Mentor- Peers- Mentors- Peers

One of my cohort posted on this subject last week in response to comp tale 101, and I would like to comment on it as well. As a first semester grad student, I was initially a bit overwhelmed with the fact that I not only had a mentor, but that they would be in constant contact with me and analyzing my work as well. With the semester coming to a close, sort of, I have been grateful that this was a facet of the assistantship program. The peer who inspired this blog discussed how she was successful with the help of her peers rather than faculty members; I believe both are viable sources of mentorship for different reasons. Faculty can share years of experience helpful to everyone while peers, especially higher at levels, can offer specific, immediately needed advice on a range of subjects. Though I'm nto sure if I would have "turned out" the same way had I not had a mentor, I am certainly appreciative and content with the way things went.

Metacognitivenuerodynamics

So, I've started to get bogged down with the work from my personal classes in addition to my GA duties, and I feel like I want to discuss this phenomenon with my students. I want to see how they're doing, since I feel like we're kind of in the same boat. Not to say that beginning a Graduate level program is the same as starting the first year of an Undergraduate program, but I feel like I'm in this new unfamiliar world- the same as my students. If I, a student who did not take any time between Undergrad and Grad school, am having these anxious feelings about the semester almost being over and not wanting to finish my work, perhaps my students are experiencing it too. While I have peers who can completely relate to my situation, I'm sure, I think my focus is on my students because I'm in an entirely new area of education, similarly they may be experiencing classes they've never even heard the name of before; biomechanics, sociolinguistics, metacognitiveneurodynamics! (I know the last one is fake... I'm just trying to prve a point here) Maybe I'm just putting a stereotype on my students, or perhaps I'm just trying to find anyone who can remotely relate to my current condition. Either way, I feel the impulse to just sit down on the desk at the front of my classroom and really talk to my students. How are they doing? Really? Is the feeling mutual? Anybody? Does anyone else have the urge to get to know their students? I'm torn because my last post was about making sure the line between personal and professional isn't crossed, but now I'm feeling quite the opposite. Are there steps I can take next semester so that I am able to overcome this urge in a civilized, still professional way?

Ms. McKendree

Comp tale 91 really struck a chord with me as I have experienced being one of the young, impressionable girls described by Knutson. I have found myself being overcome with my still-teenager-like hormones wanting to sit next to the athletic boys, hoping they will appreciate the fact that I'm doing all their work and possibly indirectly invite me (or I invite myself) to some party in the coming weekend. Until recently, I hadn't really considered the effect these boys and their actions would have on me if I were on the other side of the fence. Being a first year grad student, I'm still relatively close in age to my students; this factor has positive and negative aspects. Positively, the students may be more inclined to trust me, and one of the negative aspects that may possibly come about is showcased in this comp tale. Thus far into my first semester as a GTA, I haven't been exposed to the negative side effects of being a young female in a classroom with hormonal, cocky, male athletes, but I dread experiencing a situation that bears any similarities to the situation described by Knutson. One suggestion to perhaps make sure this situation never occurs, which I find I will implement immediately, is to force the students to call me Ms. McKendree from Day 1. Though it may feel a bit weird at first, if I require this level of formality from my students (and myself), it could be beneficial in helping keep the metaphorical line drawn between teacher and student. I think the main flaw in Knutson's decision, which I'm hoping she realized by the end of her experience, was to just shcluff off the name calling. I will not answer to anything but "Mrs. McKendree." As said by Sebastian in "The Little Mermaid, "You give dem an inch, dey swim all over." The same principle is true with students, though I certainly hope they won't be swimming in my classroom :)

Though it is not a subject in direct relation with the composition classroom, I feel it's an important matter to be mentioned; eating (sort of) healthy. Recently, I've been eating at least one doughnut and a (large) cup of coffee a day. I realize this is unhealthy, but I simply can't help myself as I don't afford myself enough time to make a 'real meal' or prepare a lunch before I leave my place. though I do make a point to exercise regularly, I still feel as if I'm being kept off track by my sugary, delicious, caramel-covered friend; or should I say foe? With this being only my first semester in grad school, I already feel a bit overwhelmed and I can't help but wonder how many more doughnuts and coffees I will consume when I begin to teach my own classes, thus having even less time for myself. Though I was lucky enough not to have gained the dreaded "freshman fifteen" in undergrad, I'm certainly on my way to reaching that point nowadays. So I guess this is just a post to encourage everyone to keep their health in mind- both physical and mental- and don't give into the temptation of the dreaded doughnut...too often :)

NO TEACHERS ALLOWED

I though Tale 86 in Comp Tales was absolutely wonderful. Though the author is poking fun at the story, as many authors do, I think the underlying point is pretty awesome. While some readers may be inclined to be shocked and perhaps even offended by this story, I believe it entails an idea of the more recent approaches to writing that is useful and ground-breaking. The title of the book "Writing Without Teachers" obviously seems to hint at the uselessness of professionals in the English field, but looked at from another point of view, it simply encourages said professionals to rethink their approach to teaching writing. If the man in this story thinks writing is "wonderful, just wonderful" and had a positive experience through a seemingly more self-taught method, there is something to be said about the role teachers play in the classroom. I think the main point is that we must rethink what "teaching" consists of, how it's approached, and what our students are getting out of our "lessons". Perhaps teaching is not simply dictating formulas for creating grammatically correct sentences; perhaps teaching should be reworded to be a guide. We should not, at least at a collegiate level, need to focus on and teach how to correct local issues such as grammar- we should guide our students to be able to explain their ideas coherently, and in an orderly fashion. While this is a problem due to the low level of some students in relation to the coherency of their writing, that should not be our main focus. Encouraging students to utilize tutors is an option, of course, but it is not OUR job to focus on their grammar.

Tale 78 tells the story of one such professor who dealt with professors in other disciplines wanting English professors to focus on issues such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I was as annoyed as the author was to be forced to listen to the complaints of Professor X as they seemed to be ignorant of what a "Teacher" does. Perhaps the task of dispelling the myth of what happens in English classes is too difficult, but perhaps if we describe ourselves as guides more so than teachers, people can start to understand and empathize with the predicament in which we constantly find ourselves. Eh?

We're all in this together!

So, I constantly feel as if my efforts in basically all of my classes aren't substantial since I don't have the same amount of background in any of the subjects of my classes. Within the first week or so of my classes, I was asked to define rhetoric, encourage students to attend the writing center, and even reply to chapters in my class books about linguistics and teaching speakers of languages other than English. I'm pretty sure my definition for Rhetoric was something like, "A system of writing tools we use to tell stories", which is not necessarily incorrect, but it felt extremely simplistic in comparison to my cohorts' definitions. I managed to endorse the writing center pretty well as I was able to watch a presentation and basically regurgitate the given information, but as I had never tutored before that time, all of the information was synthetic bologna coming out of my mouth and it made me feel bad. As for replying to my course books, I've managed to receive comments such as "excellent", "nice point", or "good start", but it becomes more prominent that I'm receiving comments such as "okay for credit", or "needs more information, explanation, etc." While I've conferenced in depth about my shortcomings in relation to my lack of English background to both professors and comrades, the encouragement is often in vain. Recently I decided to confide in a friend outside of the department so as to get a different point of view; this turned out to be the most helpful, if not probably the most child-like answer thus far. After she commented on the fact that my peers have all been in a position similar to mine at some point or another and it certainly will not be the last, she proceeded to sing the "We're all in this together" song form High School Musical. Needless to say, the dancing was included. To quote my friend, "You can't be a dance major and not dance when you sing!" While she was being a tad silly in her response, her point was strong, understood, and not taken lightly. After getting to know my classmates and professors a like, I've come to understand a bit more how people in the "English World" work. While I'm not an expert, and probably never will be, I'm sure my surrounding classmates-turned-friends will encourage one another, uplift each other, and push through our next few years together like the "Wildcats" I know we all are inside :)