Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Philosophy of Teaching Composition
There is clearly not a one-size fits all philosophy to composition. Theories abound, as our readings have demonstrated. With all of these theories it can all become very confusing, which appears to be one major issue in the composition classroom. One of the worst experiences in academia is to be taught one thing, but to be graded according to another set of standards entirely. I am sure that we have all been in these situations. Fulkerson talks about this phenomenon in his paper "Four Philosophies of Composition." He describes this confusion of pedagogical style and evaluative methodology as "modal confusion." This occurs when, for example, a course is taught with an emphasis on developing logical arguments (mimetic), but the grade is assigned based on grammatical accuracy (formative).
I would say that my teaching philosophy would incorporate mimetic and rhetorical philosophies of composition. Mimetic, in the sense that knowledge of the subject is essential in almost all forms of composition. The most obvious exceptions would be works of fiction, or poetry, where detachment from reality is part of the desired effect. You can see the influence of the mimetic philosophy in almost every branch of academia. This is why students are taught the importance of research, and how to explore both sides of any problem. It is not sufficient to study only the side that you wish to promulgate.
While knowledge of the subject matter is very important, it is also important to remember that you should tailor your message to the audience, this is the rhetorical philosophy of composition. Knowing your audience can influence what is emphasized by the writer. People tend to pay more attention to things that "hit close to home." In psychology they discuss this as a theory of proximity. It is the reason why a newsworthy tragedy from Africa must be much more catastrophic than a tragedy in Alabama. It is in our nature to care more about the things that could potentially affect us personally. It is just smart writing to bear this tendency in mind.
Knowing your teaching philosophy is only the first step. It is important to analyze your teaching methods to ensure that they are consistent with your methods of evaluation. James Berlin sums up his paper "Contemporary Composition: The Major Pedagogical Theories" by saying "the test of one's competence as a composition instructor ... resides in being able to recognize and justify the version of the process being taught, complete with all its significance for the student."
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I agree with your note that we should be taught and then assessed on the same things. In undergraduate courses I typically use a grading rubric, negotiated by the class up front for inclusion reasons (and motivation), and then include the rubric with every set of notes I offer. It gets a little monotonous, but students are well aware of what is required. We work to connect courses to the goals and objectives of the program, as well.
ReplyDeleteSo how does this impact a syllabus you might create?
Providing a grading rubric is a great way to inform the class of what will be expected. I imagine it is also a useful tool for the instructor. It forces them to really nail down the elements that they believe are essential to good composition.
DeleteThis teaching philosophy would lead to a syllabus that emphasized research. Regardless of the subject, the ability to research and explore both sides of an issue would be one of the course objectives. One assignment could be to choose a topic and write two papers each paper exploring a different side of the issue. Another course objective would be the ability to identify and tailor a message to a specific audience. For this objective an assignment might be to take a journal article, or extract from a book, and to identify who the target audience is, and how the author has directed the message to maximize the effect on that audience.
Heather - I agree that there's not a one-size-fits-all philosophy; I think most teachers use a combination of several, depending on what works best for them and what works best for the student. Additionally, I think that philosophies evolve over time, and that's a good thing; as a person gains more experience in the classroom, they 'tweak' their methods and ideas about what works and what doesn't. I've been teaching five years, and it took at least two to really get my footing, even with a M.Ed. :)
ReplyDeleteDr. Rice - I love the idea of negotiating the grading rubric with the students!