Writing Assignments

When it comes to writing, specificity can be a big help to you and your students. What I mean is that you should know exactly what you expect from your students when they write, and so should they. One way to test whether or not you are specific enough is to attempt your own assignments based only on what you have made available to your students. In doing so, you might discover that a few small revisions to an assignment can go a long way.

Here are some things to consider:
1. Is the assignment/prompt too broad? Although we want our students to figure out things on their own, the reality is that they probably need some real parameters to help them focus. You can have a broad prompt but still guide students to specific issues they want to address. Have them consider who, what, when, why, and how questions as they consider topics to address.

2. Do you specify what formatting style you require? Let's be honest, if you do not specify, for example, MLA or APA style, then you will receive a wide range of formats including essays without any recognizable formatting at all. Many students do consider formatting when they write, which is why their essays look the way they do. By requiring the formatting style of your discipline, you expose students to some basic requirements they will need later in their college carreers.

3. How do you define length for your assignments? There are times when we can say, "Its just a journal, reflection, or free write. Write as much as you feel necessary." What students might hear is, "Don't worry, this won't effect your grade too much. Just do something and turn it in to make me happy." On the other hand, you might completely scare them by requiring a ten or fifteen page essay. Long essays are alright, but then you should be willing to take the time to teach students how to write that monster. Another alternative is to start out small with a two to four page essay early in the semester and build up from there. At the end of the semester, they will be much more prepared for the longer essay. When considering length, you need to decide whether students are just fulfilling a class requirement or if you want them to really learn something. Ten pages doesn't necessarily mean they learned anything.

We are all working hard in our classes but sometimes it is easier to work smarter, not harder. When it comes to students with under-developed writing skills, we really need to guide them along and help them be successful. That just might mean starting out small and allowing students to work at their ability level while also challenging them. After all, many of us reached this point of success in our lives because we were challenged appropriately, we rose to those challenges, and in many cases we had the appropriate tools and support to help us succeed. Now is the perfect time to do the same for our students.

Have a good week.

Welcome Back

Welcome back to school. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Michael Wickert and I am the Basic Skills ACE for writing. Almost every course here at Southwestern College has a writing component, but not everyone considers himself or herself a writing instructor. That's where I come in. It is actually part of my job to help you all with your writing assignments, and all you need to do is ask.

The beginning of your semester is probably quiet hectic, but now that we are back in the swing of teaching I would like to get focused on some ideas to help our Basic Skills students. Basic Skills students are in many of our classes, and at times you might even wonder why they are allowed to be there, but the reality is that they are there. Each of those students has made a conscientious decision to attend Southwestern College, and it is our responsibility to give them the best education possible. As you well know, that is a task that requires a teaching repertoire that needs constant updating and improving.

This is where each teacher needs to seriously consider his or her individual teaching philosophy. Do you want to help each student in your class do well, but just the idea seems overwhelming? Do you want to give students extra help, but just don't know where to begin? Do you want them to learn some personal responsibility by giving them the correct tools? Most of us want what's best for our students and we want to be a source of motivation and inspiration, but those are some pretty big challenges. Still you can do it in a number of ways.

Throughout the semester, I will post some teaching ideas that might be able to help reach even the most academically unprepared students in your class. Take what works for you and leave the rest. There won't be a quiz at the end, there are no perfect solutions, and you don't even have to agree with what gets suggested. Anything posted here is merely meant as a suggestion or potential strategy to be considered, modified, and hopefully attempted.

With this introduction comes the first idea: be nice to you students and allow them to make a few mistakes in the beginning. Many of them are still learning what college is, so they will forget their homework, their lab materials, and they will even forget to come to class. But give them a break. You can be firm and still be understanding. You never know what potential sits in those seats in your class until you let them succeed a few times.

Have a good week. Feel free to respond directly to this blog or you can email me here at SWC. Please contact me for any writing support regardless of your discipline.

Michael Wickert
Southwestern College
Office 430K
619-421-6500 ex 5444
mwickert@swccd.edu