Now that I am wise and all-knowing... :)

I'm probably going to sound like I'm just echoing what the rest of you have said, but I agree with so much of what you've written.

I wish I had been less timid and apologetic at the beginning of the semester. This is always the case with new situations--I want to glide in and do everything confidently and smoothly, but I usually start out shaking in my shoes. I was sure they would see through me and know what a fraud I was, but they didn't! (Or at least if they did, they never called my bluff).

I also wish I had agonized less about grading those first few reading responses--I pulled a couple of all-nighters to get them done because I was trying to be so thorough. It was a learning experience, though, so in a way I don't regret the time spent.

I also wish I had known better how to guide class discussion in a way that made them think more critically about the reading material. I definitely got better at that as the class went on.

I wish I had known how many I would "lose"--like you guys, I was shocked at how many people just stopped coming to class, or stopped turning things in, or didn't take advantage of opportunities to make things up. Somehow I thought they would all pull it together in the end.

I wish I could go back and teach some things more thoroughly, and not stress so much about others.

Finally, I wish I had known that some people were actually *enjoying* the class--I felt that they were all muttering under their breath about things I was asking them to do, but many of them actually appreciated learning the things they did. I had one student come talk to me in the Writing Center yesterday and tell me this was his second time taking 1010, and that this time around he learned all the things he wished he had learned the first time. Another student gave me a hug and told me she appreciated the time I had spent with her outside of class, and that she felt like now she knew how to write this type of paper, where at the beginning of the class she didn't have a clue. These students really made my day (especially after a 7-hour shift of craziness and stress in the Writing Center!).

I Wish I Had Known Everything

I wish I had known everything I know now! One of the most confusing experiences at the beginning of the semester was not knowing what I was teaching and why. I did not have the readings done. I did not have the benefit of discussing the readings. I did not know why I was reading and discussing with my students. Maybe I'm a little slow, but the first few weeks I wondered how what we were doing in class would translate into composition.

Of course, I know now that we were reading so the students would have topics to write about. I also know we were discussing to help the students make connections and to think critically about texts. I also know that the classroom interaction was important for them to be able to get comfortable, with me and each other. Now that I have a semester behind me, I have the benefit of seeing how all of the parts of the class fit together as a whole. If I had known that a few months ago, I would have been more confident and less confused!

I also wish I had known how hard it would be to say goodbye to all of my students. When we first met, I was terrified of them and they were terrified of me. Now, we are old friends and I find that the end of the semester is going to be bittersweet. Of course, we all want a break, but the possibility of never seeing any of these kids again breaks my heart.

It has been eye-opening to realize that some of my students do not care. I assumed, even a few weeks ago, that if I cared enough about them and their attendance and their progress that they would then show up for class prepared. I still have a few who come to class to see what is going on, and when it doesn't suit them, they "sneak" out when they think I'm not looking. I wish I had known that their behavior is normal and unchangeable. However, if I had known, I might not have tried so hard with them. Maybe it is a good thing to have high expecations and hopes for students so we can always be willing to help them succeed. I hope my realization that some of the students will hang themselves no matter what does not make me too cynical when it comes to giving everybody a chance to succeed.

A Wish List

I totally agree with Tamar. You can't force students to do anything. (Let's force them to drink--they're containers, right?) I had the hardest time understanding that they didn't really care about their grades like I do, and didn't worry about attending class every day. It baffled me when they didn't take advantage of the extra credit or the re-write options that would have saved some of them.

I wish I had known "they are not me" before I ever walked into the classroom. It would have saved me a lot of stress and frustration on the first assignment. I thought their grades would hit them like an atomic bomb; they barely blinked.

I wish I had known that I couldn't save them all. (I honestly tried!)

I wish I had known better than to give them an inch. They certainly have an instinct for that sort of thing.

I wish I had known that Word 07 has an automatic works cited building function--I wouldn't have wasted an entire day constructing one by hand in class. (It was fun, though).

I wish I had known who owned that nasty water bottle I almost put my lips on.

I wish I had been confident enough to walk in there and "own it" every single day. Sometimes I stumbled, staggered, or choked on my gum. There were days when I felt apologetic. Now I know better.

I wish I'd had a ready plan for how to direct them toward each assignment.

I wish I had known how to operate the overhead, screen, and computer with grace and effortless finesse.

Better luck next time. What an experience! I've loved it, and will really miss these students. (Hey, with half of them failing, I might see one or two again, right?) I have a whole list of things I will do differently next time around. We survived! Here's to a fabulous--and confident--second semester of teaching. Wooo!

You Can't Make Them Drink

I know we were told over and over that the students are not like us and that you can lead them to water but you can't make them drink, but I didn't really understand what that meant until now. I'm not sure how you help teachers to understand that concept, but I wish I could have understood my students a little bit better. I kept wondering if my teaching was the problem, or if I had a bad crop of students, but neither of those things seem to be the case. Finally, at the end of the class, just today I really felt like we were connecting. It's too bad it was my last class and there wasn't much left to say. Even though it was the last day I was still shocked. One of my students who I was sure would show up today and turn in his paper didn't turn it in. I have two students who are close to passing but for some reason just didn't do the last paper. It makes me sad, and still shocks me. I'm not sure I will ever get over their lack of caring.

These are the things I will do differently next time in no particular order:

-Smile more. It was a rough semester and there were tired days. I need to learn how to fake through the tired.
-Steal from Emily and connect with my students through the things they enjoy
-Don't let them get to me. It's their choice not to show up and not to do the work.
-Find some more visual/teaching aids that go along with the essays we read. I didn't do a lot of images with Cinderella or advertising and I think it would make it more interesting for those units
-The class was a lot of discussion which worked sometimes. I would like to see if there are pieces where I could lecture a little and pull in resources from the outside that might spark their interest
-Give them due dates for reading responses. I'm not sure the lack of structure worked in their favor. I can't decide if it hindered them and they forgot about the reading responses or if they would have still failed to turn them in if there were due dates.

That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure more will pop up when I prep for this class next time. Here's for the first semester of teaching being completed (except for the pile of essays to grade). Woohoo!

Wrapping It All Up

What do you know now that you wish you'd known then?

Don't Tour Guides Get Paid A Lot More?

Okay, first I think Cheyney's story about the library sure tops mine! I only wish I could have experienced such an amazing weekend!

Second, I think that there can be some pretty naive LDS people here who don't realize that not everything will work out happily ever after even if you think it will because you followed all the rules. But in fairness to people in Utah I lived in some communities where LDS people thought that as well and they weren't surrounded by Mormons everywhere. I think people want to believe in something and they become so entrenched that they can't see something else might be okay or something else might be good.

And that leads me to agree with everyone that we have to be tour guides in some way. We don't want to force someone to believe in what we do, and I certainly don't want my students to feel like they have to write something I will agree with for them to get an A. But if we never push them or make them think in a different way how are they going to realize that a single, depressed mother is something that happens with marriage? It's out there and if you never think about it does that make it any less real?

I don't know how to be a tour guide, but I do like Cheyney's idea that you can argue for topics and against topics in an effort to get your students to see both sides. If you make them argue against you there might be an "ah ha" moment when they actually think outside their own demographic. Who knows what you will unleash then?

Even if my teachers were pushing their own agenda I'm glad they made me see another side, and I hope I can do that for some of my students even if it means I'm not helping them find "their one true word" or that I'm being too authoritarian.

Essays

Hi all. I gave Cheyney copies of the 3 essays I'm giving to my students, but I thought I'd share them here with you.

John Taylor Gatto, "Against School" (Harper's, PDF)

Atul Gawande, "Hellhole" (New Yorker, web)

"Have You Ever Tried To Sell A Diamond?" (Atlantic Monthly, web)

Agenda Pushing is Futile

Of course we all have agendas. Fox News does. Oprah does. My mom certainly does. I know I do, even though I try not to. I catch myself forcing my agenda everyday, whether that is for my daughter to love reading, my husband to put his dirty socks in the laundry hamper (not the floor), or my neighbors to agree with me that our mayor stinks because she pushes an agenda I don't agree with. I know I do this, but I really don't want to do this. I want to be free from agenda pushing. I really got sick of it all when I was an undergraduate and my entire family fell apart because of agenda pushing. (Well, my family fell apart long before that, but it all came to an ugly head then.) I consciously decided then to stop judging people (still working on that) and to just let people live their lives. It is much too stressful to try to control others' thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is futile.

So, that's why I figure my students will figure things out for themselves. And, that is why I don't like agendas. But, we all have them. I have definitely pursued a feminist perspective in my class, as did Whitby, with the marriage readings. Many of my students had the same ideas yours did: that they would get married (in the temple) and live happily ever after. Well, I knew this wasn't true (see family crisis above) so I tried to help my students to see the point of view the authors' were taking. The authors were realistic about marriage and family and having children. I like realism. Apparently, however, my students have a few more years of life before they will agree with me. I'm okay with that. I did not get upset or try to push them further. I just gave them my perspective and reaction to the texts and moved on.

My next example is a little off topic, but I am wondering if you, as LDS feminist women and as a transplant to Utah and therefore an observer of LDS culture, would find yourselves as frustrated as I was in this situation. I attended a neighborhood book club a few years ago (yes, trouble already). When I suggested a book, which had a single mother suffering from depression and therefore neglecting her kids in it, the women were in an uproar. They all criticized the character heavily and vowed that nobody ever acted like that and if they did act that way, they had no excuse or reason for doing so. They promoted this perfect ideal of wife and mother, one that always held it together, even when their husband left for another woman (or man!). They absolutely could not empathize with the character nor could they understand her. They did not want to. So, have any of you run into this very naive attitude toward life among LDS people? I just wondered at that book club how many of them would change their feelings in a few years once their husbands left, or they suffered from depression, or their children "strayed." What do you think?

Maybe I was trying to push my agenda and I'm just sore that it didn't take!

End of Semester--Bring on the Phonebook

No--you never can escape agenda as it's everywhere. Even my grandmother has an agenda. BUT my agenda can be to complicate the agendas of everyone else by throwing opposing viewpoints into the mix and giving my students opportunities to adopt stances they would never otherwise consider, even if it is only for five minutes. If they come away with an awareness of agenda, of author manipulation, they're going to be able to think critically about the information around them. So, yes--I'm still sticking with the tour guide approach.

Having said that, choosing the essays that they'll be reading for the final was somewhat problematic for this tour guide. I don't know about all of you, but this is the first time I've even worried about my own ideology being glaringly apparent. I've been sifting through the articles again today, trying to decide which ones reveal too much of my own ideology or maybe those that make me want to scream. (I really don't want to read 20 essays on something that makes me crazy, although I found a great New Yorker article on credit card companies that would be crazy fun.)

And speaking of crazy fun...I spent all day at the library yesterday with the intent of writing my bib essay. Hah. I set up camp on the second floor in the back corner where nobody would find me, but the crazies were out in force and I, apparently, attract them. (Does this sound familiar, Tamar?) An old man sat across from me at 12 p.m., fell asleep, and snored with his mouth aimed at the ceiling for THREE HOURS. I don't think he has any tonsils left. Then there was the boy who answered his phone and carried on an hour-long shouted conversation about lawn aeration and proper lawn equipment--all the while pacing back and forth through the periodicals. I looked up once to see a girl crawling through the shelves with a clipboard, watching me. It was one of my students who hasn't come to class for three weeks--she works in the library, and was practicing evasive maneuvers. I caught her anyway. By far my favorite, though, was the pair of boys who came late in the afternoon and sat right around the corner. One described for the other--in graphic detail--the surgery he'd just had to remove the tissue growth on his eye. It was disgusting, and I was a captive audience. By the end of the day I was praying for someone to come read a phone book out loud, slowly and with emphasis. Oh, yeah. And I decided at 7 p.m. my topic is not going to work after all. It's back to the drawing board...and back to the library.

Tour Guiding

I have to say that I like this idea of the "tour guide," but at some point we have to make decisions about what we're teaching, don't we? And don't those decisions reveal some kind of agenda (political?  social?  cultural?)?  Doesn't our textbook reveal its politics at almost every turn--marriage is not "traditional" and never has been; obedience to authority is problematic; consumerism is troublesome.  Can this even be avoided, considering that even the alternative--to use no text and only focus on student writing--turns out to be embedded in a hopelessly Romantic notion of the author/individual?

Pushing v. Presenting--The Tour Guide Approach

I do think there's a difference between pushing an ideology and presenting one as an alternative viewpoint. Like Whitby I am grateful for the subtle pushing I've had from a number of professors. They have taught me to consider viewpoints I may never have otherwise. But, on the other hand, I have had moments where I've been sitting in a classroom wishing to be anywhere else on the planet while a professor has pushed an ideology as the "only intelligent perspective." Oh, please. I'm great at silent argumentation, and usually get a kick out of contradiction. Sometimes the argumentation helps cement or redefine my own beliefs, and can therefore be considered a value added. At other times it's offensive and needs to be challenged.

I'm an older student (aged--as you know) with life experience and a certain level of stubbornness, yet standing up against someone in authority is still a frightening proposition. Three years ago I disagreed VERY strongly with a professor and walked out of a communications course here at WSU--never to return. Would I have dared do that as a young freshman student? No way. Therein lies the problem: pushing an ideology on the students in a 1010 comp class would be for the most part brutally easy. I've been surprised at how readily they grasp at what they think you want them to believe or say. I've tried really hard to hide my own ideologies this semester--asking them to argue another perspective--any perspective-- frequently during our class discussions. Sometimes I explain that I'm playing devil's advocate--other times I leave them guessing. Like Emily, I don't believe that it is our job to push ideologies. Let's just act as tour guides and let them figure life out on their own. If they can understand that life is full of complicated issues that are worth writing about they'll be better prepared to face the rest of their college career.

From an instructor's perspective, I realize that, to some degree, I am trying to push a certain ideology in class. It's certainly not a religious or political agenda--I'm too conflicted politically to even have an agenda--but I do want my students to look outside their traditionally held beliefs, opinions, and ideas. I think we all do, don't we? Because many of these students come from a fairly conservative background, maybe I do want them to develop a more liberal way of thinking. As a woman, I was certainly appalled by some of the perspectives many of them have on marriage, women, and mothers, and I know I consciously pushed their conversations in a direction that challenged them to think in a different way about their notions of gender roles. Also, as I read their reading responses and in-class writing, I recognize and comment on writing that takes a fresh perspective on an issue. So does this mean I have an agenda?

Throughout my schooling, I have had instructors who subtly and not-so-subtly tried to push one agenda or another on the class, and I actually appreciate the ways that these teachers challenged my thinking. Even if I didn't agree with them, I was challenged to defend my own opinions, and usually gained a better perspective on an issue as a result. My 1010 professor was also my professor for a classical lit class I took the same semester, and she seemed determined to shock these naive Mormon kids into reconsidering many of their basic assumptions. It was the best thing she could have done for me--as an English major, her class made all the difference in the world for how I read and analyzed literature. As far back as sixth grade, having a social studies teacher who had a strong feminist perspective

Is It Really Brainwashing?

First, I agree with Emily. Teachers who favor students to the point of allowing those students to get away with shorter assignments and less work are abusing their authority. Every student should be held to the same standard. A student should not have to agree with a teacher to get a good grade.

But is Hairston really saying that because teachers push their political agendas the students who disagree get a bad grade? Is there an argument that a student must agree with a professor to get a good grade? Just because a professor is teaching a course where he or she pushes an ideology of socialism, or feudalism does not mean that the teacher will punish the students for disagreeing. And won't a class where a different viewpoint is taught open up a students' eyes? Students may or may not learn different viewpoints as they grow up. Isn't our job to help them see some of these viewpoints because isn't going to school part of the growing up process? If they don't learn it in class where else are they going to learn it?

I don't think English instructors should teach classes on social justice, poverty, or policitcal science. They don't have the degrees in that, and if they do then they should apply to teach those courses. I do think that teachers can be a good influence on student views. Teachers can use some of the assigned readings to help students see different viewpoints. This does not mean that the teacher has to push a political ideology, but a teacher is allowed an opinion and I think it does the students good to see some of that opinion and why it has been formed. The classroom should still be an open forum where students feel comfortable sharing their opinions, but shouldn't those opinions be challenged? How will students grow if their viewpoints are never challenged?

Hairston states we should focus on the students' own writing and I disagree with that. Too many students would write about their own experiences without ever exploring something new. We need assigned readings, but not all on the same topic. The readings should be on a variety of topics that will get the students to explore different ideas and realize there are different viewpoints. If the instructor has an opinion, that's great. Just don't give a bad grade because the student disagrees with your opinion.

Brainwashing is Wrong

I think pushing ideology is wrong. After today's reading, I feel even more strongly that it is wrong to use a freshman composition course as a way to brainwash young college kids into thinking the same way that you do. I especially disliked David Bleich, who said that his students' religion is "one of the chief obstacles to their enlightenment" (700). I can admit that my exception to this stems from the fact that I am religious, but I also found his explanation of this statement to be pompous and arrogant. He overestimates his own importance in the world and in the history of the world. He wants his ideology to compete with the students' religions that have existed for hundreds or thousands of years. It is as if he believes what he has to say is more important than what anybody else thinks, feels, or believes. This is a ridiculous notion!

A professor who spends all of his time trying to "convert" his students will miss the entire point of teaching writing. The students should learn to write, regardless of the subject. They should also be taught in an environment that is fair. A teacher who is more concerned about having everybody agree with him will not be fair when it comes to grades or even how the students are treated in the classroom. I have heard of some adjunct faculty here at Weber favoring students that have taken their classes before or students that "worship" them. This may or may not be okay, but it turns out to be bad for everybody if it leads to students who do not agree or "worship" being marginalized and forgotten. In one story, I heard that the instructor lowered the expectations or length of assignments because her favorite student(s) did not finish the work or make as much of an effort as other students. This is wrong. Grades should not be based on whether or not the student is liked by the professor (although this is hard to overcome sometimes). Grades, performance, and learning should be based on the grasp of the subject matter. All students should be held to the same standards. Students who are liked by the professor should not have to do less work than the others, nor should they set the pace for the class.

The subject matter is writing, not politics. I like how we have used essays and social issues to read about and write about in our classes. However, I draw the line at expecting my students to agree with everything they read. I also do not think we should choose the reading based off of what we want our students to "learn" about the world. They will eventually learn in their own time and at their own pace. Although college is a place that can introduce different world views to students, they should not be held to the standard of robotic followers in order to succeed. They will eventually form their own opinions and even understand such ideology more fully when they are older and have reasons to care about politics.

So, I don't agree with brainwashing students. I enjoyed Hairston's essay, and agree with all of it except the assumption that students come to class with experience to write about. I like our reading assignments and discussions. However, I plan to continue walking the fine line between writing about the issues and actually forcing my students to adhere to them. That is not my job.

Pushing Ideology

What do you all think about this issue of pushing ideolology in the classroom?

Drafting Prompts

A few ideas for this week's drafting.

1) What is the issue/topic you've chosen to write about?

2) What kinds of debates are there about this issue?  Why?

3) Who is interested in this issue?  Be as specific as you can.

4) What is the history of this issue? How long has it been around?  

5) What has been written about this issue?  What do these people say?

6) Can the people who are commenting on this issue be placed into any kinds of camps/groups/teams?  What are they?

7) Why is this issue complicated?  Why hasn't it been solved yet?

Form? I Don't Know.

Wow. I have no idea what to write about content and form and teaching it. I don't think I have taught it this semester overtly. I think most of what they have gotten of form has come from reading the essays, and I guess they are only picking that up if they are smart enough to realize that is the point of the essays and if they know how to model writing.

We have talked about thesis statements being at the end of the opening paragraph and how each succeeding paragraph should somehow point back to that thesis. I have pretty much ignored topic sentences. I am just happy if they have a thesis and if the body of the paper remotely ties back into it. Those who did it well got better grades than those who didn't.

I guess I am revealing my naivete and stupidity here. I really don't know a lot about form other than the 5-paragraph essay that can and should be expanded into many more paragraphs.

As to content, that has pretty much been decided for the students with the essays we have read. I am excited to see what they come up with for this last essay. I know they have been itching to pick their own topic, and they seem pretty happy with the freedom to do so. However, I'm sure some of them will come on Tuesday without having yet picked the blog or letter to editor and will therefore having nothing to do in class because they will have no content. What should I do if this happens? I plan to have them start writing with their chosen topic in hand, but if they come unprepared, what do I do? I'm not mean enough to throw them out, but I can't sit them in the back corner and tell them to research when they won't have access to a computer. Any suggestions?

RR Anonymous

I never thought I'd say this, but I love the reading responses. (OK--not when I'm writing them, only when someone else is.) They have been a great way to teach both form and content, all without the students really realizing it. In writing a summary, the students are looking for the author's main point and replicating the form of the writing by touching on the most important points in chronological fashion. In the evaluation section they are looking at what is effective in both form and content--how the author is manipulating them as a reader. The comparison section gives them another opportunity to look at what the author is saying, and how it compares to other essays we have read. The sections differ from one another, teaching the students about purpose, and hey, even rhetorical strategy. Love it.

One of my favorite teaching moments of the semester occurred the day I passed out the requirements for essay #2. Randy complained that he didn't think the assignment was relevant to anything we had been doing, so I asked him what he'd written about in his evaluation section the previous week. It was like the light went on for the whole class (or at least 3/4 of them--the others were asleep). WOOOO! We can do this, people! We've already been doing it! I guess it is that whole "wax on/wax off" thing, eh?

As for the third essay, I've been asking them every day for different organizational plans. Someone volunteers a topic and thesis, or gets it dragged out of them, and then we map it out on the board. Not in great detail, but just general possibilities for examples, possible sources, or possible roadblocks. They seem pretty calm at this point, so I hope this is a sign of confidence and not just complete surrender.

Now if someone would just organize my bib essay for me--and decide on a topic for my thesis--life will be great.

I think It's Ridiculous We're Talking About Ketchup

I have tried teaching form in a number of ways mainly because I think form is the most important point to get to stick. First, in their reading responses I got wrist cramps writing that they need to move from summary to connections to evaluation. I explained what that meant. Then I moved to their essays and we talked about how to write a thesis. What does a thesis consist of, what does it tell the reader and how does it act like a map sentence. Then we talked about conclusions. One day in class a girl asked me "what did you mean when you said my conclusion sounds like a laundry list." I tried to explain she should sum up what her paper talks about in one or two sentences rather than sentence after sentence explaining her topic sentences. "But how do you sum up your paper if you don't list what you talked about?" In desperation I grabbed my jump drive, found an old paper and showed them a conclusion. Granted they didn't know the entire context of my paper, but I explained which parts were summation of the paper topics and which were wrapping up thoughts. That seemed to shut them up.

One day we spent almost half the class talking about transition sentences. One of my students was having a hard time writing transition sentences for her paper and she asked how to do it. So I grabbed examples from the class (I collected their papers) and wrote sentences on the board. We came up with a list of words that they could use to help transition between paragraphs. You know, those transition words that you feel guilty using, but sometimes have to because you can't find anything else to say? We talked about what to put at the end of the paragraph and how to move into the beginning of the next paragraph. I saw her try some of what we talked about in her essay so at least someone listened.

Lately, I've been trying to model. Today we talked about the Ketchup article. I had them find the thesis again and we looked at the conclusion and the different examples Gladwell used throughout the essay to complicate his idea. One of my students snorted when I asked what Gladwell does to complicate his idea. I asked him, "Why are you scoffing?" and he responded, "I think it's ridiculous we're talking about ketchup." I explained to him that we're not talking about ketchup, we're talking about how Gladwell writes and why he writes the way he does. He stopped scoffing, but I don't know if he really got it.

I've been trying really hard to get them to use some of the tools the writers we've read in class use, but I'm not sure they've made that connection yet. I could ask them if they get it, but they'd probably just stare at me as usual.

Yeah, good luck with that...

I just realized I didn't really answer the question on my last blog post, so I'll try to stick to the topic this time...

Because a couple of my students confessed to not knowing how to start on the last essay, I spent part of one class trying to teach form, helping them construct their essays from the ground up. We talked about some of the essential elements of their essays--the big things that I was looking for, like their thesis, transitions, main points--and where those things would fit in that particular essay. I even passed around packs of mini-sticky notes (thanks, Dr. Rogers) and asked them to write their thesis, main ideas, and conclusion on them and work with a partner to arrange them in a satisfactory way.

Main problem: most of my students weren't prepared to do this (they were either sleeping or comatose during the previous class when I asked them to bring their thesis and four or five main ideas to the next class). Still, I was hopeful--I was sure that organization would be so much better this time around. No such luck. In fact, I had so many essays that had really nice, correctly placed thesis statements, but then proceeded (for the next four pages) to summarize in detail the text they were supposed to be analyzing for persuasive language, that I was nearly in tears. I'm still hoping that something stuck, though--and that it just took some time to sink in. I'm counting on that, along with two weeks of fabulous workshopping, to make these final essays fabulous. (Positive thinking, right?)

So can form be taught? Like Emily, I've always just done it without thinking about it, so maybe I'm the wrong person to try to teach it. And so far, my success in teaching it has been minimal. I think, like grammar, form is something that needs to be taught in the context of the essays they're writing, and maybe I need to put together a really great day of workshopping to focus on it. Wish me luck.