E-mail & Expectations

The practice for better writing that stood out most in my mind after reading Williams was using e-mail pen pals. Maybe I’m biased because I have a natural love of travel and of discovering other cultures and ways of life. But I also think my partiality for this method comes from the idea that using technology and engaging with peers from around the world is a much more practical and enjoyable activity than simply writing about a topic, like censorship (using the example from the reading), assigned in class. Reflecting on my own literacy narrative, I realize that I probably came across as one of those students who merely went through the motions of school and school work. For the most part, I would probably still categorize myself as that type of student. I completed assignments merely because I was required to do so to receive a grade. These assignments were boring and I felt that I was being forced to research and write about something I didn’t particularly care about (I'm sure everyone can relate to this). I hated this convention and that’s why I see the use of pen pals as a unique and, most likely, effective way to improve writing. I know that if I had had the opportunity to communicate with an international pen-pal, I would have been ecstatic. As Williams points out, using an exchange program of sorts, like the one described in the book, is a great way to engage students and to allow them to express themselves, without fear, on topics that interest them and/or their pen pal. It also gives them the opportunity to learn about other cultures-a feat which is especially pertinent in an ever-shrinking global community.

I liked that in this chapter Williams goes through the different stages of the process approach and expands upon the impact of each step. At the same time, it feels almost like a repetitive reading since we’ve discussed this idea of planning, drafting, revising, editing, etc. as a technique for better writing. We’ve talked about the fact that these steps aren’t set in stone and that they vary in relevance according to individual writers and the writing task at hand. But one of the things that we haven’t really touched on is this idea of expectations and standards.

I’m not planning on being a teacher, but from my own experience I can see how a teacher’s expectations of a student can truly affect his/her experience at school in a positive or negative way. I’ve been lucky enough to develop relationships with some of my instructors where I know they expect good things from me, so I try to deliver and make the best possible effort. That doesn’t mean I always enjoy the work, but I do my best to publish something worthy of those expectations. In high school though, where we had a good mix of city kids and suburbanites, teachers often failed to disguise the fact that they weren’t holding out for great pieces of literature from certain students. They could be condescending or they might just seem to visibly lower their standards and regard certain students as a lost cause. I remember seeing this in particular with a number of the boys on the football team. First of all, they were male, which Williams mentions almost immediately lowers them in esteem of teachers. Secondly, many of them were African American, which again is a disqualifying factor. And finally, they were football players-they were there for their brawn, not their brains. Of course this was never stated explicitly, but everyone understood these guys were aiming to be the next Ben Roethlisberger, not the next Stephen King. I think this was reflected in their grades. It wasn’t just football players either, but they're just the primary example that comes to mind.

Anyway, my main point is that I agree with Williams on the issue of expectations-the way a teacher engages a student can make all the difference in the world; they have a huge impact on students and on students as writers. So to all the education majors out there, please take this section of Williams to heart.