As of today, at app. 4:30 p.m., of 42 learning support in-class essays brought home on Thursday, 35 graded. I am a machine. I have really had to battle myself this round: resentment, dismay, anger at some of the most unbelievably flawed writing known to man.
I have concluded (as if I hadn't known already) that I perpetuate the system that protects me and my job. I don't know that I really expect many of these students to get better in 15 weeks, and I don't see much steady progress. Most of them are seeking to stay afloat and safe. Here and there I see a few points' improvement between assignments, but so many factors can influence that. Each assignment is a separate test of our abilities.
Most of my students (and I'm trying to be realistic here) don't possess 1) the time; 2) the discipline; 3) the self-interest to really grind it out and work to improve their writing skills. They see writing (as they see many college courses) as having to eat their veggies. It's a hoop to jump through so that they may be legitimized. They've overcommitted themselves. They don't have the leisure.
And don't I feed into that? Am I not marking the same ten errors again and again? It's been said many a time that you can't teach motivation; sadly, I don't think motivation is enough with some of these guys. I mean, it's one thing to say you want to pass; it's another to acknowledge that you have writing deficiencies that could lead to failure and to get yourself to work on them, consistently, and try to reduce them. That means doing more than what's expected.
Our college certainly feeds the monster, with its constant push for more students and its emphasis that (to quote a recent billboard around town) "You're ready." I surmise many of our students see that, equate convenience with ease, and go adrift after they enroll.
Those of you out there, what do you think? Can someone improve his writing skills in a semester--like, improve significantly, where he's writing with more confidence and with fewer annoying surface errors? What have you been able to do to facilitate that?
2 comments:
I'd posit that certainly someone can vastly improve their writing skills in a semester's time.
The key element is, as you touched upon, motivation. Perhaps motivation cannot be taught... but it, and enthusiasm, can certainly be exemplified.
You're right. I'm unfortunately one of those ever-unsatisfied teachers. But there's always some measurable progress, even if it's only a millemeter long.
But there's also the occasional class such as one I had a year ago in which the highest final grade was a C, and the number of D's and F's were about even. Thankfully, those are rare too.
Post a Comment