Observation of Dr. Allison Thursday, Dec 6 2007

So on Tuesday I sat in Dr. Allison’s 20th c. British Studies Course.  I have Dr. Allison in Bibliography/ ENG 600, and thought it would be interesting to see if his teaching style differs at all in a strictly literature-based classroom.  The classroom itself seemed to be in the same awful room where I observed Janice Oaks teach–the basement of Funkhouser–but the classes I observed in this room differed dramatically. Well, “dramatically” sounds too far-reaching now that I think about it. 

Where Janice Oaks primarly facilitates discussion, Dr. Allison asks questions of students but primarily lectures.  I remember the first day of class in Bibliography Dr. Allison looked down his roll sheet and abruptly said, “Rebecca Beach!!” I looked up in dread.  “Rebecca Beach,” he said, “what IS the history of books?”  Hmmmmmmm…..  I had no idea how to answer this or even where to start.  I knew why he asked me–my name was the first on his roll sheet.  I can’t remember what my reply was, but this abrupt sort of questioning really startled me.  He did this sort of questioning with other people as he learned their names–some of the names went unlearned–but I wondered if he used this kind of questioning in undergraduate classes and I discovered through observation that alas! he does. 

The class I observed had approximately 20 students and they all seemed quite familiar and comfortable sitting in a U-shape with Dr. Allison standing at the front of the room.  He made a point of introducing me, saying, “This is Rebecca Beach and she for some unknown reason has made it her business to sit in on our class today.”   Dr. Allison’s humor worked, I think. 

The first several minutes of class were taken up, debating whether students should have a final test, essay, both, or neither.  Surprisingly many students advocated a test!  One of the students made a comment that the work should be “funnelled together.”  Dr. Allison replied, “Very poetic, Josh, ‘funnelling’–I like that.” 

Dr. Allison has a laid-back attitude, but projects a certain charisma and likes to joke with his students.  Throughout the class many students laughed. 

He began the actual work of the class, having the students freewrite.  “If you took Freshman Comp you should know plenty about freewriting.  They do that a lot, freewriting.  Ah, you weren’t in Freshman Comp, you were advanced, lucky for you, well, you missed out greatly not having freewriting.  Freewriting is ideas on a springboard.  Think about certain characters, focus on what you’ve read.  I’ll be back in a few minutes.”  After this Dr. Allison walked out the door. 

When he returned to the class, several mintues later, Dr. Allison passed out typed questions related to their reading: Goodbye to Berlin. These questions prompted some discussion, but most of it came from Allison asking students about what they had written and commenting on the novel himself.  The discussion was interesting.  He asked surprising questions of students, always calling them out by name first, and he seemed to know all of their names.  A sampling of questions: Would this paragraph be easy to write? With whom in this story do you sympathize and why?  Is it right that artists should be immoral, can genius surpass ordinary morality?

Dr. Allison stood for probably 2/3 of the class and when he sat down behind a desk, a shift in energy came about.  The class seemed to slow down and lose a bit of steam.  But it was still a good, productive class.  For the last several minutes he read aloud, and he is a good reader. 

I noticed that in both the observed class and in Bibliography there are always a group of students waiting to speak with him and ask him questions after class.  Not just one or two students but four or five.  I don’t know what this could be attributed to, but it’s interesting. 

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Intro to Women’s Lit Observation Friday, Oct 12 2007

 On Wednesday (1o/10/07) I observed an Introduction to Women’s Literature course taught by Dr. Janice Oaks.  It was a wonderful class and Dr. Oaks reminded me a great deal of a professor I had in my Masters program.  Her thoughtful and gentle guidance through class prompted many students to contribute to class discussion.  Her class, held in the Funkhouser Building, had mostly young women and one young man.  Out of (I’m guessing here) 25 students, more than half of them voiced their questions and thoughts.  Those who didn’t talk appeared to be engaged and following the discussion.  

When Dr. Oaks first walked in the classroom she was smiling ( a great, genuine, sunshiney smile) and seemed completely happy with what she was about to do.  It was a memorable teaching moment.  I know it’s not possible be happy and bouyant all the time, but a positive attitude goes far.  For my Eng 104 class, which followed this observation, I purposely walked in smiling, really hoping a positive attitude would rub off on the students and it did.  Class discussion went easier, students were more inclined to crack jokes, and they all readily particpated in a writing assignment. 

At the beginning of Dr. Oaks’ class, the one young man in the room asked her, “How do you feel about our quizzes?” She replied, laughing, “Conflicted!”  She could have said this in a much different tone, but throughout the class she maintained this easiness, this happy and nurturing attitude. 

When discussion turned to the film “Eve’s Bayou” all of the chatter and whispers that had been going on during the “class business” talk stopped and students dutifully took out their notebooks and wrote down points that Dr. Oaks, along with students in class, made.   Dr. Oaks opened the class discussion with a quote from the film then asked an open-ended question all students could relate to: “What to we know about memory?” This brought on many responses and to each response she either reiterated what the student said, or commentd on the remark–showing that she’s not only listening to what the students think, but attempting to connect their thoughts to the film and broader issues. 

When Dr. Oaks made her own points she did so by giving the students specific examples drawn from the film.  She never rushed her points, they were thoughtful and presented in a clear manner.  She never used notes, but instead walked back and forth, before the class, showing her own learning process.  It seemed an organic kind of teaching.  At one point the discussion broached the topic of the ”unreliable narrator” in fiction and film and she compared “Eve’s Bayou” to “Jane Eyre”–with a logical explanation of how both have young women giving thoughts that seem too mature for 10 year olds.  The class really responded well to this comparison.  Andrew, the only young man in the class, then asked her a question and she bounced it right back to the class, “What do you all think about Andrew’s question, would anyone like to take it up?”  And sure enough, someone did.  A professor during our TA orientation ( I forgot his name, ahh!)  recommended that teachers direct controversial questions back to the class so that students take up the issue, rather than the teacher.  I’m not sure Dr. Oaks wanted to avoid the question, but this deflection seemed to work. 

Throughout the class, Dr. Oaks gave positive feedback to the students.  She would nod her head while listening to students, really quite focused on what they said, if she liked what a student said she would say she found it interesting.   She also would give praise to the entire class.  I wrote down these two compliments: “You all are doing great with this.”  and “You all watch film well!”  This kind of encouragement worked.  And it’s something I try to do in my own classroom.  

I really enjoyed this observation and learned several lessons from it:

1. A positive attitude helps lighten the classroom and encourages student involvement

2. Give praise where praise is due

3. Stick to the text. Provide specific examples  from the text to illustrate/back up points in discussion

4. Begin discussion with an open-ended question.

5. Listen, Listen, Listen. It’s important to really understand what the students are saying and make sure they know that you’re listening. 

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draft #2 teaching philosophy Friday, Sep 14 2007

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Long, long ago I decided to apply to law school.  When I pronounced this decision to my creative writing professor, Joe Hurka, he balked: “You can’t be a lawyer!” He said this with such derision it truly shook me.  He continued, looking me straight in the eye: “You are a teacher.”  He sounded quite confident which surprised me.  “What you have,” he said, “is empathy.  It’s essential in any teacher worth his/her salt.”  He left this important, albeit short, exhange on that strong note and it has resonated ever since.  At that time I didn’t understand how important this idea of empathy would be to my vocation or how it would materialize in my classrooms, but since I began teaching three years ago it has become a bedrock from which I draw energy, ideas, and most importantly, connect with students.

Pedagogical studies have supported and made popular the “student-centered” classroom which I believe is, indeed, the most effective way to teach, but the degrees of difference in how teachers go about creating a “student-centered” classroom can vary greatly.  In my own classroom I seek to foster a desire and appreciation among the students to think analytically, creatively pursue knowledge, and work collaboratively.  The classroom should ideally be a nurturing space where each individual voice is honored and also challenged.  However, always hearing those voices, which at times are many, can be difficult.  Every student walks into the classroom with different questions and perspectives, but often they must be coaxed to voice them.  My job is to give these students the support to question, analyze, and ultimately communicate their ideas.  Here, empathy connects us, conveying the idea: We’re in this together, struggling to make sense of the text and the thoughts before us.  I am an equally engaged student, learning from the texts as well as the students.

Class discussions, rather than lecturing, are more conducive to student interaction and learning.  Although I do sometimes lecture it is rarely more than fifteen minutes at a time.  Students have different needs and learning styles and so I try to calibrate the way we read and discuss class material based on students’ reactions during the class.  Throughout discussions I encourage students to participate and volunteer questions.  In turn, I ask them questions of my own, such as: do you need other examples? Have I defined this word so that you understand it in this context? What needs further explication? Do you follow the meaning here? These inquiries often prompt deeper readings and relate the work at hand more clearly.  Individual conferences with students throughout the semester also help me to gauge each students’ needs and clarify any questions they may have.

Each semester I expect students will want to discuss their ideas, want to write brilliant essyas, want to read the required texts, and inevitably some resist all of this.  But I’ve found that a positive outlook and expectation is more likely to generate effort among students than expecting the worse.  I can’t help but want my students to feel the same level of enthusiasm for reading and literature that I do.  I try to convey this desire in every class meeting, but usually there are some students who just don’t catch the fervor.  But for those students I try to at least inspire an appreciation for the work of others.  What I want for all my students is to walk away from my class with the intent to actively pursue a career of learning.  Whether they do this or not, I may never know.  However, it is important that I carry this goal with me into the classroom everyday and model it in my own teaching practices.

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Freak-Out Experience of the Week Wednesday, Aug 29 2007

The syllabus says that we can post almost any experience in teaching–freak-outs included.  Mine occured last Friday.  I belated got the email with Dean Hoch’s picture and warning that he might come to observe a class.  Most of you probably know him, but if you’re curious as to what this fellow looks like, check out Andrew’s weblog page.  This bearded man breezily walked into my class in the Classroom building, asked to sit in the back of the class and observe.  I readily agreed and when he showed me his business card, I freaked-out.  I grew hot, flushed, shaky, and my students were staring at me blankly.  I couldn’t even remember to call roll.  Such a simple, everyday thing to do! My mind went blank.  Eventually I regrouped, but it took several minutes of frantic thinking.  In class we discussed “The Beautiful Places” by Kathleen Norris (our first, real class discussion with a reading from The Engaged Citizen).  I had no idea how it would go, but the students, I think, sensed my unease and helped the situation.  They were troopers.  They raised their hands,  discussed the essay, and had really great things to say about it.  Overall, I think the class was a success, a nervous, stressful success. But this whole experience has made me wonder…would I have taught the class differently had I known in advance Dean Hoch would be observing? And how might that same class have gone had we not had this silent, unsmiling spectator in the back of the room? 

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Hello world! Wednesday, Aug 22 2007

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

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