[Bkn-english-646-fall-2009] Assignment 5

[Patia Braithwaite]

Patia Braithwaite
Assignment 5
Although I find The Practical Tutor a bit dry, the authors do have some good tactics. I’m also a fan of the examples. They help illustrate the points that I have a hard time with.
 I, personally, consider myself a linear writer. I go from researching to outlining then drafting and editing. However, I often find that my thesis changes when I move from outlining to drafting. The confidence that I have in myself as a writer allows me to make “on the fly” adjustments. Thus my process is a mixture of linear and recursive. I find that writers who lack confidence may find the linear process comforting (as it offers a steady path to a desired outcome) but discouraging. Talking about the assignment and making notes is a very good way to flesh out a student’s intention without adding to their pressure.  
I’m not an overwhelming fan of free writing assignments. That’s because if you ask me an open ended question, I tend to go so far into the atmosphere that my rants are not useable for the assignment. I did like the authors’ suggestion to write a letter, but I’ve never done that. I might try it in the future and see if it yields better results. 
I find it more beneficial to use “free talking” and note taking/listing. You can create a comfortable brainstorming environment while staying on task. Free writing, I feel, adds a certain amount of pressure to say something useful or profound. I know, it’s supposed to be open- ended, but I think that people are often compelled to judge the quality of their thoughts. When I work with students, we read the assignment. I look for non-verbal cues (sighs, eye-rolling, tears, shrieks of horror), and then from there we spend a few minutes talking about the assignment. I’ll say things like “oh that’s interesting! Write that down.” Or I’ll try and remember interesting points so that later I can say, “Remember that thing you said about the raindrops…that sounds like it could be your thesis.” I find that casual is always better, because formal makes students feel more uneasy.  
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