Teaching Review

Luckily, when one takes their first steps into teaching, someone from the faculty comes into class and critiques how the instructor handles the students. I'm being facetious, of course, because it's a harrowing experience, during which I kept doubting everything I was doing, while plugging along and still doing it. Anyway, here is a bird's eye view of what happens in my classroom...

HAWAII PACIFIC UNIVERSITY

FACULTY PEER EVALUATION FORM

Instructor: Christina Low Evaluator: intentionally left blank to protect the innocent

Course Number: WRI 1100-V Date: 11/10/09 Time: 11:50-12:15

Course Title: Reading and Writing Arguments No. of Students: 16

Classroom Observations

The class arranged the furniture in a circle so that all the students could see each other. The instructor announced at the start that the student who was scheduled to give a presentation was not present. Instructor then asked questions about a Sinead O’Conner performance that was viewed in the previous week. Students shared their feelings on the performance. The instructor encouraged students to consider the performer’s audience. Among the students, a consensus emerged that the singer’s audience was listeners whom already agreed with her, and that her goal was not to change the minds of those who disagreed or were undecided. The instructor encouraged students to seek a broader audience in their own work. The instructor reminded students that on Thursday (11/12) the topics and outlines for their papers are due to be turned in to WebCT.

At 10:55, the instructor wrote the following prompt on the board: “I have always been interested in ________, but have never had a chance to write about it or study it.” Instructor encouraged them to fill in the blank and use this sentence as the start of a free-write about a specific topic. The students actively spent ten minutes writing.

At 11:05, the instructor invited students to share the subjects of their writing exercise with the rest of the class. A vigorous discussion ensued about several potential paper topics, including the LHC particle collider, the situations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and second-hand smoking. Instructor encouraged students to consider the audience that the student would be writing for, the availability of information and sources, as well as the size and scope of topic appropriate for a paper of this length.

At 11:20, the instructor then gave a brief lecture on a subject the class had covered before: citation sandwiches. This is a vivid and memorable device to teach the incorporation of quotation and paraphrase into one’s own writing. The top piece of “bread” is the introduction of the source material, the “meat” is the source itself (whether quoted or paraphrased), and the final piece of “bread” links that source to the writer’s own argument. Students responded well to the metaphor.

Using the projector, the instructor then showed a 2-page excerpt from Toni Morrison’s speech at Sarah Lawrence College to the class. She asked the students to write an example paragraph that incorporated a quotation from this article, and included an introduction and linkage to a bigger point. Students appeared to struggle a bit more with this exercise. The instructor answered questions, assuaged doubts, and clarified the instructions until they were satisfied. She allowed them to take the time necessary to complete the exercise.

At 11:35, students were paired up into groups to discuss what they had written. The instructor circulated throughout the room and spoke with each small group to offer guidance and answer to concerns. The discussion among the small groups was vigorous and appeared to stay on-topic. Students seemed to enjoy and benefit from the sharing of topics and ideas for papers.

At 12:00, the instructor reminded students of what needed to be turned in to WebCT that week. She then wrote a series of example titles on the board, and asked students which they though were the best and the worst. Students had a remarkable consensus, especially concerning unsatisfactory titles. Instructor asked the students to reflect on what made for a good or a bad title. Next she distributed a handout regarding different types of titles, which the class read aloud.

Instructor asked for questions on the material or the upcoming assignments. She then returned a previous assignment, and dismissed the class.

I was very impressed by the way that the instructor conducted the class. She showed remarkable control of time, and seemed to have a keen awareness of the students’ concerns and attention span. This instructor devoted plenty of time and effort to the selection of appropriate topics, and emphasized the consideration of audience in this decision. The classroom atmosphere was open and conducive to sharing. Students were active and engaged in all of the writing exercises and group work that they did together. The activity that appeared most difficult for them was the actual writing of a sample “citation sandwich” paragraph. This exercise struck me as outstanding and I was very surprised to see the students struggle with it. The instructor handled this challenge deftly—did not abandon the exercise or dilute it despite their protests—and patiently re-explained the instructions until the students understood.

Directions: Respond to each of the items below 5 – Strongly Agree 2 - Disagree

circling the number you feel most closely 4 – Agree 1 – Strongly Disagree

corresponds to your observation. 3 – Neutral NA – Not applicable

1. The material presented was consistent with the course syllabus. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

2. The material presented reflects scholarly understanding of the 5 4 3 2 1 NA

discipline.

3. The course addresses divergent points of view. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

4. The level of difficulty of material is appropriate for these 5 4 3 2 1 NA

students and this course.

5. The course syllabus reflects a logical sequencing of topics. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

6. The pace of the lecture (or “lesson”) was appropriate for the 5 4 3 2 1 NA

students and the material being presented.

7. Provision was made for summaries, conclusions, and synthesis. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

8. The instructor made appropriate use of class time. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

9. The instructor clearly defined terms, concepts, and principles, 5 4 3 2 1 NA

as appropriate to the course .

10. Examples used were appropriate and relevant. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

11. Students were encouraged to engage in classroom discussion. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

12. Student contributions were encouraged and reinforced. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

13. The instructor stimulated student thinking. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

14. Students and instructor demonstrated mutual respect. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

15. The delivery of the instructor (e.g., voice, pitch, diction, 5 4 3 2 1 NA

vocabulary, mannerisms) was appropriate.

16. It felt like a college class. 5 4 3 2 1 NA

Evaluator’s Signature ___________________________________ Date _____________________________

Instructor’s Acknowledgement: “I understand that I may, at any time, submit my own memorandum about the

observations and conclusions reported in this evaluation, to the evaluator and/or the

Academic Dean.”

Instructor’s Signature ___________________________________ Date _____________________________

The Butterflies Never Went Away

There are six more weeks left in the semester and I must admit that, each time I enter the classroom, I still get nervous. Perhaps it has something to do with the power I wield over my students' academic careers and the sense that I don't feel wholly comfortable weighing and scoring another person's work. Grading is the worst part of teaching, but it's such a big part of the job.

I've worked really hard to create an atmosphere of trust and professionalism in my classroom so that my students feel comfortable in making comments. I do not play "guess what I'm thinking." I encourage them to participate and am usually interested in their differing perspectives. I doubt any of them walk into our class feeling uneasy or anxious, so why do I?

There is the aspect of performance that occurs inevitably, because I am at the front of the room. Being closer to the board is a bit like being on stage. I do sit atop my desk at times, using the prop as a chair. I try not to sit at the big desk because of the physical and mental barrier it would likely cause between myself and my students. I also sit among them in the little desks when they make presentations.

Still, even when it's not me "on stage," my stomach flutters, pitching a bit, like driving over a dip in the road. Perhaps it's because, as a student myself, I know about the vast continuum of teachers. I have learned from the good, the bad, and the horrendous. Yet, from that perspective, I have always endeavored to learn, regardless of the teaching method. So, why does it bother me so much to be a teacher?

I remember my brother asking my mom about being a dad when faced for the first time with fatherhood asking the question, "what if I'm a terrible father?" My mom answered, "the fact that you're thinking about it puts you miles ahead of the rest." Four children later, my brother is an ever-present parent who makes conscious decisions and tries his best to be a good dad. That doesn't mean he's perfect. He makes mistakes. He hurts feelings. Perhaps his children will need therapy, too.

Still, it is in wondering and perhaps feeling a bit uncomfortable, that I still strive to learn about being a role model, to discover more about being a good person. I attempt to strengthen my weaknesses, and do not rest easy with the status quo. I read and search for better ways of being a better teacher. I'm sure I will never wake up one day thinking that I'm perfect and that I no longer need to consider or improve this perspective. Maybe that's what makes me different from those who don't. It certainly means my butterflies aren't going away anytime soon.

Project: Overload

So, anyone who was taking bets on when I would burn out can call them in. I am officially wasted. Luckily for me, I don't have to go to my English 100 class at all this week and, because the students will be watching a movie Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I don't have any reading to do, either! On the other hand, my English 1100 class will be turning in their first papers on Thursday. That's twenty-one students with 3-5 pages, each critiquing a rhetorical argument made by an editorial of their choosing. Did I mention that I'm also taking three other classes, and am on multiple committees?

I've been reading a lot of theory about collaborative learning lately, and have been trying to get my students and mentees to help each other learn. A lot of theorists suggest that peers learn and retain information better if they hear it from someone who is their age. Mostly everything I've been doing has been in some form of a small group, which means that although I don't ever really stand in front of my class and lecture, I do need to come up with pretty clear instructions and guidelines so that people don't start discussing what they're going to have for lunch.

Unrelated to this, I have a woman in one of my classes that continually texts, regardless of what's going on. I have asked her to put her phone away and she hides it when I look at her. Don't worry-I'm not going to rip it out of her hands or anything like that. She's an adult. I'm just pet peeving.

Oh! AND, one of my students came in to my office hours today to have me "correct" his paper. I said "sure, have a seat and we'll go through it together." He said, "no, I've got to go. I was hoping I could pick it up later." "Oh, ho, ho, ho, no," I said, laughing. "I am not your editor. I suggest you take it to the tutoring center where they can help you better." I mean, seriously--I invited the tutoring center director to class to encourage everyone to get help with their drafts. I've given handouts on good writing, grammar, and editing. I even let them spend all of last Thursday's class wherein each person got to work in two separate workshopping pairs! Eighteen is such a tricky age...not yet adults, not kids anymore...I remember how young and dumb I was (just breathe).

In addition, I've got a memoir AND my thesis to write, a paper I have to re-write, a novel to read, peer drafts to comment on, a lesson plan for Thursday, a lesson plan for my theory class (I have to teach my peers about expressivism), a pile of reading for that class and a 750 word response--not to mention a reading IN PUBLIC I'm doing next week, another public reading I'm helping to organize, meetings for the committees I'm on, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Did I mention it's like ten kabillion degrees right now in the 808 state with absolutely NO breezy trade winds? I know, I signed up for all of it. I shouldn't complain. But, if I can't rant into the ether, where else can I turn?

So maybe I need a break. A long one. All alone. In the wilderness. With no clothes.

Christina, the Entertainer

Ever feel like you're in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, standing in front of a dead classroom? Your voice echoes, "Anyone? Anyone?" as students roll their eyes or text message. It's a lonely existence, made worse by twenty pairs of eyes staring back at you. The fishbowl effect, as I've heard it called, is created when those twenty pairs of unblinking eyes realize you've just asked a question and wait patiently for an answer, like fish waiting to be fed.

My professor in my teaching theory class says that I should just be patient. "Wait them out. They'll say something. Count to thirty." Let me just say that yes, it does work, but the time spent counting with a lame grin on my face was uncomfortable (to say the least). I will persevere in this line of question-asking, and try to give them room to think and realize that participating is possible and rewarding, allowing them to voice their opinions and to disagree. Still, I wondered, isn't there something else I can do to increase participation?

Being a mentor concurrently with teaching my first class, I had a brainstorm about my mentees and why they are so willing to participate. I had been required to meet with each of them individually and, though we talked about writing, we mostly talked about life and relationships. When the instructor asks a question, they look at me and I smile a little smile at them and (I assume) they feel like someone has acknowledged their existence and they speak out.

I'm not sure how this is going to play out, but I have asked all of my own students in the class I'm teaching to meet with me in the next week or two. I even sent out a virtual sign up sheet for tomorrow before class, and I'll send out a paper sign up on Thursday. Having just completed twenty-four intake interviews as a mentor, I know that they are draining, so I'm steeling myself against fatigue. Still, I hope the benefits will reap more class participation and a greater ease in my presence. I hope they take charge of their time, ask questions, contribute their thoughts, and get excited about owning their education.

I have considered, of course, that being a mentor and being a teacher are completely different roles--whereas one is a liason between teacher and student, ultimately earning the title "student advocate," the other is very obviously controlling the destiny (in terms of a grade) of the student, which can really seem overwhelming...or, am I just projecting how I felt about my teachers when I was an undergrad? How do I create rapport without stepping over the line?

I will shake my magic eight ball and find the answer..."better not to tell you now," it says.

One Week Down

Thank goodness for diagnostic essays, which I read in the span of seven straight hours on Thursday night. Aside from the stress of 1. having only received all twenty on Thursday at noon, and 2. the looming deadline over my head of assessing which students were in the wrong class or in need of a lab, the essays really did give me a sense of writing capabilities, style, and register issues.

I chose the subject of advice, which is very much like a personal essay because nineteen of my students just graduated from high school. Though I may have missed out on gauging reading comprehension, the students seemed relaxed enough to show a little of their personalities. Some were actually enjoyable to read, especially the one entitled "I plan to graduate sober and without an STD."

During classtime, and because I really want to create an atmosphere of relaxed encouragement (perhaps I'm being too much of a hippie here), I had the students get into groups of twos and present each side of an argument. My topics included

• Chris Brown & Rhianna: will he beat her again?
• Michael Jackson: king of pop or pedophile we're better off forgetting?
• Iraq: should we stay or should we go?
• Health Care: burden of the state or of the people?

I asked the students to add any arguments the couples had left out and tried to highlight how their examples made ideas seem clearer. Then I showed the Sinead O'Connor video of her ripping up a picture of the pope and dismissed class.

I'm going to show the follow up concert at the beginning of Tuesday's class--the one of Sinead at the Bob Dylan anniversary concert where she's booed off the stage. I'm hoping that Tuesday will be ripe with questions about the performance so I can talk about rhetoric (which I love to talk about) along with getting in a few points about registers, implicit arguments, etc...

In all, I am enjoying the experience of teaching, though I often have moments of doubt and wonder if I'm 'doing this right,' but my heart is definitely into learning through teaching.

On another note, I have made time to write and found that whereas before my schedule was completely jammed with crap and I needed a few hours before I would even attempt to try to think about writing, I just take my half hour windows and do it. We'll see how that pans out...

My First Day

You know the feeling you get when you’re so nervous, it seems like your stomach is actually twisting in upon itself? That’s the feeling I woke up with at six this morning. And I hate being nervous. Part of the reason I’ve never cheated on my husband is because of that very fact: I like predictability. A room full of strangers is the antithesis of control.

“But Christina,” I say to myself, “you’ve closed million dollar deals and once had a job as a tour guide for an entire summer. This is nothing. These are just eighteen year-olds who are probably more nervous than you about being called upon. It’s their first day of college. You’ve got experience--expertise, even. AND, you’re their teacher, which means you have the power.”

Right, I have the power. Why isn’t this churning going away then? All I really have to do today is go over the syllabus and assign a required diagnostic essay to find out if everyone in class speaks English fluently enough to discuss the following: Discuss the advice people have given you for your first day of college. What advice will you probably take and why? What will you discard and why? Write a 600-800 word double spaced essay and hand in Thursday.

I got this. Or, I’ll have this. Maybe a little yoga will help...

The Beginning

That’s me, on the left, New Year’s Eve, 2009. It was literally days after I had heard that my business and my partnership were essentially over. I don’t want to go into the details right now, except to say that I felt betrayed; that I had wasted six years of my life on someone else’s dream.

I know what you’re thinking, “but it’s September. Why are you dwelling on something that happened eight months ago?”

Because that was the beginning, and the beginning is where all stories must start. Anyway, I put all my energy into going back to school and getting my Master’s degree in creative writing. AND I decided that the only way I could make a living at this writing thing would be to teach.

Over the summer, I was hired to mentor 23 English 100 students and just last Friday, I got a job teaching 20 students English 1100! “Lucky you,” you might be thinking, but I’m also taking three other classes, and wondering how I’m going to have the time to do everything well.

One of those classes, “Theory and Practice of Teaching Composition,” is all about how to teach. So, I’m thinking about teaching and about to start practicing the daunting art of holding the attention of forty-three eighteen year-olds.

Hopefully, while I’m chewing gum and walking at the same time, I’ll also have time to write (which is the point of it all). So, here it is: my experiment in living, giving, and hoping to have the time to exhale and enjoy the ride.