Somewhere in my first few years of teaching in New Orleans
First of all, I can’t determine exactly what my students will learn, because there is no telling what will result from the combination of my knowledge and all theirs. This can be a little uncomfortable. However, second, I don’t face nearly as much student resistance, because we collaborate on the agenda, sharing the responsibility of bringing in information. A lovely byproduct of this approach is that I get to learn too.
For my part, I bring in my many years of writing and teaching experience. I think the most important thing I can do for my students is push them to, instead of memorizing one formula for writing, learn to spot conventions in different genres and utilize them effectively. Each assignment is a different genre—narrative, academic analysis, business letter, thank-you notes, op eds, and so on. I present the specifics of each genre and provide examples, then give feedback on their writing via in-class conferences, workshopping, peer groups, and written comments on their multiple revisions.
I also bring in some of my research on non-privileged Englishes in our discussions of academic writing and assessment practices like entrance and proficiency exams. As a native speaker of Cajun Vernacular English, I’ve had to master code-switching, so I think my first-hand understanding of audience awareness is particularly relevant.
For their part, students bring in knowledge from their careers, experiences and majors, to which I’m not typically privy. They choose their own topics, based on their interests, and are consequently a little more motivated in their writing. For example, in our problem-solving unit, students make lists of complaints and then research one thing they don’t like about their college experience (parking, curricular requirements, proficiency exams, etc.). After class collaboration and a few drafts, the students send their business letters to real contacts. One class succeeded in revising the requirements of a community college program designed to raise student enrollment.
What I hadn’t expected from this approach—but what I now gladly anticipate in these assignments—is the rich information that my students bring in. Their research is thorough and impressive, probably because it is motivated by their own interest. The combination of their prior knowledge with the theoretical undergirding and class structure I provide forges new connections and, as a result, new knowledge.
