On Teaching

What do you want to know about me? 

First day of class - English 1A, a college transfer composition-argument hybrid.
Instead of introducing myself, I asked what they wanted to know about me.

1. Why did you want to teach writing?
2. How long were you in the US Air Force? (I mentioned this while answering #1.)

That's it.  

Okay. What do you want to know about each other? 

1. Why are you taking this class?
2. What's your major?
3. What are your career goals?
4. What are your interests and hobbies?

Closure: Is there anything you'd like to share from the group activity? 

"None of us wanted to take this course." 

Oh the joys of teaching a GE, yet I enjoy spending the first few weeks working on earning their respect and buy-in. Semesterly challenge: How can I get my students curious? 

About writing. 

One of my tried and true strategies invites them to consider themselves as veteran readers and writers. 

What do you read?

After hearing from the few who read novels and non-fiction books, I keep asking. 

Texts, emails, blogs, Facebook and other social media, newspapers, magazines. 

What about textbooks, I ask. Yep, they realize. They are readers. After this course, I assure them, you will be better able to tell what's crap and what's not. They like that. 

What do you write?

Silence . . . Encouraging silliness from me . . . Smart ass remarks students (usually whispered but I get to the bottom of it - Smart ass remarks are something I miss from being a back row student for so many years) . . . and then texts, emails, posts, letters (yes, a few still write letters by hand - in cursive), blogs, songs, poems. One guy shares he wrote for his local paper. 

What about school writing, I ask. Yep, they realize. They are writers. 

I get to spend the semester with a bunch of writers.