Hola Readers,
During our down times at the Writing Center, Colleague N and I would sometimes discuss professionalism and our careers.
We both "fell" into our jobs. I avoided teaching ever since I dropped my education major at Seton Hill University, but at Utah State University I realized I can teach when I accepted the graduate instructorship to help finance my MAs education. Colleague N was actually interested in teaching, but became more interested in writing, so her MAs degree focused on writing.
We chuckled at how I was re-entering the teaching profession as she was leaving it ( for now ). Even though we're both neophytes in our profession, we talked about our fears of being pigeon-holed ( discussing the age-old question: "How does one get experience when one can't get hired?" ).
Most of my experience came from teaching and tutoring, but I have the skills to write articles for PR and newspaper publications. Colleague N's experience mostly stemmed from PR and newspaper publications, and her technical writing background; nonetheless she can still teach. Working at a Writing Center seemed to be a good compromise fulfilling most of our interest.
Great thing all 3 of us are highly motivated individuals. In addition to our Writing Center duties, we're constantly brainstorming different projects to do to keep challenging ourselves and to keep growing. And of course, we're still holding on to our dreams of making it and being published writers as well!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
A Professional: reflecting
What's Up Readers?
Have you ever heard the expression: "Those who can't do, teach."? I don't like it. Not only is it demeaning to the teaching profession, it's also limiting. I have dreams of becoming a published writer, and there was a time when I believed that my dreams of writing were over because I started settling in the teaching profession. But the truth of the matter is that most professors are published writers.
Jay Parini's The Art of Teaching did a good job of showing the symbiotic relationship between teaching and writing. He writes that "Teaching- again, like writing- is a brave act of self-presentation" (6). Voice is important in both fields, and if Robert Frost did it then every teacher-writer out there can too.
Both professions have performative aspects involving different personas, content, and discipline. Parini believes that a "disciplined life is essential for a teacher and a writer [ because it ] invites the muse" (48). Teaching and writing also involve "clarification, classification, and persuasion: the art of rhetoric" (81).
Maybe ardent naysayers who read Parini's book will take to heart Ralph Waldo Emerson's insight that "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" (106). Hopefully they will realize that those who can, DO TEACH!
Have you ever heard the expression: "Those who can't do, teach."? I don't like it. Not only is it demeaning to the teaching profession, it's also limiting. I have dreams of becoming a published writer, and there was a time when I believed that my dreams of writing were over because I started settling in the teaching profession. But the truth of the matter is that most professors are published writers.
Jay Parini's The Art of Teaching did a good job of showing the symbiotic relationship between teaching and writing. He writes that "Teaching- again, like writing- is a brave act of self-presentation" (6). Voice is important in both fields, and if Robert Frost did it then every teacher-writer out there can too.
Both professions have performative aspects involving different personas, content, and discipline. Parini believes that a "disciplined life is essential for a teacher and a writer [ because it ] invites the muse" (48). Teaching and writing also involve "clarification, classification, and persuasion: the art of rhetoric" (81).
Maybe ardent naysayers who read Parini's book will take to heart Ralph Waldo Emerson's insight that "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" (106). Hopefully they will realize that those who can, DO TEACH!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Writing Center: February progress report
Hi Readers,
We're tracking our progress so we can learn from them in order to improve and be more efficient ( in meeting students' needs ). Here it is:
Hours and # of Students-
For February, the Writing Center was open for 66 hours, and we worked with 77 students ( dedicating at least an hour per student ). The first week was slow because of the many snow cancellations and delays. We also just opened, so most of the students didn't even know we were here.
Outreach-
We attended:
-13 Freshman seminar classes ( approximately 200 student exposure )
-2 English classes ( Eng 1 and Lit 1 )
-2 Pol. Sci classes ( Capstone and World )
-1 Residence Life meeting
-1 Career Center meeting
We communicated face-to-face with 10 faculty members from different disciplines:
-Communication (1)
-Fine Arts (2)
-Business (1)
-Science (1)
-Social Science (2)
-English (2)
-French (1)
Poster Board sessions:
-library ( 3 visits )
-Student Union ( 1 visit )
Project Facebook launched ( a presence and reminders for students online, a way to connect through instant announcement, comments, and birthday remembrances )
-As of Feb. 2011 we have 87 friends
Events/Workshops
-Read-In
-In progress ( Workshop on Writing after the University: Resumes, Cover letters, and Application essays )
Mini-Projects
-Art (3= 1 window art, 2 poster boards)
-Feng Shui ( Room )
-Mission Statement Draft
-In progress ( flyers, log-in sheet, website, handbook, newsletter, research, journal article, questionaires, and conference presentation )
Future Conferences/Journals
-NCET
-4Cs
-WCA
-Writing Lab Newsletter
-English Journal
-College English
-CCC
Future Collaborations
-Honor Students
-Peer Mentoring Program
-English Honor Society
-Residence Life
We're tracking our progress so we can learn from them in order to improve and be more efficient ( in meeting students' needs ). Here it is:
Hours and # of Students-
For February, the Writing Center was open for 66 hours, and we worked with 77 students ( dedicating at least an hour per student ). The first week was slow because of the many snow cancellations and delays. We also just opened, so most of the students didn't even know we were here.
Outreach-
We attended:
-13 Freshman seminar classes ( approximately 200 student exposure )
-2 English classes ( Eng 1 and Lit 1 )
-2 Pol. Sci classes ( Capstone and World )
-1 Residence Life meeting
-1 Career Center meeting
We communicated face-to-face with 10 faculty members from different disciplines:
-Communication (1)
-Fine Arts (2)
-Business (1)
-Science (1)
-Social Science (2)
-English (2)
-French (1)
Poster Board sessions:
-library ( 3 visits )
-Student Union ( 1 visit )
Project Facebook launched ( a presence and reminders for students online, a way to connect through instant announcement, comments, and birthday remembrances )
-As of Feb. 2011 we have 87 friends
Events/Workshops
-Read-In
-In progress ( Workshop on Writing after the University: Resumes, Cover letters, and Application essays )
Mini-Projects
-Art (3= 1 window art, 2 poster boards)
-Feng Shui ( Room )
-Mission Statement Draft
-In progress ( flyers, log-in sheet, website, handbook, newsletter, research, journal article, questionaires, and conference presentation )
Future Conferences/Journals
-NCET
-4Cs
-WCA
-Writing Lab Newsletter
-English Journal
-College English
-CCC
Future Collaborations
-Honor Students
-Peer Mentoring Program
-English Honor Society
-Residence Life
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)