Four Theor.

a must 1

Four Theories are a must Troy E. Gibson Theory and Practice of Writing Dr. Roggenbuck February 19, !1

Four Theor. a must

Four Theories are a must What makes good teaching" This is a #ery interesting $uestion that any as%iring educator shou&d consider asking themse&#es. E#eryone has had %ersona&&y good and bad e'%eriences in schoo& due to their teacher(s teaching techni$ue. There(s no denying that good teaching is a %ersona& o%inion that can be inter%reted in many )ays. *o)e#er the main %oint to get across is, )hat theories does good teaching %oses" + think it is necessary for future teachers to %ush their students to master their )eaknesses. Good teaching is on&y )hen a teacher can he&% students attain strengths. There is no rea& em%hasis on any %articu&ar )riting theory or %ractice because good teaching shou&d be ab&e to b&end them a&& together harmonious&y. The teaching of )riting shou&d be ab&e to use a&& the theories effecti#e&y in order to bui&d student(s strengths. ,ack )hen + )as in tenth grade + )as not a ski&&ed )riter. The thought and idea of )riting made me ner#ous. -y Eng&ish teacher )as a #ery serious forma&ist that intimidated me from the first day of c&ass. *er )riting assignments )ere e'treme&y cha&&enging and )ou&d re$uire a &ot of effort and time. .he e'%ected nothing &ess than %erfection in grammar and sentence structure etc. /s a resu&t of her high e'%ectations + )as forced to &earn the mechanics of )riting )hich + )as %re#ious&y %oor at. *er #ie)s )ere #ery much &ike Richard Fu&kerson(s descri%tion of forma&ist )riting0 1good )riting is 2correct( )riting at the sentence &e#e&3 4561 Fu&kerson7. E#en though sentence mechanics seem &ike hard )ork they are a re$uirement that e#ery student shou&d kno) and master. Teachers shou&d rea&i8e there is ne#er a )rong time to teach grammar mechanics. With that said future teachers shou&d incor%orate grammar dri&&s into the curricu&um. *o)e#er, random sentence dri&&s out of conte't )on(t be as effecti#e as short %assages from a story in )hich the students must correct sentence errors. /&&o)ing the students to see the ru&es and techni$ues for )riting in conte't )i&& he&% so&idify them in their minds. +t )ou&d a&so be he&%fu& to ha#e the students do a &ot of reading because if the students can see %ro%er grammatica& techni$ue they )i&& de#e&o% an eye for it in their o)n )riting. Thinking back to that c&ass no) +(m gratefu& that she %ushed me in that )ay. / future teacher shou&d be ab&e to antici%ate that students )i&& strugg&e and that it is their 9ob to make their

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students better in grammar etc. + don(t com%&ete&y agree )ith the intense forma&ist criteria 1s%e&&ing, %unctuation, %enmanshi%, and &ength3 4561 Fu&kerson7. *o)e#er those criteria shou&d be taught to e#ery student )ith as much intensity as my tenth grade teacher. .he focused on the things that a &ot of students sti&& strugg&e )ith at a&& ages. For that reason it is a #ery im%ortant thing to be em%hasi8ed in the c&assroom. +n co&&ege + had an Eng&ish %rofessor that cha&&enged me in a different )ay than +(#e e#er e'%erienced. +t )as the first time + had a more e'%ressi#ist:%rocess sty&e c&ass. .he )as an e'act re%&ication of )hat ;ad Tobin described to be %rocess %edagogy. .he %ut a &ot of em%hasis on finding ones #oice in their )riting 49 Tobin7. *er main goa& )as to incor%orate the students thought %rocess into the finished )ritten )ork. Future teachers shou&d try to emu&ate her a%%roach to teaching. +t is im%ortant for teachers to use 9ourna&s and short summary res%onses to &iterature. <ourna&s )i&& he&% students disco#er their o)n 1&anguage3 in )riting. +n combination )ith short summary res%onses the students )i&& fee& more comfortab&e incor%orating themse&#es into their )riting. Future teachers shou&d rea&i8e that if a student can %ut themse&#es into their )riting they are more in#ested and or interested in it. To reiterate Tobin, this ty%e of teaching does %romote better )riting because the student becomes more interested in )riting. E'%ressi#ist sty&e of teaching has its benefits because it can de#e&o% a )riter(s #oice. Without #oice in )riting the %roduct can end u% boring and non=engaging. /&& good )riting shou&d ha#e some sort of de#e&o%ed #oice %resent. Des%ite this many students &ack a strong so&id #oice in their )riting. For this reason #oice is an im%ortant conce%t that shou&d recei#e more attention in the c&assroom. +t is im%ortant for students to e'%erience Eng&ish c&asses that in#o&#e 1imagination, %&ay, sur%rise, or e'%erimentation3 46 Tobin7. ,eing in a c&assroom that em%hasi8ed this can make student(s )riting better. This ty%e of teaching is a great&y different e'%erience than most students are used to, but the resu&t is )e&& )orth trying it out. .ome teachers might shy a)ay from this ty%e of teaching because it may seem too tricky or it(s easier to a#oid. + think that if a future teacher fee&s they ha#e the confidence to %u&& this teaching method off they shou&d try it.

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+n my senior year of high schoo& + had an Eng&ish teacher that )ou&d assign hea#y research based %a%ers. .he )anted us to be ab&e to &earn ho) to %ro%er&y su%%ort our ideas in )riting. This mimetic sty&e of teaching rea&&y made a connection for me bet)een thought and the )riting %rocess. .he tru&y be&ie#ed there )as 1a c&ear connection bet)een good )riting and good thinking3 456 Fu&kerson7. ;ike Fu&kerson(s genera& idea, students fai& to %ut so&id thought into their )riting 456 7. For this reason research based assignments need to be used. >sing research )i&& force the students to think about re&ationshi%s bet)een ideas and better in#o&#e thinking into their )riting. .tudents shou&d a&so be re$uired to hand in a f&o) chart of ho) each idea su%%orts the main theme and the &ogic behind )hy each argument )as chosen. +f Fu&kerson(s idea that students don(t )rite )e&& because they don(t kno) enough about the sub9ect is true then the t)o a%%roaches abo#e shou&d undo that 45667. The mimetic sty&e of teaching is one that + think can be o#er&ooked easi&y. + think at times it is assumed students kno) ho) to su%%ort their ideas %ro%er&y. *o)e#er some students don(t kno) the %ro%er techni$ue of ho) to do this. /ny student that does not kno) ho) to incor%orate their thought and reasoning into their )riting )i&& create )ork that is unorgani8ed and unsu%%orted. For that reason + fee& mimetic theory shou&d ha#e a %&ace in any c&assroom. Teaching students ho) to su%%ort their ideas and to use &ogic )hen )riting )i&& he&% them in other c&asses not on&y Eng&ish courses. The mimetic theory is in my o%inion the most fundamenta& and basic theory. *o)e#er it sti&& deser#es em%hasis in order to create stronger )riters. +n high schoo& there )as a teacher that )ou&d %ut a &ot of em%hasis on ho) im%ortant the audience )as in )riting. .he )ou&d a&)ays make the c&ass %oint out )ho the audience )as for each assignment before )riting it. With time the c&ass became more a)are of their im%act on the audience by use of )ords. -y o%inion is that the audience is neg&ected by teachers. Future teachers shou&d incor%orate dri&&s in the )riting %rocess that address )ho the audience is. /&so identifying nay sayers is he&%fu& as )e&&. Doing this )i&& %ut the student in the audience(s mind %er say )hich )i&& make their )riting ha#e a more %o)erfu& message. Rhetorica& %edagogy is a theory that teachers %ut on the back burner. *o)e#er there is great

Four Theor. a must ?

im%ortance in con#eying the a%%ro%riate message to the a%%ro%riate audience. ;ike Fu&kerson stated, 1@iAf the same #erba& construct is directed to a different audience, then it may ha#e to be e#a&uated different&y3 45667. Therefore identifying the audience is #a&uab&e ski&& to %ossess. The %o)er of )ords becomes ineffecti#e if they are not directed at the right %eo%&e. +t is the teacher(s duty to make sure students master the abi&ity to identify the audience for their )riting. +f + kne) + )ou&d become a teacher in a short %eriod of time + )ou&d ha#e to serious&y e#a&uate )hat + fee& is im%ortant to incor%orate into my c&assroom. To be honest each theory of com%osition in some )ay shou&d be incor%orated into e#ery c&assroom. Each theory carries its o)n im%ortance that shou&d be de#e&o%ed in e#ery studentB a&so de#e&o%ing e#ery student(s strengths as a resu&t. +t is %oint&ess to focus an entire year or semester on one theory because good )riting shou&d be ab&e to incor%orate a&& the theories. +n su%%ort of Fu&kerson(s genera& idea %resented in his essay about the four theories, a good teacher shou&d kno) each theory to %roduce better student )riters. Forma&ist theory has the main focus on the mechanics of )riting. These theorists su%%ort the idea of 1sentence acrobats3 4561 Fu&kerson7. They stand behind the idea that good sentences make good )riting. This theory is a #ery im%ortant theory to be used in the teaching of )riting. +t seems that teachers com%&ain the most about the mechanics of )riting. Grammar and sentence structure are the basic ingredients for a good %iece of )riting. C#era&& good )riters are ones that kno) good sentence mechanics. Therefore, forma&ist theory shou&dn(t be &eft out of the teaching %rocess. The e'%ressionism theory is e$ua&&y as im%ortant. The o#era&& %oint of this theory is to use )riting as se&f=disco#ery, to find ones #oice and then incor%orate their thought into their )riting. The use of this in teaching gi#es students a su%%orti#e en#ironment to he&% them gro) as )riters 4D Tobin7. Without this theory used in a c&assroom there )i&& be a disconnection from the student and their )riting. Eoice is yet another key e&ement to good )riting. /s a resu&t of that the c&assroom shou&d be )here a student(s #oice is manifested and de#e&o%ed. The mimetic theory of com%osition is one that shou&d not be forgotten. 1@TAeaching of sound reasoning as a basis for good )riting is an essentia&&y mimetic %ractice3 4566 Fu&kerson7. -imetic theory focuses on &ogic and reasoning behind student )riting. This is a

Four Theor. a must F

#ery sim%&e idea that can sometimes be o#er&ooked by teachers. This is a #ery im%ortant ski&& that e#ery student shou&d master. Good )riting is )riting that is &ogica& and sho)s reasoning. This is )hy + fee& it is im%ortant for teachers to incor%orate into the c&assroom. /nd the &ast theory is no &ess im%ortant. The rhetorica& theory creates a harmony bet)een the )riter and the audience. /ccording to Fu&kerson good )riting creates the o#era&& desired effect on the audience 45667. /&& good )riting shou&d create a marriage bet)een )hat the )riter has to say and ho) the audience )i&& inter%ret that. This is a sma&& detai& that shou&dn(t be o#er&ooked as )e&&. /&& the theories hit a key e&ement that a&& students shou&d ha#e as their strengths. For future teachers it is im%ortant that they rea&i8e that )ithout one of those theories their student(s )riting )i&& not be the best it can be. .ince + fee& a&& four %hi&oso%hies of com%osition are e$ua&&y im%ortant, if + )ere to teach + )ou&d incor%orate a&& of them e$ua&&y into my c&assroom. Each student shou&d master the basics of structure &ike the term %a%er for e'am%&e. Without the fundamenta&s of structure no student can be a strong )riter. + )ou&d a&so incor%orate grammar and sentence structure dri&&s to he&% students )ho strugg&e )ith sentence mechanics &ike + did back in tenth grade. /&ong )ith that + )ou&d re$uire that my students do %oetry or a 9ourna& often to de#e&o% their #oice. Each student shou&d ha#e a strong e#ident #oice in their )riting that is uni$ue to the indi#idua&. +n an attem%t to teach my future students &ogic and reasoning + )ou&d incor%orate research into the curricu&um. This )i&& he&% them to better think through )hat they are )riting and be ab&e to su%%ort it )ith their ideas. + a&so think it )ou&d be a good idea to assign s%eeches so that the students can gain first hand e'%erience on ho) to use their )riting to %ro%er&y con#ey a desired message to their audience. /&so to he&% students gain a sense of the audience + )ou&d use e'ercises that make the students %in %oint naysayers to their )riting. This )ou&d he&% them gain a sense of )hat the audience might be thinking. >sing a&& of these techni$ues combined )i&& create an o#era&& stronger )riter. .ome students may be stronger or )eaker in certain as%ect of )riting. +f a teacher focuses an entire c&ass on 9ust one theory of com%osition then they aren(t he&%ing a&& the students strengthen their abi&ities as )riters. >sing e#ery theory )i&& touch on a&& the basics

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)hich )i&& make a&& the students stronger in their )eaknesses instead of making a fe) kids stronger. C#era&& good teaching shou&d in#o&#e a mi'ture of theories. /&& the theories shou&d co&&aborate to generate strengths in students. Go one theory is more im%ortant than the other and that is )hy they a&& deser#e to be used in unison in the c&assroom. +f each theory is em%hasi8ed in a course then the students )i&& ha#e the o%%ortunity to master their strengths and turn their )eaknesses into strengths.

References

Four Theor. a must H

Fu&kerson, R. 419D97. Four Phi&oso%hies of Iom%osition. +n The Norton Book of Composition Studies. Ge) Jork0 W.W. Gorton K Io. Tobin, T. Process Pedagogy. +n A Guide to Composition Pedagogies. Ge) Jork0 C'ford >ni#ersity Press.