The spring semester begins tomorrow. I honestly don't know how that happened. I've had this course planned since mid-October, had the blog set up since November, I have a course calendar ready and Blackboard shell set up and 140 links to readings, videos, podcasts, etc. And yet I still feel like I'm not ready. Is it possible to overplan a course?
The best thing to do about your writing anxiety, I tell my students, is to write about it. That works for other stressors too. So, practicing what I preach, what am I afraid of? I think I'm afraid of not doing a good job, of teaching a class that's boring, or worse than boring. What if I mess it up? What if my own strong feelings conflict with their opportunity to learn? I don't think they will...but what if they do?
It might help to lay out my thoughts on a few things:
Almost all of the 140 links I've chosen are related to gun violence - its causes, preventions, rights vs. responsibilities of gun owners and gun legislation. It's obviously a topic I care about passionately. Yet it can't be the sole focus - there are other forms of violence that affect me and infuriate me as well, like rape culture, like domestic violence, like terrorism, like.......there is no form of violence that I DON'T care about finding a solution to. So why aren't more of my course readings about other topics?
It's because of my emotional attachment to that one subject. The vast majority of sources I've got lay out compelling data, research, history, testimonial, evidence, and everything else that would make Aristotle proud. Yet, if I'm going to be honest, it's not the evidence alone that drives my position on this issue. I DO think the weight of evidence is on the side of sensible gun regulation (NOT banning - no one wants a ban. Well, no one rational.) Even the majority of gun owners agree on this, that handing out any kind of gun to anywhere anytime with no questions asked is maybe not such a great idea. But very often writing classes - including mine - emphasize the logic and data and evidence and push the emotional issue to the side, as if it's not as valid. And emotion IS what most people - including me - operate on. I do my best to stay rational and examine the evidence, being willing to at least reconsider a particular view if it doesn't quite match with reality. (I've come to reconsider my views on concealed carry and armed guards in schools, for instance.) But I'm not going to discount the very real emotional impact violence has on me, and on everyone, and I don't want to.
What I want is for my students (and EVERYONE) to be aware of and study their emotional reactions to issues, without discounting them. Emotion is a big part of who we are. It shouldn't be the only factor, but it's an important thing to examine and respect. I want them to be able to articulate clearly, to themselves and to other audiences, exactly how they experience and use emotional persuasion, and why. That's social constructivist learning. That's writing as a social action.
Here's a piece that does a better job explaining what I aspire to: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/12/guns-in-the-classroom/281663/ (sorry for link, couldn't get it to embed. Blogs are hard.) . And also, here's an email I got from a colleague I wrote to about this class that encouraged me that this could be done: "all credit to you for wanting to teach such a course! My recurring dream is that every FYW instructor across the land will have students write about important civic issues, just as the early rhetoricians did 2500 years ago. Such pedagogy is especially important today, I think, with so many of our students facing severe financial pressures and having so little confidence in the future."
I think his point about the future faced by college grads is a good one, and one I hadn't really thought of. What's college for? Some would say getting a degree so you can get a good job, and that's true. But it's also about becoming a fully awake person, knowing how to think about the issues that surround you, not just complete a bunch of empty assignments and tasks devoid of any relevance.
So if your views on guns and gun violence are different from mine, use this class as an opportunity to sharpen your own views and get them out there where they can be seen and heard. Support them with credible evidence, and make specific, well-researched suggestions about how we should be addressing this issue legally, socially, emotionally, psychologically. Tell me what YOU'RE going to do specifically. How are we going to stop - or better yet, prevent - the next school shooting? If you care about stopping sexual violence (against both men and women), find ways to do that. Maybe you care about violent video games and movies, and want to argue that they do or don't contribute directly to a culture of violence (I happen to think they don't - look at Japan). Maybe you're a language nerd like me, and want to investigate how and why violent metaphors and images show up in so much of our language. Maybe you want to help with Chicago's gang problem, or work to end the poverty and racism that so often is entwined with violence. Or are you a crusader for civil rights, civil liberties, want to end bullying or discrimination and hate crimes against LGBT folks, or any number of other paths that lead to/from the topic of violence?
What kinds of violence do YOU care most about addressing?
What do YOU want this class to be?
I believe the biggest problem among violence is found in schools. Bullying has become such a wide epidemic within the past ten years, and it needs to be stopped. Kids are forced to stay home from school because they are too scared of the bullies that will hurt them in class. Myself, being a education major, find this to be wrong in so many ways. Education is the most important aspect for a child; learning to grow and interact with other children, and even find a job in the future. I feel violence, especially bullying, needs to be taken more seriously in order to put a stop to it. If schools can some how find a way to stop these bullies, we would see less violence in the world, which includes less school shootings.
ReplyDeleteThe violence I care the most about addressing is domestic violence and sexual abuse because I feel those are very important topics now. I also want this class to be a discussion class with in class debates and a great environment to elearn in and to be able to corect mistakes and learn the best ways to write.
ReplyDeleteThe violence I would like to try and stop would be domestic violence as well as sexual assault. So many people are raped or sexual assaulted every year. The victims suffer with scars of the event long after it happens. The physical wounds may heal, but the emotional ones will linger for years to come. I want to help women, and men, learn that there are ways that they can prevent the event from occurring. I have taken many self-defense classes as well as am an instructor to teach others. I may know how to defend myself in a dangerous situation, but it is time to teach others what I know, and not just the ones that I help teach in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to do something for domestic violence. My mom's side of the family has some domestic violence problems, and sitting on the sidelines with every event and occurrence isn't good enough for me. I have no idea on how I would begin to help some body, but I know that something needs to be done in order for it to stop. Maybe I'll find a way to show victims that they are never alone in their struggle and that they shouldn't be afraid to get out of their situation and seek help. I don't know yet, but hopefully one day I will.
Violence is a broad topic with many sub-categories. These two are just two of the issues that I support in wanting to make a difference in the lives of others in the push to end violence. I hope one day their is peace and that people can look back on these days and know that someone out their cared enough to put an end to this issue so that our lives are peaceful and enjoyable. Violence is never the answer, for any situation or any one person. Hopefully one day it will end.
For me, I strongly believe that this class will be more impactful than just adding to my development as a writer. With the issue of violence in America being such a powerful topic, and one that I tend to shy away from, I feel there is a lot to be learned from this course. Also, judging by Dr. Rendel's previous blogs this is a topic she cares incredibly strongly about and that intense passion will make the course more valuable than just any other writing class. When the teacher is engaged and passionate about the material being presented, most students will be willing to give the extra effort to make the class worthwhile. I have been lucky to have teachers that care deeply about the subject matter that they are presenting, however, something feels different this time. Dr. Rendel's blog entries really opened me up to seeing that things can be done if we become informed about the situations at hand.
ReplyDeleteWith all that has gone on in America, gun violence in particular, I am very intrigued to address the issue of gun violence in America. Do not get me wrong, there are other incredibly important forms of violence present in America, however it seems that the form of violence that gets the most coverage in America is the topic of gun violence. This constant media coverage of gun violence has really opened me up to looking at what can be done to improve how Americans handle guns and how to make America a safer and better place.
All in all, I hope I learn as much about the real issue of violence in America as I do about writing itself. I feel this class will be very intresting due to its focus on violence and its impact on America.
What kinds of violence do YOU care most about addressing?
ReplyDeleteThe types of violence that I personally would like to address are gun, domestic, and all types of civil violence in general. I would like to sharpen my views about certain topics that I do not understand, such as gang and poverty. Most of all I would like to express my views to others and allow myself to interpret other views in a different way in hopes to make myself a better person with a more open mind.
What do YOU want this class to be?
I personally would like this class to be an outstanding learning experience not just for myself but my fellow class mates. I would like the opportunity to make friends with students who have similar as well as opposite views from myself. I hope this course broadens how I see my surroundings and those who are in them
What kinds of violence do YOU care most about addressing?
ReplyDeleteGoing into the law enforcement profession, the kind of violence that will most impact me is most likely going to be gun and domestic violence. I find myself disengaged in these topics when I should be researching all I can about the new laws and regulations that will effect my career going forward. It will be interesting to hear more about these topics throughout the duration of the class.
What do YOU want this class to be?
When I first signed up for this class I did not know we would be focusing our attention on violence. Being a criminal justice major I am really glad this class can help expand my knowledge of not only writing but real world issues as well. It will be interesting to hear about other students views and perspectives on violence.
The type of violence I would like to address is gun violence. It is kind of funny to me, because I did not realize this was a theme based class until the first day of class, and the theme of the class was violence. In college writing 1, our final project of the semester was to write a paper on a social controversy. I chose to write about Gun Violence in our Country because I always felt like it was a big issue worth addressing, especially after the new gun laws were passed.
ReplyDeleteI would like this class to be the opportunity to allow myself to hear different outlooks on this specific topic. Also, I would like to talk about not only gun violence but look at all different types of violence as well.
I feel this is a very appropriate theme for a college writing class given the prominence violence has in modern society, whether it be school shootings, terrorism, etc. It seems as if everywhere you turn violence is being shoved down your throat; even if you aren't experiencing it first hand you can't escape it when it comes to the media. The worst part is that violence is what catches people's attention and therefore plays a prominent part in entertainment, literature, music, and the news. What I want to get out of this college writing class is to analyze the use of violence related lyrics in music across a variety of different genres and how the genres affect the public reception of the music.
ReplyDeleteWhat kinds of violence do YOU care most about addressing?
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of being able to address all types. Although the forms of violence are different, I believe that they all stem from the same place. Humans. I know there are thousands of disorders and situations that cause violence, and I am by no means implying that I specifically understand why. I am just interested in seeing all of the different ways humans take their aggression out on each other. I would say that I'm most interested in domestic violence, however, because it seems to start a chain of violence among generations.
What do YOU want this class to be?
To be honest, I really have not followed any of the controversy regarding gun safety and violence. I am obviously aware that no matter how lenient or strict the government becomes on this topic, there will be people that are unhappy and do not support the decisions. I never had a specific reason to follow this long battle between banning and allowing guns. This course is giving me an opportunity to expand on something I may not have thought much of before. It will open my eyes and help me see that the world isn't always so "black and white." I want this class to be a challenge that ultimately makes me a more informed citizen.
when it comes to gun violence, i don't think there will ever be a way to completely eliminate them. people will always find a way to get ahold of them. gun control is a interesting topic, but id be more interested in researching hate crimes, and . because personally i feel those two violent crimes are some of the worst, and hopefully one day we will be able to lower the rates of these crimes.
ReplyDeletefor this class, i'm interested to hear the opinions and view points of the other students in the class. because they might not have the same opinion as me and it will be good to hear other view points. overall i think this will be a good class, because i feel it is relevant to things actually happening out in the real world everywhere. everyone has been exposed in some way to the violent acts people in this world are capable of committing. it might be a real eye-opener.
I wouldn't mind addressing all types of violence. I think it's important to be informed on the violence going on in America. I want this class to be interesting to me and I'm sure that having this topic will help keep everyone attentive throughout the semester. Hopefully some of the topics other people chose will help me open my eyes to see what the different types of violence are.
ReplyDeletethe violence i would like to focus on would be domestic violence due to its dramatic increase in today's society. Many people are affected by it and as such i feel that it is important to understand.
ReplyDeleteI want this class to be a chance for me to learn more about the somewhat difficult to understand arguments that occurring today. there are many different opinions on what is best and i would like to explore the reason behind why people think that it will be a successful plan.
The violence I think should be addressed is gun violence. In the past few years gun violence has become a serious issue that has caused tragedy and conflict. I lived in Arizona for a long time where carry a gun is normal and isn't viewed as danger or as a threat (in most situations). Although I see gun violence as the most important issue, I wouldn't mind discussing other types of violence (i.e. domestic abuse, sexual abuse, animal abuse, terrorism, etc.)and their presence in today's society. I want this class to be interesting and I want to be challenged to think and develop new ideas and opinions about topics that are discussed.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am interested in addressing all types of violence but because gun violence has become a common issue over the years, I would like to address this topic in depth. Following the news, I know that gun violence has escalated within the past few years but I am not entirely familiar with any of the policies or laws regarding guns/weapons and i would like to learn more. I want this class different opinions.
ReplyDelete*I want this class to be a challenge as i allow myself to openly view different opinions.
ReplyDelete