Ruminations and Responses to Student Feedback January 2012

Student feedback today from ENGL 1302, and my responses. No names included, and only minor editing of input.

I am enjoying the class so fat, the only thing I am frustrated with is the lack of explaination on some things. This may be due to my inability to read instructions, but that's about it.

That concerns me. Let's work on setting aside more time for task explanation. Of course, I also expect students to speak up when they don't see something clearly. I can't read minds yet, but working on it.

If the written task instructions don't make sense, then please let me know. I want them to be as clear as possible.

Finally, if you have questions, tweet them to @lscengl -- I'll get to those tweets several times a day.

Im not confused about the class at all. I like how the class is taught and im not really frustrated with anything.

Of course, I don't want students to be frustrated enough where they start to shut down, but on the other hand, I think that everything worthwhile should be a challenge, else we won't appreciate its value. The dirty family secret to writing is, that if we're not angry at what we write, we might not be doing it well. In other words, as we continue to write, we should eventually get to a point where we are frustrated with it, so that we are forced to make universal revisions, even throwing drafts away because they make us sick. More on that later.

pace of the course seems fine for now, teaching is fine, but I don't know how you grade so that will be important soon

Agreed. I'll be returning Task 1 and Task 2 with comments and an indication of grading. I grade formal papers ... thoroughly. I love to see an A paper, but in my experience, most students aren't willing to put for the hard, sweaty effort to write an A paper. At least not on the first try.

I do enjoy the group discussions on our writings, but I feel that it makes it difficult to gauge the quality of my own writing.

Astute comment. At this point, in Week 2, I'm more concerned about thinking than I am about writing (and they're very related). So, by sharing our work and working groups, we learn how others see the same text, and can use/reject what they have. This isn't plagiarism or stealing. At your point in your college career, you should learn to work with others and gain skills from them. The papers, of course, are individual works, and we're still responsible individually there.

Nothing really I'm really enjoying the class, the pace of it, and Mr. Martin attitude! The transition from 1301 is quite smooth and pleasant.

Mmmm. Attitude. Insert some pithy inspiring quote here: _____

 Remind me about attitude about mid-way through the semester, please.

WHY DO I NOT HAVE A FOOTREST?! WHERE IS ROOM SERVICE? Are we allowed to bring food and stuff into the classroom?

You can use other students as footrests, with their permission. Room service, with many other essentials, was cut by the 2011 Texas State Legislature. I'm ok with drinks in the classroom as long as nothing is spilled on the PCs. Food, if brought, should be shared, but that's just the way I see it.

Nothings confusing because you lay each task out individually and don't bundle them up into one big pile of a to-do list.

Right. Well, writing isn't a big pile of lists, either. It is, however, a process. Of course, the tasks build up as we gain more experience.

I am doing good with this class so far I think, I am a bad prewriter as I have gotten in the habit of skipping this step and just more or less freewrite and revise extensively... Character sketches are difficult for me for some reason...

Too many undergrads skip pre-writing. It should be the easiest thing to do, and it always helps generate ideas, but because it's easy, people skip it. Mistake. 

As for character sketches being difficult ... good. This means it's something that you can work on, improve. But writing, like any skill, is something that improves with practice. Athletics, art, reading, etc., -- all take practice. Character sketches also can be difficult because we too easily look just for outside qualities, when the interesting ones are more subtle -- relationships, motivation, weaknesses, biases, etc.

I love the class and the way you use ur language with a sense of humor but being serious at the same time. the pace is good, just the work we have to do keeps me really buys.

I can't make apologies for keeping you busy. This is college; we're adults. Adults are busy. College scholars are busy. It's always been this way; it always will. Work is good for us.

I feel comfortable with the course as is. I really appreciate the open, honest energy in the class. I need to become more at peace with people hearing my work. In high school, some of my writing was published without my direct consent, and it was extremely embarassing. I'm very private about my non academic writing, and it was done during an extremely turbulent period of my life.

I can appreciate privacy. On the other hand, this is a writing course, and we improve when we have our writing heard/read by others. Real writing has a real audience. Having said that, you're always free to say, "I'd rather not" when asked to read. (Peer review is different, which is required)

I'm not frustrate or confused about anything. I just look forward to getting feedback because this will show me your expectations and what I need to work on.

Right. Attitude.

I personaly dont have any confusion or fustration with the class or the way you teach i am actually learning better in your class then i did in my first 1302 class

And sometimes it takes a second (and a third) round to appreciate something. Nothing wrong with that; this is why we're given second chances. Let's make sure, however, that this is the last time you take 1302. 

I only get frustrated when i can't think of the word i'm looking for because we are in an open class descussion, and my nerves tend to get the better of me effecting my level of retention.

Ug. I do the same thing. Words, words, words -- there are so many of them and yet when you need the right one, it disappears. But this comes with practice. In fact, this searching for words is a good thing, since the careful choice of diction makes some really fine writing. Don't worry about nerves. We'll all be friends in this by the time it's over.

So far so good. I hope to be able to stay on top of my work, so that I don't have to rush or panic about my assisgnments. Your very interested which is a nice change of pace from the normal teacher who is only in it for the paycheck. The only thing I don't like is how much sleep I get and how early the class is.

Never panic. Never rush. This is the worst kind of writing. Good writing is wrestled with, dreamt about, rejected, reborn, revised. But never rushed.

Paycheck? I get paid for this? I'm not fond of the hour either. I'm good with waking up, but I personally don't like to start talking to people until after noon.

i am confused with what specific goals we are working twards. i know we are trying to move twords better writing, but i think we are trying to incorporate our selfs and experiences more into our papers, from what i can tell

And that's the only real writing worth writing. Otherwise, especially discussing literature by non-literature majors, it's just mimicking someone else's writing, and that's not only boring, but it's dishonest. And never do anything dishonest, especially something as personal, revealing, powerful, as writing.

The class pace and everything is just fine.

[insert evil Hollywood laugh: bruhahahah]. Just wait till things shift here in a week.

I'm enjoying the pace of the course and the interaction between the students. I'll let my frustrations and confusion out in tutoring if i need help. If i develop a serious problem i will let you know.

Tutoring -- what a great idea. I'm glad someone thought of that. In case you didn't know, tutoring was the only means of instruction in Germany, England, and America until the 19th century -- all education was really one-on-one. Economics changed that, of course. It's still the best way to learn, of course.

I want to start doing more conferencing and discussing out of class, however. Sometimes people forget to ask questions, or a question will come to their mind while driving home, or sometimes people are just too shy to talk in class. I'm considering using Google+ Hangouts or Twitter sessions during specific hours of the evening to respond to students. Open to ideas. 

I'm pretty good with how the course is going. I don't think there is any more homework in this particular class than any of my others so its nothing to stress about. There are times when i won't understand the theme/moral of a short story and somehow come up with smoe miraculous revelation towards the end of my papers but other than that Im not having any problems.

I think that "understanding" literature is over-rated, really. First of all, literature by its nature is subjective, not objective. As I said on the first day, I'm not treating this course as a lit course -- it's a writing course. It's more important to be able to write than to interpret a poem. And I also believe that students understand a lot more than they think they do, but sometimes can't articulate what they instinctively know. And of course, all good literature takes multiple readings to really appreciate, and we don't have time for that. I've read certain books, for example, a dozen times, and each reading is new and more interesting. 

So far during this course I have not experienced too much frustration or confusion. The only question I have is the turn in policy. Do we need to turn in both a hard copy and an electronic copy? or just one of the two. Really, there is no frustation so far and I hope it stays that way.

Depends on the instruction. If there is a drop box in Angel, then I expect an e-copy. The actual peer review and papers (coming this week) will be hard-copy. Always ask if you need clarification. 

I'm not frustrated with anything. The lectures are hands on and entertaining, and while I don't particularly like speaking in front of the class, I like the discussions because when everyone gives their opinion I think of things that I didn't before. 

Agreed. I'm actually a pretty quiet and shy guy (promise; ask my friends), but this is a public class in a public school and until we can afford to pay for private tutoring for each of us, it is what it is. Social anxiety is a complicated thing, but sometimes we just have to "act" social for a while, then relax once everyone else is gone. But the real truth is, you'll be going into many public venues in your professional life where you'll be expected to speak your mind, report on your tasks, and you need to get used to it. Harsh, but that's what adulthood is about.  

I like your class. Last semester I had a teacher that didn't make us do anything. We did one paper the whole semester and I didn't learn a thing so this is like my first english class in college.

Wow. I wonder what that was meant to do for you. You'll work in this class. I make no apologies for getting adult students to work. If you're going to get three credit hours that transfer to any university in the United States, even Rice, then you're going to work for those credits.  

I dont like being called on to read. I hate being put on the spot.

I was in the National Guard. You can imagine what it's like to be put on the spot in front of several ugly sergeants and officers -- nerves, sweat, deafness, tunnel-blindness, etc. It was horrible, especially if I made a mistake. But I got used to it. We all do. And it makes us stronger. It always makes us stronger. But I'm not here to embarrass anyone. I am here to help young adults think critically about their world and to articulate that critical thought into writing. That means talking out loud and reading what we write. It always makes us stronger.

I am not frustrated but sometimes find it hard to keepup with the pace not because the pace is fast but that with the homework of all other subjects it gets difficult to complete all the work on time.

I really understand that, but, to be frank, that's what college is -- is a navigation and balance of multiple responsibilities. One of the advantages of having a BA/BS degree is that your future employer will be able to look at you, a college graduate, and know that you can handle mental responsibility and multiple assignments at the same time. That brings in money. And, with practice, we can do more with what we got.