On Weeks 7&8 #567crt

Of major focus the last two weeks has been what Fulkerson calls critical cultural studies (CCS), a particular pedagogy/theory that frames the composition classroom as a place for challenging and questioning students and the status quo. With talk of contact zones and accomodations, authority and critical thinking, discussions in class and on our blogs have tread familiar ground. When I asked if Fulkerson's CCS grouping was unfair (even though feminist theory hasn't been discussed/facilitated yet), the answer was close to a resounding no. Still, I think spending a single week on CCS would have been a monumental disservice to the theories as well as to students. It's difficult for me to even picture which 4-5 readings would be most essential for that fictitious week.

Overall, though, we continue to model writing studies overall, engaging in many of the same debates that the field has had in the last 60-75 years (depending upon when you mark the beginning of the discipline). We talked about what we owe students, what they consider as a lie, how we need to move away from platitudes and toward praxis, that all this should be happening to help students become better writers (and/or critical thinkers). We shouldn't give students something to talk about, but instead provide them with opportunities for them to find what they want to talk about. We should be more like Yoda than Palpatine, but also call into question the malleability of students' minds. We need to realize our roles as gatekeepers, understand the difference between accomodations and allowances and be ware of where we can/need to be flexible.

I do acknowledge, though, that some students are becoming more direct in asking for my input. I don't fault them for it and I was happy to provide something of a walkthrough of my most recent syllabus for ENG 112. That said, I suppose some clarification is in order. If I appear reluctant to share ideas/observations/thoughts related to the immediate discussion, the reasons concern indulgence and influence. I realize my opinion and perspective probably has some value, but I'm wary of appearing self-indulgent and/or exerting undue influence. As I see it, students are in #567crt to find/refine their own pedagogical paths. I am in #567crt to help facilitate and/or question that, not to seduce or strongarm. Then again, given the strong personalities in our class, I suppose I shouldn't be too concerned about any self-indulgence being called into question.

However, I want to call into question the idea of CCS or any other pedagogy/theory as something extra, as an additional layer or burden to account for in first-year writing courses. There's a lot for composition coaches/guides/instructors/teachers to do for and with students, including grammar and MLA format, paragraph and sentence structure, argument, tone, and voice. Still, I like to think that elements of CCS or any other pedagogy/theory can be integrated with any/all of those essential features of teaching first-year writing. Why not broaden the context of grammar and language in a way similar to one advocated by David Foster Wallace's SWE/SBE observations? Why not ask students to reflect on the value they/we ascribe to writing? Why not invite students' expectations and then challenge them? Would any one of these things really be a time-consuming burden?

1 response

Love this: "As I see it, students are in #567crt to find/refine their own pedagogical paths. I am in #567crt to help facilitate and/or question that, not to seduce or strongarm. Then again, given the strong personalities in our class, I suppose I shouldn't be too concerned about any self-indulgence being called into question."

This is what I appreciate about this class. I feel like I am able to hash out what I like and don't like about each theory, and I get a better understanding of how each may or may not work through the eyes of everyone in class. I personally like hearing your preferences, but I do think my own ideas might be swayed if I knew them sooner, so I like how you share in small doses. Even with all of our strong personalities, you are still the expert, so I might be more likely to adopt your preferences since you know a lot more than I do.
Not to make this sound like a class evaluation, but you obviously put a lot of thought into the structure of this class, and it has made me realize that there is more than one way to approach the teaching of writing, and probably the best way is to incorporate many of the theories we've learned.

— Michelle English