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发信人: haven (避风港), 信区: AdvancedEdu
标  题: How to be a good TA(7)
发信站: BBS 水木清华站 (Tue May 12 21:50:02 1998)

     6 Elements of teaching writing

     Written assignments are an integral part of most classes offered at
     Yale. To the extent that writing is considered a skill to be taught
     within all disciplines, Yale is committed to the pedagogical view
     commonly called "writing across the curriculum." This chapter of the
     handbook is offered in that spirit: writing is essential to all disciplines
     and, therefore, teaching writing to all kinds of teaching. Even those
     of us who teach classes where written work does not fall into
     familiar categories (for example, economics problem sets rather than
     research papers or analytical essays) must be prepared to address
     questions having to do with writing. Presentation, analysis,
     disciplinary expectations and other concerns arise in all areas of
     writing, whether the assignment to be completed is a lab report, a
     journal-style article, or a literary analysis. We hope that the
     following comments and suggestions, while by no means exhaustive,
     will prove useful in thinking about the writing process itself and the
     methods we use in teaching writing.

     6.1 Teaching the writing process

     In an academic environment, students' first encounters with the
     process of writing may well be the moment they are handed their
     assignments. These may be designed and written by the professor or
     the TA. Even in courses whose assignments are fully designed by
     the professor, there is often some leeway for a TA to modify a
     particular assignment. For example, sometimes TAs ask students to
     develop their own paper topics rather than relying on a list of topics
     made available by the professor. Whichever scenario most closely
     matches your situation, it is essential that you make both the
     assignment and your expectations clear. Consider devoting some
     class time to this end.

     Handouts are often useful. Among other things, these may describe
     the disciplinary conventions for written material, the physical look of
     the completed assignment (e.g. typed, double-spaced, proofread,
     etc.), or some tips on developing and organizing an argument. (A file
     of handouts are available at the Working At Teaching office.) Some
     TAs choose to provide samples of "model" writing from within or
     outside the discipline in order to make students familiar with certain
     writing styles. If you choose this option, make sure your students
     understand that these examples do not represent the only ways to
     write, and never hand out a model without discussing its merits and
     demerits. Handouts and class time devoted to talking about writing
     may ease students into the first steps of the process.

     Short writing exercises may also help your students become
     confident about the particular assignment and about their writing in
     general. Short writing exercises, assigned early on, are also a good
     idea in courses that only have a mid-term and final. They help cueas and/or presentation are not the same thing.
     Consulting with other TAs or with the professor may provide a
     certain critical distance. It is important to approach these situations
     with sensitivity and an eye toward the future-don't shut off your
     students' chances to consult with you or to alter their approach by
     writing snappish or angry comments instead of constructive criticism.
     "Unusual" stylistic approaches may also stymie a TA. In these cases
     it is useful to remember that "different" need not be "wrong." Even if
     a student purposefully defies the conventions or requirements of the
     discipline or the assignment at hand, you should evaluate this work
     using the same criteria you use for all students: clarity, logic, etc. Try
     to recognize the merits of new approaches, and comment on the
     relative effectiveness of your students' original styles of presentation.
     For further comments on evaluating written work, see section 7.2.2
     below, "Grading Written Assignments."

     6.5 Acknowledging your students' work

     TAs are not the only ones with anxieties. Students occasionally
     worry that their work for the course will become part of a TA's
     work. At first blush, such a worry might seem absurd. On the other
     hand, students often develop ideas interesting to their instructors
     precisely because their TAs are teaching with an eye toward their
     own intellectual interests. Judging by the number of
     acknowledgments "to my students for their insights" in academic
     essays and monographs, it is clear that the exchange of ideas in the
     academy goes on at all levels. It is therefore important, at least as a
     courtesy, to acknowledge to your students that you hope to learn
     from them as well as to teach them.

     More formal acknowledgment is in order if you make more direct
     use of your students' work. (While not common, it is not unheard of
     to see a footnote to a student's remark in class and there is no
     reason why TAs should not be at least as sensitive as faculty are, i
     not more.) If you ask for a copy of a student's papers for your files,
     tell her why you want it. For example, perhaps you hope to make
     use of her insights the next time you teach the course, or perhaps
     you consider her work a model for future students. Treating your
     students and their work with respect will relieve their anxiety about
     you, and will promote the exchange of ideas that we hope for in our
     intellectual community.

--
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