Who should read this...
If you find yourself thinking something along these lines...
- "I signed up for a history class, not an English class!"
- "I can't learn the course's content because I'm placing so much effort into writing!" (Writing about things directly related to the course's content, mind you...)
- "Everyone says my writing is great/I always get As in other "writing" classes; why am I getting such low marks in here?"
- "I'm just here to get a degree [not to learn anything]!"
- "These low (for some students, this has been as "low" as a B...good grief) marks on my writing are making me unhappy! I don't like to be unhappy because being unhappy makes me unhappy :( "
- "My ego is bruised because of how you've graded my writing!" (I've never heard a student verbalize this directly, but this is usually a major engine driving many of the above thoughts.)
Why do you push us hard to write well?
If you don't read anything else here, please know that I work from a simple, threefold premise:
In this world, you will have very, very few opportunities to practice your writing under the tutelage of someone who's willing to help you with all aspects of your writing. It's a true, honest hardship to learn to write well. On the flipside--if you're able, for a moment, to place yourself in my shoes (I've already been in yours for many, many years)--please know that it's an exceptionally demanding job to help someone to write well. Many students have become angry, belligerent, abusive, and querulous toward me because I've chosen to be honest with them about their writing. It's not one of the happier aspects of my job, to be sure. I'm pretty thick-skinned, though, and I refuse to allow a few grumpy, neurotic, or self-entitled students to negatively affect my willingness to help those who might accept honest appraisals of their work. As such, it's for your benefit that you're in this position--take advantage of it while you can!
- The only way to get better at writing is to practice it;
- The best way to practice writing is to have someone competent guide you through that practice;
- Learning how to write well is usually a painful process (for all parties involved), as such, few people will easily accept honest critiques, which creates an environment in which few people will be willing to offer honest critiques (why take the hits from angry students when you don't have to?).
In this world, you will have very, very few opportunities to practice your writing under the tutelage of someone who's willing to help you with all aspects of your writing. It's a true, honest hardship to learn to write well. On the flipside--if you're able, for a moment, to place yourself in my shoes (I've already been in yours for many, many years)--please know that it's an exceptionally demanding job to help someone to write well. Many students have become angry, belligerent, abusive, and querulous toward me because I've chosen to be honest with them about their writing. It's not one of the happier aspects of my job, to be sure. I'm pretty thick-skinned, though, and I refuse to allow a few grumpy, neurotic, or self-entitled students to negatively affect my willingness to help those who might accept honest appraisals of their work. As such, it's for your benefit that you're in this position--take advantage of it while you can!
The details...
I believe that college-educated individuals should have the ability to write clearly and concisely in order to convey their thoughts accurately to the largest audience possible. While you might understand your ideas as you read them, those ideas will be lost on everyone else unless you can convey them clearly and concisely (I'm sorry--PowerPoints don't cut it for the heavy ideas).
You also have to think about what your writing says about you. Once something is written down, it's permanent, and demonstrates your competency (or lack thereof) over and over again to anyone and everyone who comes across it. I've served on hiring committees out in industry, and poorly-written resumes and cover letters are automatic roundfile fodder. Also, assuming grade inflation is real (it is), then poor writing skills will betray your GPA since the two will not mesh when you go out into the work force (this, in turn, also devalues anyone else's GPA from the same university).
One day, when someone can prove to me scientifically that students complaining their bad grades helps them write better than actually practicing writing itself, I promise I'll relax my grading standards. I understand that there's a good possibility that primary and secondary educators have failed students in the writing department, but I can't do anything about your past. I can, however, put energies into your future. Use me to your advantage. Write intros and paragraphs early and send me what you've got and make me work for you, your education, and your future...
You also have to think about what your writing says about you. Once something is written down, it's permanent, and demonstrates your competency (or lack thereof) over and over again to anyone and everyone who comes across it. I've served on hiring committees out in industry, and poorly-written resumes and cover letters are automatic roundfile fodder. Also, assuming grade inflation is real (it is), then poor writing skills will betray your GPA since the two will not mesh when you go out into the work force (this, in turn, also devalues anyone else's GPA from the same university).
One day, when someone can prove to me scientifically that students complaining their bad grades helps them write better than actually practicing writing itself, I promise I'll relax my grading standards. I understand that there's a good possibility that primary and secondary educators have failed students in the writing department, but I can't do anything about your past. I can, however, put energies into your future. Use me to your advantage. Write intros and paragraphs early and send me what you've got and make me work for you, your education, and your future...
The dirty (open) secret few professors will discuss with you personally...
If you'll indulge me here for a few minutes longer, I'll let you in on a little secret about the Ivory Tower. It's a secret that most professors discuss amongst themselves all the time but will rarely share with outsiders. Even if this secret is written about, it's usually only discussed in newsletters or journal articles directed at other professors (rarely more public forums like newspapers). One professor wrote a book about the secret a few years ago; but before you go thinking that this is now in the open, this professor published this book anonymously (also, it appears that most of the people who read this book are those already in higher education). When the ACT exam began to include a graded analytical essay section, it didn't surprise me that most students were scoring well-below their average score in the other multiple choice sections of the exam (I'm sure by the time you've read this, they've "re-weighted" the exam to placate angry and misguided students, parents, educators, and politicians). Many students, educators, and parents were taken aback. There's no way Johnny could score in the 30s on the test and barely make 20s on the written portion, right? All of those involved scrambled to blame the test givers, ETS, who explained that it was a new section and the scores wouldn't correlate to the others. No one wanted to point out the obvious, confirmed problem--graduating high school students can't write very well. I'm sure it was just a couple of years before ETS had to bow to pressure and revise the test and the grading procedure so that the scores would normalize.
The secret is this: most professors in the humanities--100-level English instructors included--have had such a difficult time teaching students how to write that most already believe you won't be able to live up to any sort of expectations before you even come in the door (for what it's worth, almost all professors and TAs hate grading to begin with, and it's made worse by the fact that they're already grading substandard work to begin with). They're so accustomed to under-prepared students coming through their door that they'll assume you are going to be one of them. They're so used to students who run screaming to departmental chairs, college deans, enrollment counselors, provosts, parents, and academic advisers the moment they're frustrated that they believe you'll do this too. Through experience, they've learned that pushing students to write well equals bad reviews so they've already assumed that you will give them low marks, too. Because of these things, they will rarely bother to put the time into you that you're paying lots of money for, putting years of you life into, and that you deserve as a matter of good faith. One history professor I knew--very nice lady, actually--complained bitterly about the bad grades she handed down to accurately reflect her students' poor writing. When I queried about how she helped her students to learn how to write, the response I received was, "that's not my job." Well, then, whose job is it, exactly? As far as I'm concerned, I'm one in a chain of people who are supposed to have helped out, but if I'm one of very few, then so be it.
As it relates to you, they're more than happy to tell you that your writing is good because they believe that's what you want to hear. They'll lower their expectations because they know that you'll feel better if they "promote" your self esteem (it actually doesn't, but you won't realize this until you're out of their hair). They'll tell you that you're "writing is wonderful" when it's not, because they know telling you otherwise might upset you which will mean difficulties down the line for them. They believe that you can't handle an honest evaluation of your work because others have proven to them in the past that honesty isn't the best policy. In other words, it's safer for them to treat you like you need facile praise instead of honest critique; it's easier on them to tell you that you're "doing a great job" when you're not; and they believe that you'll go away happy and they'll get merit points from their reviews if they treat you as someone who isn't capable of meeting goals placed in front of you (read this article for one example). Honestly: are these the things you want others to think of you? Are these the expectations of you that you want your professors to hold over your head? Is this the way you want someone to treat you?
I've attended many schools (somewhere between thirteen to fifteen) and I've taught, in one form or another, at schools ranging from inner-city community college campuses to top-100 public and private universities. You know how much difference I've noticed between the undergraduates at these campuses in terms of their overall ability to write at the college level? None. Zilch. Nada. The abilities I've seen at the graduate level differ to some extent depending on the school I've attended, but at the undergraduate level, I haven't seen one iota of difference. The only differences I've ever seen are in individual student's beliefs in their own potential, their willingness to accept their shortcomings, and their desire to learn the material presented to them.* In fact, the best students I've had as a whole was at the inner-city community college. The students did ALL the work I asked them to do, including a twelve to fifteen-page research paper for a 100-level class? Why? Because for one of the first times in their lives, someone was teaching them how to write well, and they couldn't get enough of it because they knew it would benefit them in myriad ways.
Writing is a skill and you can learn it. Yes, there are some talented writers in the world who seem to have more of a knack for it than others, but vast majority (myself included) have to learn the only way, which is through repetitive practice, honest critique, and incremental improvement...
The secret is this: most professors in the humanities--100-level English instructors included--have had such a difficult time teaching students how to write that most already believe you won't be able to live up to any sort of expectations before you even come in the door (for what it's worth, almost all professors and TAs hate grading to begin with, and it's made worse by the fact that they're already grading substandard work to begin with). They're so accustomed to under-prepared students coming through their door that they'll assume you are going to be one of them. They're so used to students who run screaming to departmental chairs, college deans, enrollment counselors, provosts, parents, and academic advisers the moment they're frustrated that they believe you'll do this too. Through experience, they've learned that pushing students to write well equals bad reviews so they've already assumed that you will give them low marks, too. Because of these things, they will rarely bother to put the time into you that you're paying lots of money for, putting years of you life into, and that you deserve as a matter of good faith. One history professor I knew--very nice lady, actually--complained bitterly about the bad grades she handed down to accurately reflect her students' poor writing. When I queried about how she helped her students to learn how to write, the response I received was, "that's not my job." Well, then, whose job is it, exactly? As far as I'm concerned, I'm one in a chain of people who are supposed to have helped out, but if I'm one of very few, then so be it.
As it relates to you, they're more than happy to tell you that your writing is good because they believe that's what you want to hear. They'll lower their expectations because they know that you'll feel better if they "promote" your self esteem (it actually doesn't, but you won't realize this until you're out of their hair). They'll tell you that you're "writing is wonderful" when it's not, because they know telling you otherwise might upset you which will mean difficulties down the line for them. They believe that you can't handle an honest evaluation of your work because others have proven to them in the past that honesty isn't the best policy. In other words, it's safer for them to treat you like you need facile praise instead of honest critique; it's easier on them to tell you that you're "doing a great job" when you're not; and they believe that you'll go away happy and they'll get merit points from their reviews if they treat you as someone who isn't capable of meeting goals placed in front of you (read this article for one example). Honestly: are these the things you want others to think of you? Are these the expectations of you that you want your professors to hold over your head? Is this the way you want someone to treat you?
I've attended many schools (somewhere between thirteen to fifteen) and I've taught, in one form or another, at schools ranging from inner-city community college campuses to top-100 public and private universities. You know how much difference I've noticed between the undergraduates at these campuses in terms of their overall ability to write at the college level? None. Zilch. Nada. The abilities I've seen at the graduate level differ to some extent depending on the school I've attended, but at the undergraduate level, I haven't seen one iota of difference. The only differences I've ever seen are in individual student's beliefs in their own potential, their willingness to accept their shortcomings, and their desire to learn the material presented to them.* In fact, the best students I've had as a whole was at the inner-city community college. The students did ALL the work I asked them to do, including a twelve to fifteen-page research paper for a 100-level class? Why? Because for one of the first times in their lives, someone was teaching them how to write well, and they couldn't get enough of it because they knew it would benefit them in myriad ways.
Writing is a skill and you can learn it. Yes, there are some talented writers in the world who seem to have more of a knack for it than others, but vast majority (myself included) have to learn the only way, which is through repetitive practice, honest critique, and incremental improvement...
Some specific complaints addressed
I thought I would also take a moment to answer the three most common complaints:
"I signed up for a history class, not an English class!"
No one would question an comedic actor taking singing or dancing lessons. No one would question the need for an elementary school teacher to learn basic first aid and lifesaving skills. No one would question a business executive who wanted to learn basic car repair skills (e.g. changing a tire); afterall, most people who own cars drive them to their living, not fix them for a living. Yet, when people are feeling down or overwhelmed about my writing requirements, this is one of the first excuses they reach for. As stated above, writing is an integral part of expressing ideas and the study of history is the study of ideas. On top of that, you'll be expected to write about your ideas out in the real world. Take advantage of your opportunities while they won't cost your future or current job. I think part of what's making this all worse is that many colleges are beginning to classify some classes as "writing intensive," requiring students to take only a set number of these. Personally, I feel that this is a dark and dangerous road down which to proceed. If can, I do label my courses as "writing intensive" if it meets all of the requirements; they usually don't (too many students, etc.), so this rarely happens. In one of my classes, you're just going to have to get used to writing, "writing intensive" or not.
"I can't learn the course's content because I'm placing so much effort into writing!"
I've got to figure out, somehow, how one can write exhaustively about something yet not learn about it...
"Everyone says my writing is great/I always get As in my other "writing" classes so why am I getting such low marks in here?"
As I wrote about more extensively above...I hate to be the bearer of bad news, there's a chance that few people have ever or will ever give you an honest appraisal of your writing. Worse, it's a good bet that you've had few chances, if ever, to write at the college level--even in college. There are many reasons for this:
"I signed up for a history class, not an English class!"
No one would question an comedic actor taking singing or dancing lessons. No one would question the need for an elementary school teacher to learn basic first aid and lifesaving skills. No one would question a business executive who wanted to learn basic car repair skills (e.g. changing a tire); afterall, most people who own cars drive them to their living, not fix them for a living. Yet, when people are feeling down or overwhelmed about my writing requirements, this is one of the first excuses they reach for. As stated above, writing is an integral part of expressing ideas and the study of history is the study of ideas. On top of that, you'll be expected to write about your ideas out in the real world. Take advantage of your opportunities while they won't cost your future or current job. I think part of what's making this all worse is that many colleges are beginning to classify some classes as "writing intensive," requiring students to take only a set number of these. Personally, I feel that this is a dark and dangerous road down which to proceed. If can, I do label my courses as "writing intensive" if it meets all of the requirements; they usually don't (too many students, etc.), so this rarely happens. In one of my classes, you're just going to have to get used to writing, "writing intensive" or not.
"I can't learn the course's content because I'm placing so much effort into writing!"
I've got to figure out, somehow, how one can write exhaustively about something yet not learn about it...
"Everyone says my writing is great/I always get As in my other "writing" classes so why am I getting such low marks in here?"
As I wrote about more extensively above...I hate to be the bearer of bad news, there's a chance that few people have ever or will ever give you an honest appraisal of your writing. Worse, it's a good bet that you've had few chances, if ever, to write at the college level--even in college. There are many reasons for this:
- Most incoming students' writing is so bad they should be placed in remedial writing courses, which isn't palatable to most college administrations. Instead, most colleges just let them bang out a two-semester English 101, 102 sequence (if even that) and call it a day. In those courses, professors see some of the most horrific writing known to mankind. As such, they're generally forced to ratchet down their expectations until "bad" writing becomes "you're off to a great start" writing, "fair" writing becomes "excellent" writing, etc; otherwise they would have to fail the bulk of their classes, which, again, is something college administrators couldn't stomach. This leads directly to the next point...
- Nick who lives down hall in your dorm and/or your boyfriend/girlfriend Aaron/Erin probably aren't really good writers either, but they think they are because they've been told by their English 101/102 professors that they are (see point above). Things get even worse if their writing has been praised by their high school English teacher who is comparing their writing to the average high school student. As such, they're likely to tell you your writing is "great" or "awesome" when, in fact, it's probably "serviceable" or "fair" at best.
- Writing is very personal. It takes a great deal of time and effort. As such, most can't help but attach our egos to our writing. Unfortunately, due to human nature and certain cultural tendencies to promote individualism and egalitarianism, most people don't have good mechanisms to deal with violations directed at their egos. Given the student-centric and ego-centric nature of many schools that concentrate on compliments ("stress the positives!") rather than critique, few students will really get a honest, comprehensive evaluation of their writing skills in their college classes. It's even worse for adult students who haven't been to school in a great while as they've already established a writing style that's passably served them most of their lives, so who am I to tell them it isn't up to par?
* On a side note: For-profit schools at which I have taught that make it a point to stress esteem and student "satisfaction" (read: "happiness") over actual learning. Students from those schools tend to perform poorly because they were often told they were doing great when they were actually sat just on the event horizon of "horrifically poor." I was specifically instructed at one of these institutions to "keep the students happy and moving through the system" at all costs, since it would have literally cost the "university" to lose them as students. All I can caution you to do is to stay away from schools that promote self-esteem over honest appraisal if you really want to get your hard-earned money's worth. The insane run these asylums, and you don't want to run with that crowd, believe me. (That being written, I did have a small few students who preformed well and were genuinely there to learn--I hope you know who you are and know that I appreciated your efforts.)