how to use and format quotations. I have noticed students paying attention to my informing them of these future uses of the skills they are learning in my course, and I can only hope they will transfer. I encourage the students to keep a folder with the instructional handouts and their work to be used as a resource for their future writing.

I have learned the importance of getting to know my students names after making a faux pas mixing up two students names. It was horribly embarrassing, and surely not pleasant for the students. It was caused by my own self-consciousness.

I have learned to be flexible with my teaching, to be ready to go on the fly, and meet the needs of the moment.

I have been able to utilize my strong organizational skills and practices in my teaching, perhaps most beneficially for the students with my course iLearn sites. I post all homework, upload the files to every handout and essay assignment, and augment our class sessions and discussions with links to additional and corresponding information.

Although I wondered about a discipline issue, I never actually considered this could happen, and it has not. Despite my quiet and calm persona, there is never a question that I am in authority. It is not something I give thought to, and perhaps that is why it is a non-issue.

In passing conversation, I had a student ask me how long I had been teaching, and this rocked my bluff, but I didnt skip a beat as I replied that I couldnt even remember. Which is to say that I have learned in my teaching to retain a divide between my students and me. Yes, they know I love the San Francisco Giants, and they know I study birds, but I am the instructor and they are the students and there are clear boundaries.

What I learned about me:

I learned in the first weeks of teaching that this is a soul-baring experience. And I learned that I can. I recognize my tenacity. I trust myself. I trust my instincts. I believe in myself. I have succeeded. Something that I learned in this process, is my ability to stand back and put all of what I am doing in perspective: I am able to remove myself from the good-chaos of teaching, being a student, and my personal life, and reflect on it all, and this process is satisfying. My life is integrated with all that I am doing and it is rewarding and happy. Yes, I would love to go to Tintern Abbey, but only for a visit, not to take up a hermitage.

How I am applying what I learned:

Now that I have become a teacher, my focus is on creating and designing the best possible curriculum for my students to improve their reading and writing skills and practices for their future college careers. I will utilize creative lessons to engage and reach each student. We will work with research methods for work in our course, and for their future courses. I will engage the students in discussion, with their input as to relevant topics. We will build and strengthen our class community, and critical thinking skills. And I am thankful and grateful to have the opportunity to teach two sections of English 105 next semester.

Work Cited

Eggers, Dave. The Best American Nonrequired Reading Committee. The Best American

Nonrequired Reading 2011. Ed. Dave Eggers. New York: Houghton, 2011. 471. Print.