Reflection on Basic Writing Course

Brittany Zayas

Professor Lynn Reid

ENGL B8104 Basic Writing Theory & Practice

19 December 2016

Final Reflection Paper

In the first class, we were asked to define “basic writers” and “basic writing.” Like everyone, I came in with certain understandings of these terms. My definition of basic writers drew from my own experiences working with them one-on-one at a college learning center and in small group settings at the private learning center I manage now. I wrote this in my notes that day: Basic writer: A writer who lacks fundamental writing skills, may not be able to pin them down to a grade level, but did not usually have writing taught to them in a cohesive structured way or in a way that suited their learning needs. May be a reader, but may read in such a way where they are not picking up on technique. May be well-spoken, but has trouble putting thought onto paper/screen. Variety: May be native English speaker, may be ESL/ELL; may have learning disability, may not. Important to know [these things] when teaching them, as they will be key to reaching them. Also should consider learning type.

This definition does not encompass all that basic writers can be, as I did not mention those suffering trauma (whether learning-related or not) or those who have not before had access to traditional education or support to build their comfort with Standard American English. I do hold to my original definition, but would add these other considerations, which I was aware of, but which were not on my mind that day. I do find that most basic writers lack certain foundational skills, which is why the majority are entirely aware of where they are at skills-wise and know there is room for improvement. I administer reading and writing assessments to children and adults at my job, so have seen patterns in struggling writers’ habits and educational history. The tests students are given generate a grade level equivalency (GLE) when scored. This is only a rough estimate and is just a number, as I tell my students, but more often than not, the GLE pinpoints the grade where the student struggled the most–even if the student is now an adult. A sixth grade GLE on a twenty-one-year-old’s test usually indicates troubles in middle school and precisely where the student felt sure that ELA was not their subject. After that grade, the student has been trying to catch up while teachers pushed them ahead. In adulthood, they have picked up common sense and independent skills, but they still lack those fundamental skills they missed out on, and that holds them back.

The class was also asked to define “basic writing”. I wrote: Basic writing: The fundamentals/foundation of writing. Elementary grammar knowledge, but also confidence/comfort with own writing voice, building on speaking skills. Reading comprehension can impact this but it’s not the same skill. I would now add a lot more about the field of basic writing, as that was what was most eye-opening to me in this course. Basic writing deals directly with issues of class, privilege, and access to education, as well as the implicit biases within academia. It is about ensuring students have a firmer foundation in writing, but also providing access to a space they may not have been able to enter because they don’t speak the same standardized dialect. This can lead to that confidence in one’s own voice–something that has always been important to me as an educator. When a student becomes aware of their own voice, their writing becomes drastically stronger. It’s easy to correct grammar errors, but much harder to pick on a lack of clear voice. Once a student can express an idea fully, everything else is just tidying up.

I tell my students that using my own experiences as a writer. I was never a basic writer; I always loved writing and had a solid grasp of grammar and technique. But as a creative writer primarily, I had a hard time gaining comfort with academic writing. My first paper in freshman composition was given back ungraded with a gentle observation that what I was saying made no sense at all. Subsequent papers were graded low, and being an overachiever, this was devastating. Thankfully, I had a friend in the learning center who tutored me and helped me structure standard papers, moving me up from a B student to an A student. Yet the more I wrote in college, the more I realized how subjective writing was. I would get points off for my constant semi-colon usage or lengthy sentences from one professor and then be praised for my details and descriptions by another professor. I learned that a grade only told so much. That is something I try to impart to my students, who take grades as the final word and judgment.

In my last two years of undergraduate school, I was fortunate enough to have professors who encouraged me in my writing. I was a history major, so was graded on content knowledge and accuracy. Creativity was not always of interest. But certain professors valued having fun with writing, even in historical study. I began to see my own voice as valuable in academia. For my senior thesis, I wrote a 100-page historical study on nationalism in the US and USSR during World War II. It was intense research, but writing it was unlike any other writing I had done before. I was presenting my own ideas at length, and I had opportunity to be both serious and ironic, to be fair but opinionated, and to even be funny when I wanted to be. I could be the kind of historical writer I enjoyed. That broke me out of the confines of academic writing and the constant professor-pleasing. I was bold in my writing that year, and produced some of my best academic work.

Graduate school writing has not been easy for me, as I may be out of practice with academia, but also because I struggle with the rules more than I used to. I get frustrated when I feel myself following a formula or picking up on things that a professor may like. I want to say what I want to say and I want to say it how I say it. This was my first graduate course and I know I struggled with expectations. How much freedom does one have a graduate student? I am paying my way this time, out of my own pocket, one class a semester, and I feel determined to get what I need from my studies.

I think a lot about academic papers, and I notice the variance in structure within them. Some writers stick to staid formulas, quoting and paraphrasing more than they give their own opinions. I can’t bear that kind of writing. My favorites that we read were writers who gave real-life case study examples and spoke with passion for the subject. The Edward Quinn essay we read early on was fascinating and gave insight into 1970s college campus life that was far more memorable than any statistics were. I do enjoy the philosophy of Paulo Freire, because though Freire can be dry, he is passionate. As a writer myself I want to be better at writing with passion and taking care to be as comprehensive as I can. Perhaps I’m still finding my academic writing voice, especially since it’s been a few years since I last exercised it. In the next few years in which I slowly complete this degree, I hope to strengthen that voice. The more capable I am the better use I will be to my students, who teach me new things every day.

Reading Response 4: Reflecting on Reflection

Reflection is an essential part of any learning process. It is the point where one can stop and look back to see the path one walked and determine how far there may still be to go. This applies to life as well–though for those of us with depression or anxiety, reflection can often make it worse before it gets better. As cliched as it is by now, there’s a reason Socrates declared the unexamined life not worth living.

Ann M. Amicucci describes in “Using Reflection to Promote Students’ Writing Process Awareness” how weaving reflection assignments into her freshman composition class helped create a sense of ownership and critical self-examination among the students. Freshmen often come to a writing class expecting to spew out standardized work that has been drilled into them in high school (low teacher pay, ridiculous bureaucratic regulations, outdated textbooks, ignorant administration, and many other factors contribute to this). It’s not easy to unpack and remove almost two decades of learning experience in a semester. But Amicucci guided students in their own unpacking, by asking them to reflect on what a writing process is and how they go about it (42). Students rattled off the conventions and then focused on how they missed the mark at times. They were knew their own process well. The recurring reflection assignments throughout Amicucci’s class pushed the students to continually reassess themselves. They could consider if they had adjusted certain writing practices they had or whether they still stuck to the same process.

There was no clear statement by Amiccuci on whether the students’ writing improved, but the overwhelming response was a better understanding of themselves as writers. This is key to a student’s growth as a writer, which may take years. But first, a writer needs to  own their own writing, and understand their process as their own habits and outpouring of ideas.

At my job as an educational director at a learning center, I read incoming students’ self-assessments before meeting with parents. The students who can state their weaknesses on that initial assessment are usually correct (when compared to their test scores) and are often more likely to improve in their tutoring sessions. Understanding of self is critical to success.

I would utilize reflection in a writing class, but would make it low-stakes enough for students to not stress over it, while making it worth the effort. However, some students will always feel anxious over any assignment, so a rubric and very clear expectations must be given. I would structure it in small chunks prior to or directly after major assignments, as Amicucci did. This helps prepare students for some assignments and helps them reconsider their own completed work in order to do better later on. Additionally, students’ reflections can help an instructor form a better understanding of students and be able to assess their work more fairly.