Reflection Memo
As I have completed the coursework in ENG 510 and ENG 101, I have seen dramatic growth in how I approach writing. Not only that, but I have developed the skills to transfer this growth into effective instruction next term as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. Later in this reflection, I will address how I have achieved each of the outcomes for this course, but I would like to start by discussing my choices for discussion responses that showcase my growth.
I started with my Pedagogy: Theories for Teaching and Learning discussion response because this is how I started the term. It is where I adopted a liberatory framework for the different pedagogical elements that I would later insert. Its appearance in this portfolio is a testament to how foundational it was to the rest of the knowledge that I constructed in the course. The second response I chose was the discussion of discourse communities and communities of practice. I chose this response because it highlights how instructors can communicate the value of first-year composition to students who don’t plan on pursuing the field of writing studies. This will be an essential part of teaching in the years to come. The third response I selected was for the week on Multimodal Composing. This response was important for me because it gave me the opportunity to exam some of my own prejudices that I held. I found that I prioritized written composition, and that I was intimidated not only to construct multimodal texts, but that I was reticent to give students the option of multimodality. This reflection allowed me to break down some barriers and led to the construction of a multimodal response in my fourth selection on Feedback. To come out of my shell, I created a multimodal response that represented a professional development session about feedback. I see now that there are ways I could expand and improve this presentation, and I hope to have that opportunity in the future, but for now it gives me the framework with which I can approach feedback in my class. I also created a feedback checklist that I look forward to using and refining throughout my teaching career. Finally, I chose the discussion post for Alternative Grading Practices. Like Multimodal Composing, Alternative Grading Practices forced me to reconsider my biases. It forced me to acknowledge that I had fallen victim to conservative rhetoric around progressive pedagogical practices. Not that I don’t believe they work, but I worry about the backlash from more conservative-minded students. However, the work on Alternative Grading Practices showed how progressive pedagogies are simultaneously more equitable and rigorous. I concluded my curated list with this discussion post because while I want to implement alternative grading practices in my classroom, I don’t think that this is something I can jump into right away. It will take time and experience to implement this practice effectively and to best serve students. I feel it is important to end on an aspirational note.
Below I outline how I achieved each of the course outcomes:
Outcome #1: Conduct academic research in rhetoric and composition theory
During this course, we fulfilled this outcome on a weekly basis. From Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning Theory in Week 1 all the way to Teaching Writing in the Age of AI in Week 10, each week we covered a new topic important to rhetoric and composition theory. This meant that I did research on the subject of the week by reading a curated selection of articles and crafting a thoughtful response to these readings. If one was so inclined, there was also a collection of supplemental readings for each topic that one could use to further their research. I took advantage of these supplemental readings for the Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice topic. The article “Concept of a Discourse Community” by John Swales was especially helpful in helping me to solidify my understanding of discourse communities.
Outcome #2: Conduct other valuable forms of writing studies research
The assignment that required the most consistent and dedicated amount of time spent on a single subject was the annotated bibliography. My topic was on the current state of AI in writing studies, and it was a topic that I was relatively unengaged with before the assignment. I was curious and wary about AI, particularly in relation to its impact on the already fragile information ecosystem, but this assignment opened my eyes to the environmental, social, and pedagogical impacts of AI. I learned AI will be a topic that is discussed for a long time and while I feel AI in education is a hype train that will miss the station, there will be countless hours, resources, and tax dollars spent trying to incorporate AI into every part of our lives. It is important that I continue to read and become more educated on the state of AI and educate my students about the negatives and the positives associated with this new technology. I think that learning about this information has been particularly valuable and will give me a more diverse and effective toolkit with which to discuss AI in writing studies. Something that I wouldn’t feel nearly as confident doing without this research.
Outcome #3: Engage in academic conversations about writing studies
Along with the research and response that I did every week, I also had the opportunity to participate in weekly discussions about the research with my fellow classmates. This was probably the highlight of the course for me. Rarely have I been involved in class discussions that are so interesting and where almost every student is engaged in the topic. Not only that, but the diversity of backgrounds in the class provided a great opportunity to discuss how each of the topics we covered impacts different areas of lived experience. I especially appreciated hearing from Rachel Riffell, Matt Hirsch, and Tiffany Acker, whose experience in K-12 provided an interesting lens through which to view the content, and it also resonated with my own experience teaching in K-12. I also enjoyed hearing from Chris Wu and his experience teaching English in Korea. The culture clash surrounding education was very interesting. Finally, I enjoyed hearing from Mushfique Tanzim Ahmed and Millie Land. Conversations about how they interpreted the readings and plans to incorporate them into writing instruction next term were beneficial.
Outcome #4: Develop writing knowledge you can apply to your pedagogy and course design
Throughout the course, there were numerous instances where I developed my writing knowledge to the point where I could apply it to my pedagogy and course design. One of the most important resources from the course was the book Writing About Writing. Whenever I have a question about a particular aspect of the writing process, or I want to dig deeper into a concept, or I want some examples of how different thinkers are approaching and implementing a topic I know that Writing About Writing will have something beneficial in it. I found the week that we did on feedback particularly beneficial. This gave me some important tools and knowledge that I can foreground as I go into teaching and can use in class. It also allowed me to consider my approach to assignments in a different way, considering how feedback and time to reflect on feedback can be incorporated into each assignment. The teaching philosophy assignment gave me an opportunity to contemplate what teaching means to me, what my pedagogy will look like, and how I can bring this pedagogy to life in a classroom. While I had an idea of what I wanted my classroom to look like before this assignment, I don’t know that I had the vocabulary to explain exactly how I wanted the class to look and how the design of the course would facilitate the pedagogy that I aspire to. Finally, and this is more of a goal of mine, the week we spent on alternative grading practices completely changed how I view grading. Prior to this week, I had an old-school view of grading, but being introduced to labor-based grading and the work of Asoue Inoue opened my eyes to what was possible. Not only was it possible, but it was also a more rigorous, transparent, and rigorous approach to the grading process that benefits students and teachers. However, I don’t think this is something I can accomplish in my first round of teaching. I think this is something that will take time and experience to fully develop and appreciate. So, while it will not be something that I implement right away, it will be something that I will continue to work towards in my classroom.
Outcome #5: Read and critically respond to current writing studies scholarship
Similar to outcome #2, I fulfilled outcome #5 on a weekly basis. Every week I read around 50 pages of current writing studies scholarship pertinent to a particular topic. From there I would construct a post, usually as an essay, that was anywhere from 800 to 1200 words. One area where I came out of my shell was during the week on feedback. For this post, I made a mock professional development video along with a feedback checklist that teachers could use when they give feedback and that I can use come teaching time. Having class discussions every week gave me a chance to think about what I wrote and critically respond to my classmates in real time. This gave me the chance to solidify all the new knowledge that I was taking in every week.
Outcome #6: Prepare methods, materials, and activities for teaching ENG 101
A big part of this class was taking the ENG 101 course simultaneously. Each week, I got to read different theories and scholarship about writing studies. Then, while doing the work for ENG 101, I could see these theories and scholarship being put into practice from the student end. In other words, I got to see what my students will go through next term and how these theories affect the student experience. As I completed each assignment for ENG 101 and this accomplished three things. First, I ensured it would be an assignment that I could use as an example in the future not just for my students, but for myself. I put in the amount of work that I would expect from a student hoping to earn an A, and my students and I can use this as a sort of benchmark. Second, it allows me to more effectively guide students through the assignments because I have completed them myself. Finally, I hope that showing these examples will quickly break down potential barriers with students as I will be open and honest about my process. Beyond completing the assignments for ENG 101, there were many opportunities for brainstorming activities through the readings, in reflection, and through collaboration with peers.
Jordan Cagle 