A writer is someone for whom writing is more difcult than it is for other people.

-Thomas Mann

As a writer and educator, I include this quote in part with humor, and with truth, because for many students writing is difcult; it can be an overwhelming and arduous process. I aim to de-mystify the writing process and help my students develop the fundamental skills necessary to better express themselves, clearly and persuasively, in writing. I also hope to inspire direction in their education and promote an interest in self-discovery. With this in mind, I focus on the following three goals: 1) Foster a safe and stimulating learning environment wherein students are comfortable sharing ideas and asking questions In order to foster a dynamic classroom experience I strive to incorporate a wide variety of activities into my classes. For example, I regularly facilitate group writing exercises. Clustering is an excellent group exercise. To begin, I ask one student to volunteer to write a word or phrase on the board. This begins the cluster. I then ask the class what other words or phrases this might bring to mind. I nd students become invigorated by this exercise; the cluster expands quickly and often in unexpected ways. Once ideas are exhausted we discuss ways this exercise could be applied to our own work: to brainstorm a topic, to explore a thesis, or to re-imagine an outline. I also integrate a wide variety of media into my classes, including documentaries, movies, radio soundbites, and internet clips. These media appeal to students variant learning modalities, and prevent the class from becoming rote. Further, I also assign individual and group presentations. This changes class dynamics and encourages students to teach each other. In my CC110 class students learn about ethos, pathos, logos and then consider how these concepts are leveraged in advertisements. (Later, in CC112, they will learn how these concepts are integrated into written arguments.) Students are asked to select an advertisement, identify these rhetorical concepts, and present them to the class. Students seem to have fun with this assignment, they choose engaging advertisements, and look forward to sharing their work. Next semester, I plan to integrate on-line articles into my CC112. A controversial article about the negative impact of the internet on brain behavior was recently published on-line. It provoked many comments. I plan to reproduce a string of these comments in Moodle, and ask my students to contribute their own. In addition to encourging critical thought, I hope that this project will teach students about the dubious veracity of the internet as a source and appropriate cyber-communication. At the same time that I endeavor to invigorate my classroom, I also want to create a safe and supportive learning environment. To do this, I believe it is important to cultivate routine. There is a certain comfort in routine that can allay learning anxiety, particularly in rst year students. Moreover, repeating certain exercises will reinforce and rene fundamental reading and writing concepts. In my CC110 class I have developed a routine to emphasize critical reading and the basic elements of an essay. The basic routine consists of four steps: First, we read an article together as a group. Second, I ask focused questions about the structure and content of article. Third, I ask open-ended questions about content, encouraging candid class discussion. Finally, I ask the students to free-write on the topic, providing quiet time for self-reection.
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This routine demonstrates to students the importance of structure within an essay. As students repeatedly identify the introduction, thesis statement, supporting evidence and conclusion in a wide variety of articles, they are able to understand that while the topic and purpose of a paper may change, the fundamental process remains the same. Further, reading the article out loud and ensuing class discussion provides an opportunity for ESL students to practice speaking English and sharing their ideas. In contrast, free-writing gives students the opportunity to explore their thoughts privately in writing without fear of judgement. Lastly, I believe that trust and respect are critical to establishing an environment conducive to learning and I try to connect with each of my students on a personal level. I aim to be friendly and approachable, while also maintaining professional respect. Although this is a challenging dynamic, I have developed strategies in an effort to forge this careful balance. At the most basic level, I always call roll. Vocalizing a students name, acknowledging their presence (or absence), and establishing eye-contact serves two purposes. First, it acknowledges my role as educator. More importantly, I am able to establish a brief personal connection with every student, each class. In addition to roll call, I also make it a point to visit during group work. I stop by groups and ask students to report their progress in a casual, relaxed manner. Its an opportunity to answer questions, to re-direct critical thought, and it keeps students on task. Moreover, visiting with three or four students at a time, and participating in their discussion and sharing in their ideas, is a humanizing experience for everyone. I also rely on individual conferences and ofce hours as a space to establish an individual connection and provide tailored instruction. I believe that these interactions establish rapport and trust. They help to foster mutual respect which in turn leads to higher levels of student productivity and accountability. 2) Encourage an understanding of writing as a process Whether or not a student moves on to become a professional writer, I believe that the writing process teaches students how to navigate future personal and professional challenges. By understanding the process of brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing a student learns how to face a challenge, formulate a solution, embark on a plan, and then respond to and rene the results. The writing process also necessitates critical thinking, an invaluable life skill to effectively react and respond to the world around you. In order to emphasize the writing process I rely on review, repetition, and discussion in both my creative and composition courses, moving pragmatically through each stage of the writing process with every project I assign. For some students the repetition of the ve stage process may initially seem pedantic; they just want to write. However, over the course of the semester most students experience rst hand the time and effort that an outline can save; they have encountered road-blocks and overcome them; and they are able to see signicant improvements in their work from rough draft to nal. Students begin to recognize the value of planning ahead, the pitfalls of procrastination, and the importance of attention to detail. For many, the writing process changes from a burdensome academic exercise into a valued life skill. 3) Foster a life-time appreciation of self-discovery For many students, academic writing can seem far from removed from what they might imagine to be a valuable skill in every day life. In fact, some students may think it is a limited college exercise. I try to make college writing more relevant. For instance, I remind students that
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advancing their writing skills in my class will prepare them for their future academic endeavors, regardless of discipline. But more importantly, I stress the principle that learning to hone ideas and structure a paper is also an exercise in disciplining the mind - they are quite literally learning how to think. I remind them that the process of inquisition, contemplation, organization, communication, and thought renement can develop an orderly brain pattern that can be applied to most any situation, be it drafting an investing portfolio, developing a patient prognosis, or pitching a marketing plan. In closing, beyond measurable skills, I also want to teach my students how to be good people, to foster personal integrity and moral character. Writing courses are a tremendous opportunity for students to learn more about themselves and I invite students to explore their own personal ideals and convictions in class. My writing assignments require students to form opinions and I encourage them to pay close attention to their emotions: how they feel about a reading, watching a video, or learning new information. I ask them to question their initial response and be open to new ideas. In this way, by teaching my students how to become better writers, and how to better understand themselves, I hope that I am also teaching my students how to live more rewarding lives.

Shelley N. Scaletta, Teaching Philosophy