Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout, Lee? — A Look into Dialect and Stylistics (featuring Beth Singer)

Elizabeth Singer and Rachel Wycoff

Dr. Lee Nickoson-Massey

ENG 484

13 March 2008

Collaborative Pedagogy Project – Dialect and Stylistics

One of my favorite kinds of television programming is stand-up comedy. Whenever the topic of dialect comes up, one particular performer comes to mind: Jeff Foxworthy, a man made famous by his “You might be a redneck…” who has now branched out into his own form of “redneck vocabulary.” “Aorta,” he says, and then puts it into context: “‘Ey oughta cut that grass down there by that ball field ‘fore them kids git hurt.” Of course, everybody laughs. It’s humorous, in a way, to show dialectic differences. His bit is especially funny because the American Southern dialect is given so little privilege as a form of communication that it’s easy to laugh at something that is already ridiculed. However, the challenge of an English educator is to make a distinction between dialect and style. Dialect is to be encouraged in all its forms, even if they are as non-standard as American Southern, and style is to be honed. Through these tools, dialect and stylistics, teachers of writing can encourage good writers to use the resources they have in order to become better and more eloquent writers. There is always a challenge, however, for every teacher, as to where dialect ends and the standard begins. Beth and I thought the easiest way to demonstrate our views on dialect would be to, at the instructor’s suggestion, ask each other questions about dialect and how we intend to approach it – and answer in our own dialect!

Rachel: When is it appropriate to correct a student’s nonstandard speech pattern? Or is it appropriate at all? How would you go about doing so?
Beth: Whether or not to attempt correcting a student’s nonstandard speech pattern is a question I have been asking myself as I have been reading through the Neman text. I want the students who leave my classroom to have a good working understanding of Standard American English so that they can participate successfully in the professional world. However, I also want my students to develop their own voice and feel a sense of pride in their culture and heritage.
Neman addresses three different styles taken by teachers facing the same situation; Standard Dialect Only, Home Dialect Only, and Bidialectism. The first style would have me correct the student when a mistake is made. The second would have me allow the student to express himself in whatever style is most comfortable to him, supporting the student’s culture and heritage since there is no “correct” dialect. The third is a balance between the two, helping the students learn to code switch between Standard American English and their home dialect.
I find the Standard Dialect Only approach as limited and prescriptive as the English Only movement. I believe that it stifles students and hinders their writing development making writing again a painful process to some students. At the same time the Home Dialect Only approach would not prepare my students for life outside my classroom. They would not be able to successfully navigate SAE as would be expected in the rest of their educational career and into their professional life.
In my classroom I will attempt to teach my students Bidialectism, allowing the student the opportunity to learn about many different dialects. I believe that just as bilingual persons navigate easier in the world, persons who are able to code switch between many dialects will be able to do the same. Correcting a student’s use of nonstandard dialect is necessary and needs to be done in a delicate non-stifling manner. Modeling the appropriate times to use both their home dialects and standard dialects.

Beth: We as teachers have a difficult job balancing teaching students the skills to correctly use SAE while still supporting their use of their home dialect. How do you think you will approach that subject with you students?
Rachel: Generally speaking, most dialects only differ from Standard American English idiomatically. The idioms that some dialects are sometimes the only way in which their dialect deviates from the standard, such as the American Southern use of “fixin’ to” or “y’all come back now, y’hear.” Phrases like this don’t necessarily hinder a student’s use of SAE, so much as they modify the way in which it is presented. I think idiomatic phrases can be really helpful to students when trying to write any paper. I do think that there’s a time and place for non-standard terms though and usually formal writing is not it.

When it comes to writing, I think that a student should be allowed to express themselves by any means necessary, especially in first drafts. First drafts are a crack at what you’re trying to say, not really an actual essay in its final form. First drafts, for me, could be corrected if asked, but I think I would leave the actual standard correction until one draft before the final. Also, if students are writing in dialogue, such as in a creative story or a personal narrative, I think dialect should be allowed for flavor to the story.

The one thing that I absolutely refuse to correct, except when glaringly obvious, is speech. Dialect is almost wholly spoken at first and can creep into writing later. Spoken dialect is important to a student’s identity within the scheme of the classroom and at home and I would never, repeat: never, try to deprive a student of that mode of expression. The way I talk is wholly my own, and I know what I would be real mad if somebody tried to take it from me. I refuse to take it from somebody else.

Rachel: Neman talks a great deal about modeling correct grammar in writing. How do you think modeling affects a student’s thoughts on their own dialect?

Beth: Due to the nature of the bigotry associated with dialects a student would be aware of the status of their own dialect with or without modeling correct grammar in the classroom and it writing. It is unfortunate that the idea of no one dialect being correct is not universally acknowledged, but it is a reality that the best intentioned teachers can not shelter their students from. I believe that to some extent modeling will make students aware of that status difference, even if it is just the idea that Standard American English is regarded to be the educational standard.

It would be my hope that I would be able not only to model correct grammar in my classroom but a level of acceptance of differences, such as dialect. The modeling that Neman so often refers to in the text is just the start of the modeling that needs to be done to bridge the dialectical gap. It is important to also make an effort to model tolerance. By taking time to explain to students that there are different dialects and that they are all equally correct in their own right while supporting the benefits of learning and understanding Standard American English can help students with a non standard dialect feel less othered and more unique while still being motivated to learn the standard dialect.
Beth: There are many different dialects of English spoken in the United States; you are only required to teach one of those dialects. Will you teach dialects other than SAE in your classroom? What is the reasoning behind your decision?

Rachel: Absolutely. I would love to teach non-standard dialects in my classroom. I would love to model non-standard dialects in my classroom, just to show that they can be understood and appreciated for what they are. That’s probably pretty frowned upon in most English classes though.

The reason I’d love to bring non-standard dialects into my classroom is to show my students that there is never only one way to write something. There’s never one right way to read something either. It all depends on what the author wants the reader to see and notice. Dialect is an important function in authorship – it’s as important, and an integral part of, a distinct and recognizable voice. The only way to show students that voice is okay is to bring in examples of voiced works that are still worth reading – Huckleberry Finn, The Color Purple, Oliver Twist, and etc. All of these examples have massive sections in dialect and shows so much more about the characters and their authenticity than having everything in SAE would. At least, that’s my opinion.
Rachel: Coming from an urban school district, I find that it’s often easier for me to understand what is called AAVE than other students around me. What dialects other than SAE would you say that you have a firm grasp on? How will you approach a student that you may not understand due to nonstandard speech/writing patterns?

Beth: Dealing with language barriers in any situation is difficult for all involved. I can not teach a student who can not understand me and whom I can not understand myself. When faced with this situation I would take the time to try to learn the student’s dialect. In the case of AAVE it would be interesting to have the student teach me about their dialect. I would have them tell me about the basic vocabulary and grammar structures. I think this student to teacher lesson would not only help in my understanding the student but with his uptake in learning the tenants of Standard American English. Teaching is often the best way to fully learn a subject. If the student is one of few students who can understand that dialect clearly these lessons can also be a way for the rest of his classmates to begin to understand the dialect as well. The more opportunities for socialization on both sides of that equation can only led to a better ability of all the students to code switch between the two dialects.

I think it is important to note however that this plan my not always work. There will be times that the language barrier that is presented is not dialectical in nature. Sometimes it might just be the accent placed on Standard American English when spoken by a non native speaker.
Beth: Motivating students to learn concepts and skill sets they believe they will never use in “real life” is difficult. How do you plan on helping students see the real life applications of SAE?

Rachel: It’s hard to make students see something without showing them, so that’s really the plan: to show them instances in which SAE would be more acceptable than any personal dialect they may have. The only way to do this is to give them “real” tasks to complete, ones that they may see a use for in the future.

One example of the real tasks I’m talking about would probably be writing a resume and cover letter for a future employer. When you bring in the future and something as important as making money, students are more willing to see where their dialectic choices could be changed in order to impress. Perhaps after these are complete, students could participate in a mock interview. Taking a situation, like finding a job, that is universal and allowing students to act it out will demonstrate how easy it is to use SAE and to know when SAE isn’t necessary. Students will make their own choices to participate in SAE dialogue because they know that it will help them in future. They will see through the eyes of employer and a potential employee and understand that while they may use their own dialect in my classroom, and home, and with their friends, SAE does have a place in their life. It is necessary, and they will know this without a shadow of a doubt.

Rachel: How would the use of nonstandard sources in a writing class affect the writing of students attempting SAE?
Beth: Using nonstandard dialect sources can increase the understanding of SAE by helping the student break down the nonstandard source to make sense in SAE. The best way to understand English is to try and learn another language. A sentence, for example, written in French can help an English speaker to break down the sentence into word form and function. The same can be said with nonstandard sources. Dialects can be treated as separate languages with their own unique grammar system which just happen to share the same vocabulary. Lessons involving nonstandard dialects can help break down the overt meaning of words and allow students to see the blueprint of the language

Beyond just grammatical terms using nonstandard dialect sources can increase the creativity of students. If you look at the teaching of writing as filling a bag with skills to create a work of literature the choices that open with nonstandard source would fill up half of that bag. These other dialects can show students different ways to organize a sentence to reach different audiences and create different effects with their words.

The way that looking at the different ways people all over the world choose to speak English can only benefit students. It would help the students to better code switch, enabling them to communicate with more individuals. It can help them learn about their own language and its basic structures. It can help the students see that there is no right dialect, only socially preferred. The creative lessons that can be taught with nonstandard sources can be limitless.

Beth: Of all the many challenges that teaching stylistics which do you believe will be the most challenging?

Rachel: To be honest, the most challenging part of dialect and style for me will be to try to keep myself from ending up talking like my students. Dialect, when it’s necessary and can function for me, is something that can be picked up and put on like a hat. I change my dialect when I’m with certain people or in certain places. I don’t sound the same with my good friends as I do in class. I don’t write for most classes as I would for myself.

Dialect and code-switching is easy for me. Another challenge, then, would be to make sure that I don’t assume that code-switching is as easy for others as it is for me. It’s not and I know that, but it will constantly be a struggle to remind myself that some struggle with a task that I find simple.

Style, on the other hand, is something to be cherished and appreciated and allowed to flourish with minimal restriction from any instructor. Students, in my opinion, should be given basic guidelines and then left to their own creative juices, to stew and melt and come up with whatever dish they choose. Obviously, there would be some parameters to follow, but style, not necessarily dialect, style, should be the basis of any piece. All pieces should have some voice, whether it be a formal or an informal one. Dialect should be allowed, and channeled into its proper settings.

Bringing it Together

On the whole, Beth and I have somewhat similar views. We feel that students should be encouraged to have an open dialogue between their home dialects and SAE. We feel that students can learn a great deal from non-standard dialects. And we feel that style is supposed to be encouraged to an extent.

Works Cited

Neman, Beth S. Teaching Students to Write. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Enter Stage Right: A Glimpse at the Uses of Theatre in the Literature Classroom

Rachel Wycoff

Dr. Lee Nickoson-Massey

ENG 484

21 April 2008

Enter Stage Right: The Use of Theatre in the Literature Classroom

The multi-tonal groans travel from student to student every time an educator in the field of English hands out a play. They get the look on their faces that is halfway between disgust and contempt and complain loudly, asking why they have to read “this stuff.” Students always make that wonderful groaning sound when they get frustrated or don’t particularly want to read a certain selection. However, in the literature classroom, students are supposed to be presented with the best possible examples of literature from around the world. Through this practice, students are supposed to gain significant cultural knowledge along with the content of the actual text. The best possible examples of literature come in many forms: short stories, folktales, novels, poems, and fortunately, as someone who heartily enjoys theatre and all that comes with it, play scripts. Plays seem to have become the red-headed stepchild of literature. They seem to have become a sticking point for many students who are often ill-equipped to read plays. As a student of, and participant in, theatre for over ten years, I find that theatre may be overlooked in many literature classrooms because teachers fear, not only their students’ capability to comprehend the play, but also their own ability to teach the play correctly and in an interesting fashion. There are many ways in which an instructor can incorporate theatre into the classroom that involve student work and participation, as well as the opportunity to sit back and enjoy a good performance. Of these many ways in which a student can engage with theatre in a literature classroom, most of the engagements that students of literature may have with theatre can be positive experiences which hopefully will instill in students of literature the deep love and respect for theatre that so many possess. In short, because the positive aspects of theatre usage outweigh the negative, the theatre arts should be a more integral role in the literature classroom.

Often times, literature and theatre are split in two, and plays, except of course for the great canonical god, Shakespeare, are left in the dust to be discovered later by some ambitious student. However, in some classes, literature and plays have twined into a conglomerate idea. Thus, play scripts, when taught in literature courses, are taught as just that, literature. In this approach, students are taught to focus on the things they focus on in literature: themes, the actual text, the major ideas. In this approach, the performance aspect of the theatre is lost. Play scripts were written to be performed, are meant to be performed, and when the performance is absent in a literature classroom, some students may miss the thought that plays weren’t just meant to be read. The literature approach to written plays is not without merit. It engages students with the text itself. Students are able to look at the play as text that just happens to be dialogue and find the major themes, characters, setting, and everything else that comes along with textual analysis in literature. Often though, they may miss the emotion that a voice behind the words could offer. Teaching plays as literature also gives the student a great deal of imaginative leeway. Many students who have a hard time keeping names straight will cast the show mentally from their friends or even from Hollywood to have a face to go with a name. The imaginative effort of many students is enough to add in the detail that may be lost from not actually teaching the performance of a play, but some may need a little extra help.

Another way a student can take in a play script is through watching an actual performance of the show. The student as an audience member is a wonderful presentational way for a student to understand what the actors are saying and how they are saying it. Showing a student how one company would perform a script would allow the student to understand certain parts of the text. They would see how one actor and director understood a certain scene and how to justify in the actions within it. Sometimes without a little help, justifications for actions are hard to make, but when they are handed to a student on a silver platter via an actor, they are a little harder to miss. A performance could also present the student with a different take on a text than they had previously imagined. One thing that a teacher must be wary of when seeing a performance is the possible detachment from the imagination that a student may feel. If the student had imagined something differently than what they see, they could question their own correctness. Attending a performance could also encourage patronage to the arts. If students hadn’t previously experienced a theatrical performance, they may be encouraged to appreciate it that much more. A student could then be encouraged to understand theatre a little more through watching any performance. Or a student could be bored in the performance and never want to see another play again. Students could be either intrigued or bored by watching a performance, so this approach is more of a judgment call based on how a teacher thinks students would react to sitting for at least an hour and a half watching people talk on a stage. Personally, seeing a performance of a play would be a supplement to reading the play closely in class. Seeing a performance should be more of a tool to teach rather than the entire lesson itself. When used as a tool, rather than a lesson, a teacher can help explain difficult things through the text and performance, rather than just the performance or just the text, lending a new idea or a new look to whatever lesson is being taught.

One more way students can partake in the theatrical arts within the literature course is to write their own scripts. Usually the written element of theatre could be lost in the performance, and some instructors could forget that a play script, while untraditional, could be another way of turning in a written assignment. Additionally, students writing scripts could be more useful in promoting understanding of difficult materials. In a few of my college courses even, professors have used the tactic of allowing students to rewrite the script in their own words to help understand it. For example, Shakespeare, who is more likely than not the only playwright’s work most students in the literature classroom will see until they reach the college level, is generally hard to understand because of his language. His archaic structures and words sometimes fly right over the heads of students. However, those same students who cannot understand the Bard could take passages and rewrite them in modern English, with some help of course, and could make those passages readily available to themselves and to others. This exercise in translation and transmutation can not only promote student understanding, but can be fun as well. There is nothing more engaging that having fun in class. Some could say, though, that this approach to theatre in the classroom, shows that one can violate the so-called sacred texts of the literature canon with slang and modern language, which, of course, is on par with blasphemy. Because students are not engaging with important literature in its original form, they are not really engaging with the literature itself, more like an adaptation or translation in which something is lost between the old and the new. This can be a very true objection. Sometimes, in the changing of words to create understanding, the themes and other important parts of what is deemed the original can be lost beneath the natural jargon of the students. However, allowing a student to put his words in the mouths of famous characters creates a certain ownership of and camaraderie with the text. Rather than fearing the archaic words of Shakespeare, they can understand what he says through their own words. Using playwriting to further understanding is a wonderful tool, and with a great deal of instructor guidance, at least the first time anyway, students can come up with working scripts that are both entertaining and maintain the commonly understood themes of the play or other literature that they are translated and adapted from. Translating a play into a play is not the only way this tool can be useful. Another way to create scripts is to turn other forms of literature into theatre. Novels, short stories, anything really, can be placed into dialogue and performed. In this approach though, an instructor must use the act of translation into a play as a tool to create understanding, and then have the students actually perform what they have written. Playwriting and play performance, in this case, are not exclusive things. They come hand in hand; they have to. However, the fact that an instructor must use both aspects of theatre can help lessen the work load on each individual student. The work can be divided and when each group has come up with a working modern script, they can be performed in order. This way everybody gets in on the action.

In addition to using performance in conjunction with rewriting a piece of literature as a play or as a slightly more understandable play, a literature instructor could allow students to produce small sections of a play as is. Through performance of a selected piece, the group that performs will have a much greater understanding of what goes on in that particular section. By having groups concentrate their efforts on one section of a piece of literature and then perform it, everybody can partake in the learning that they had as they worked on their section. A presentation in the form of a performance, in my opinion, is far more interesting to watch than a PowerPoint presentation or a simple lecture. Also, it gives the opportunity for students who have anxiety about being in front of the classroom the chance to get over their fears. By creating a safe environment where students are encouraged to perform and are encouraged to participate helpfully in others’ performances, students who are reluctant performers can flourish. They can gain confidence that they otherwise would have lacked. Also, while performing a piece, students must come up with a way in which to perform it. They have to come up with the way in which the character would say the words that are written. They have to, basically, become actors and justify their decisions with emotion and actions. Simple acts like this can give students a much better understanding of characters than they could ever have had simply reading a play. Because the character that they see has, not only a voice and emotion, but a face, it may be easier for students to remember characters and what they do. Personally, one of my major problems with reading plays is that I do not have a name and a face to put together so I forget who people are and who said what. I get lost very easily, but if I have a face to put with a name, and voice to hear in my head as I’m reading, I can achieve a much deeper understanding of what is going on in the context of the show. By allowing students to have themselves be a character in their own production of a play gives students some idea of the emotion behind the words they are reading. Rather than reading the work students experience it. One pitfall of using performance in a classroom to teach a play is that students may become more concerned with the performance aspect of the activity as opposed to focusing on the script and portraying a certain thing in front of their peers. They could get lost in the thoughts of costumes, if they are readily available, and staging and props that they may forget that the exercise is for educational purposes. This reaction to performance may be rare, but it is nevertheless something to be wary of if one was to want to use performance as a way to engage their students with literature. One of the great things about performance of theatre is that it can encompass all of the ways in which a student can experience theatre in a classroom for English. Performance, in conjunction with all of the other ways in which students can experience theatre arts in classrooms, can create deep understanding as well as appreciation for the craft. In encompassing all, students can discuss a certain play as literature, focusing on themes and text. They can take the understanding that they have of the words that they read from literature based discussion into rewriting a script. Through the rewrite process, and with proper guidance, students can come up with a script that is both entertaining and true to the work that they are adapting to their particular classroom needs. The students can put their words into the mouths actors who have to justify them. When students perform their own words, there is a greater understanding present than when they perform others’ words. Students can justify character choices and provide new insight into a character that others may not have had. In addition to the performance, there is always the audience. Watching their peers perform parts of a script that they too have worked on gives the audience a greater investment in what they are watching rather than just going to see a play performed by professional or amateur actors. Students in the audience, then, must make a concerted effort to pay attention the way in which others are presenting the materials, thus making them much better audience members than they might otherwise have been. In this sense, theatre is probably one of the most effective tools that an instructor could use.

All in all, there are so many ways that theatre can be incorporated into any classroom, but it could play an especially profound role in the literature classroom. Many of the greatest works of the literature canon are plays. Their use in the classroom provides ample opportunity for students reach out and exceed through writing, discussing, performing and watching. Through each of those engagements with theatre deeper understand ensues. So, let the students groan and sigh. When the end of the year comes, and they have a firmer grasp on theatre literature than they ever had before, they will thank the literature instructor who showed them how to engage with theatre from all angles, and in all situations. Hopefully, a little of what was taught will make them not need to groan about theatre any longer.

Ready, Break: A Lesson Plan on Personal Narratives

1) Instructor: Ms. Rachel E. Wycoff

Course Title: College Preparatory English: Literature and Composition

Grade: 10

Class Size: 35

Class Time: 57 minutes

Tentative Dates for Presentation: 9/10-9/14

Unit Title: Getting to Know You – Personal Narrative Style

2) Statement of Teaching Philosophy:

Writing is a process that takes different form for each individual student. I want each of my students to be able to ask questions about a piece of writing and then answer them using evidence from the text. I would like to provide the form that student essays should take and then allow my students to discover for themselves how they write best, using me as a tool if necessary. Process should be addressed so that a quality product can be achieved. Process should be an individual choice, with minimal guidance. I believe in a highly affect-centered writing approach in which the students base their writing, especially in this particular unit, on themselves. They should be able to make discoveries through their writing process that they may never have made otherwise. Students will be able to develop their own writing through questioning themselves and their classmates to make further discoveries. Assessment will be based on the textual evidence provided in answer to any inquiries students may have, as well as on basic structure and grammar of Standard American English. Mostly, students will be expected to answer their own questions using the text as evidence and then connecting it with their own thinking within the structural bounds of the English language. However, the questions they ask and the answers they give are entirely up to the students.

3) Writing Processes (ODE Content Standards 246)

1. Generate writing ideas through discussion with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

10. Use available technology to compose text.

11. Reread and analyze clarity of writing, consistency of point of view and effectiveness of organizational structure.

15. Proofread writing, edit to improve conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization), identify and correct fragments and run-ons and eliminate inappropriate slang or informal language.

Writing Applications (247)

1. Write narratives that:

a. sustain reader interest by pacing action and developing and engaging plot (e.g., tension and suspense);

b. use a range of strategies and literary devices including figurative language and specific narration; and

c. include and organized, well-developed structure.

4) 1. Everyone has the capacity to write, writing can be taught, and teachers can help students become better writers.

2. People learn to write by writing.

3. Writing is a process.

4. Writing is a tool for thinking.

8. Writing has a complex relationship to talk.

11. Assessment of writing involves complex, informed human judgment

5) a) Students will be able write a personal narrative.

b) Students will be able to develop critical questions based on their own writing.

c) Students will be able to give constructive feedback to their peers based on a certain format as well as incorporate the ideas of others into their writing.

d) Students will be able to present their personal narratives before the class, as well as be a participating member of an audience.

6) Materials needed: The Color Purple by Alice Walker, pencils/pens, paper, arts supplies for those who require them, an example of a personal narrative written by the instructor, thought (That last one is pretty important.)

7) Session One – Final Discussion and Lead-in

a) Materials needed: The Color Purple by Alice Walker, pencil/pen, paper, and brains

b) Objectives: Students will be able to discuss major themes and characters from Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Students will be able to identify something in the text which interests them and which they wish to question further.

c) Activities:

1.Teacher will facilitate a discussion on the major themes and characters from The Color Purple. This is a wrap up discussion so teacher should touch lightly on the following topics: feminism in the novel, the nature of the relationship between Celie and Mr., the relationship between Celie, Mr., and Shug, race politics (the difference between Squeak, the mulatto woman, and Sofia or Celie). The students should know at least a little about all of these topics based on previous discussion so this should be a refresher on what they already know to get them thinking about it again.

2. Next, students should pick one of the discussion topics and come up with one question they have that could further their thinking on the subject. Instruct students that questions should not be able to have a yes or no answer.

3. Have the students share the questions – each student will have to tell their question so just start at one end of the room and go around.

4. The last few minutes of class should be spent should be spent introducing the concept of a personal narrative, connect it with the way Celie tells her story.

5. Tell students to think about a childhood story that they might want to write about.

d) Assessment: Each student will have to participate at least once in the discussion to get credit for the day. Students will turn in their questions at the end of class.

Session 2 – Introduction to the Project and Topics

a) Materials: pencil/pen, paper, brain

b) Objectives: Students will be able to identify a topic on which they would like to expand for a personal narrative. Students will be able to decide on how they would like to present their personal narrative.

c) Activities:

1. Re-introduce the concept of a personal narrative: a story about one’s own life usually told from the first person perspective. Point out what makes Celie’s story from The Color Purple a personal narrative.

2. Remind students that they were all to have come up with at least one idea of a story that they think they would like to tell.

3. Inform the students that they will have to share this story in a presentation of their narrative to the class. Allow them a moment to take that into consideration.

4. Break the class into groups of 5. Have students discuss their ideas for what story they would like to tell with the people in their group. Allow about 10-15 minutes for this. Float between the groups at this point, offering advice and listening to ideas.

5. Bring the class back together and share with the class several ways in which they may present their personal narrative, including, but not limited to: a letter, an outright story, a play script, a picture book, etc. Students are allowed to be creative with this.

6. Allow students a moment or two to think, then break back into groups. Have students discuss how they might try to present their story.

7. Break off into individual students again and begin drafting. If students are doing something more art oriented, like a picture book, allow them to work on the written element of their story for the remainder of the class.

8. They should finish the first draft as homework and bring 2 copies to class (hand written or typed). Tell them to come in with questions that they can ask their classmates to make their own writing more clear or more effective.

d) Assessment: Students will have participated in groups and will have at least one sentence written by the time they leave the classroom.

Session 3 – Peer and Instructor Conferencing

a) Materials: pencil/pen, paper, brain

b) Objectives: Students will be able to give and receive constructive criticism on preliminary drafts of their personal narrative projects. Students will be able to receive feedback from the instructor on their first rough draft.

c) Activities:

1. Today is a peer revision day, as well as teacher writing conferences. This is a time for students to look at others’ writing to help the writer and themselves through constructive criticism. Emphasis: CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

2. Inform the students that the format for response during the revision session will be as follows: Tell something you like about the narrative. Find something that you think needs more time and explain why. Ask one question of your partner that could help them with their writing.

3. Remind students that focus today is on content, not execution. Instructor should probably remind themselves of that as well.

3. Break class into pairs for peer revision. The extra person will be conferencing with the instructor. Teacher conferences should last no more than 5 minutes each and should follow the same format being asked of the students.

4. After 15 minutes, the students in pairs should switch partners and begin the process again. Repeat the process every 15 minutes. All student comments should be written on a single draft.

5. Homework will be to consider how students can use the comments of their peers and of the instructor, if they’ve spoken to the instructor, in their writing.

6. Students will turn in the copy of their draft that has no student comments before they leave.

d) Assessment: Students will have participated in peer conferencing and some will have received feedback from the instructor.

Session 4 – Drafting and Conferencing

a) Materials: pen/pencil, paper, arts supplies, brains

b) Objectives: Students will be able to revise their writing, incorporating suggestions from their peers and the teacher.

c) Activities:

1. Students may work individually or in groups no larger than 3 to revise their rough drafts. With groups, remind the students that their fellow students are only allowed to offer suggestions on how to write something. This is not a social hour.

2. Instructor will continue 5 minute conferences with students following format presented the day before.

3. Students should leave the classroom with a good start on what is to be their second draft, in whatever format they so choose.

4. Homework is to complete the second draft.

d) Assessment: Students will have at least one new sentence in their new drafts that they did not have to day before.

Session 5 – Presenting an Example and Peer Editing

a) Materials: pencil/pen, paper, teacher example, arts supplies, brains

b) Objectives: Students will be able to give and receive feedback based on grammar from their own works. Students will receive an example for how their presentation should look.

c) Activities:

1. At the beginning of class, instructor will present their own personal narrative. (If this is used multiple years, have a different one for each year) This is to serve as an example, so make it interesting. Remind students that they will have to present the next week.

2. Break students into groups of 2 or 3. Have them edit each others papers. This is editing, checking for grammatical and punctuation. Remind students to focus on that rather than content.

3. As students are doing this, have students draw papers to see what order they’re going to present in. Pass around a numbered sheet and have students write their name next to the number they drew.

4. Switch pairs/groups after 30 minutes. And continue peer editing. While this is going on, instructor should be floating around room helping with editing, keeping students on task, etc.

5. Homework is to finish editing papers. Final draft is due the next class session, when presentations begin.

d) Assessment: Students will have participated in the peer editing portion of the day and paid attention during the teacher presentation.

Session 6 – Presentations

a) Materials: finished drafts

b) Objectives: Students will be able to stand in front of the class and read/perform/show and explain their personal narrative.

c) Activities:

1. Instructor will follow the order that was set in place the previous session for student presentations. Remind students to be respectful of others presentations – you are allowed to laugh if it’s funny, but don’t make fun of people.

2. Presentations should last anywhere from 2-5 minutes, but not necessarily.

3. Final drafts will be collected at the end of this session. Those who have not presented will receive theirs when they present.

Session 7 – Presentations Continued

a) Materials: final drafts from the previous session

b) Objectives: Students will be able to stand in front of the class and read/perform/show and explain their personal narrative.

c) Activities: SEE SESSION 6. IT WILL BE THE SAME FOR THE MOST PART.

2. If there is left over time, which there very well may be, have students give feedback about what they thought of the assignment. Did they like it? Why? What didn’t they like? Why? Was is useful to get to know something about the people in their class?

d) Assessment: All students participated. All drafts were turned in. The drafts will be graded on craft alone; one can’t exactly grade personal experience for content. This exercise was more to learn about the students, their styles, etc. and to have them learn a little more about each other. Before grading, make copies of each story for each student, bind them as a class history and pass them out to the class.

8) When it comes to writing assessment, I would rather focus on content than craft. Because I generally have a very affect-centered philosophy of teaching writing, I would rather that my students have the basic concepts of writing the content of their essays than the form in which it comes. I do believe that grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. should be assessed, but they take a back seat, in my mind, to the big picture of the essay, especially when dealing with persuasive, informational, and researched essays. Personal narratives can only be graded based on craft because it is impossible to grade personal experience. Students will be informed of how they will be graded before they begin an assignment. When told what to expect, students will rise to the occasion and give you the best of their ability within the parameters of the assignment.

9) One possible pitfall is the amount that students must rely on peer help and advice for their drafts. Personally, peers are the most valuable source of advice on writing because they may have similar experiences and can relate. Peers also lack the ambiance of the teacher with the red pen, so peer revision/editing seems far less invasive than does the teacher. In order to combat the desire for students to goof around and be stuck in their own worlds, the instructor should circulate through the classroom, checking on people and making sure that they are giving worthwhile and meaningful help to their peers. During conferences, the instructor should ask how the peer section was going to make sure that students are doing what they’re supposed to. Another possible pitfall is the complete lack of structure for the essay given by the instructor. I think it allows the students to be creative and go in their own direction with a story about themselves. Some students could find it unsettling to not be told what to do. That’s why I’ve built in the day for ideas. The first day the narrative idea is introduced, students are asked to discuss their ideas with those around them. Discussion has the possibility of removing and apprehension, and if that doesn’t do the trick, there’s always the conference with the instructor.

10) This unit took a great deal of effort to finish, but now that it’s through, I think it looks pretty good. I chose the personal narrative because I think it’s a good way of getting to know a little about somebody without them really being aware. Most students don’t enjoy opening up to teachers, especially in the beginning of the year, but if there is an assignment in place that requires a student to tell a personal story, they have no choice. It also gives the students a chance to know each other a little better or in a different light than previously. This unit also gives students an opportunity to ease into the grading system. Because this will be graded on craft only, students should have it a little easier. I learned through this exercise that this whole teaching thing is a lot of work without much reward. One has to find the reward in knowing that a student will take something worthwhile – a skill, a thought, a question – away from your class.