I realize this article is torturously long, even by my standards. I promise to find a shorter one next time.
We know that writing anxiety is an equal-opportunity affliction for our students, but this article suggests racial and socioeconomic factors may influence strategies students use to cope with that fear. Although the research focuses mostly on Black and Latino students, I wonder if the author's findings also apply to any first-generation college student.
Sadly, these strategies--"postponing matriculation, scaling down, avoiding assessment, and redefining success"--often impede student success. They may allay fear and anxiety in the short run, but they keep the fearful student from completing her program.
We do see some of these strategies in the Writing Center, and not just from students of color. Vulnerable students may be reluctant to share their work because they're afraid of exposing their imagined inadequacies. They may drop out of school because they don't know how to navigate a system that's easier for middle-class, college-generation students. Humiliation is crushing for any one of us, and we all adapt strategies to avoid or minimize it.
So what can we do at the Writing Center to sidestep our students' defenses? What lessons can we take from the two beginning composition professors cited in this article? If we truly want to work toward an equal playing field (excuse the cliche), how do we adapt our approach to particularly high-risk students here?
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This article was very interesting to me. I do see this "fear of failure" quite a bit in the Writing Center. Sometimes I feel this way, too. I think everybody fears failure to some extent. Like Frances said, nobody likes to be humiliated. I think the reason writing is particularly scary for some people to share is that it is so personal. With a subject like math, not doing well does not hurt as much (at least I think so), probably because this subject tends to have one right answer and getting something wrong is usually a matter of using the wrong equation or formula, or maybe making some kind of counting mistake. Writing, however, is entirely personal. One hundred students writing on the same topic will all have different papers. I see far more people in the Writing Center who do not like to write or fear writing than those who enjoy it or are comfortable with it. Although this is probably because people who are comfortable with writing feel like they do not need our services, I still think that there are many, many people who are not comfortable writing.
ReplyDeleteI have found that when it comes to writing, one bad experience can be more influential than several good experiences. I have worked with so many people that tear up while telling me stories of "that teacher with the red pen". This is probably why we use pencil, get permission to write on the paper, and make sure to give positive feedback along with our suggestions for improvement. I also think that our minimalist tutoring strategy helps to sidestep those defense mechanisms. I think our philosophy at the Writing Center is a good one. It definitely allows for learning, and not just a place to come to "get your paper fixed".
I can definitely relate to fearing failure in college. Before I started my first year at Madonna, I was terribly worried that college would be extremely difficult and that I would not be able to handle it. Luckily, once I started I found that I was capable of succeeding in all my classes. Several students at the Writing Center are returning to college after several years without schooling. I give these students a lot of credit for having the courage to return to school. These students might be more worried and anxious about failing than other students. We can help these students the most by offering them support and positive encouragement.
ReplyDeleteIn my psychology class, we learned that one's self-concept can inhibit people from reaching their full potential. For example, one might grow up believing that they are awful at writing, and because of this they will never succeed, even though they might be capable of success. As tutors, our job is to encourage the students and show them that they have amazing potential. Unfortunately, I have met many students who believe that they are bad writers. When helping one student I told her she was good writer, and she was both pleased and shocked. She has never received that reaction and was very happy and proud of herself.
To sum it up, I think we should offer positive feedback and support during our tutoring sessions. We should also never make anyone feel stupid or bad about their writings. Everyone has his or her strengths and weaknesses. For example, I am good at writing, but horrible at science. Therefore, we must never make any student feel as if they are dumb or poor writers. A key goal of the writing center is to promote students' confidence, allowing them to succeed.
The above blog is from Gwen Higgins, NOT Frances FitzGerald.
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