Writing on the most basic level is more than just a string of symbols arranged for meaning. Chapter 2 of Rhetoric for Writing Teachers presents the working definition of writing as “a process of communication that uses a conventional graphic system to convey a message to a reader” (10). Understanding the dynamic interplay of the subject, message, reader, and writer is paramount to producing effective writing. Lindemann’s deconstruction of Roman Jakobson’s version of the communication diagram offers intriguing insight into the complex pathways of written communication, thus leading the writing teacher to a greater understanding of student writing difficulties. Students have often said, “Why do I have to take English? I can speak it.” After
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The student “addresser” presents a plethora of issues because of diverse social, cultural, economic, and human experiences that define who they are. Lindemann stresses that “[t]o teach them well we must know as much about them as we have time and patience to discover” (11-12), and by writing “as frequently as we ask our students to, we will be better able to discuss with them strategies and habits of experienced writers” (12). Her observations make sense because the teacher, playing the role of the “addressee,” needs to make the contact, mentioned later in the chapter, positive for writing to be effective. By establishing that trust and interest in the individual, the teacher can better plan lessons and writing activities that meet the needs of the students and ensure a positive experience for both parties. In addition, modeling proper writing behaviors, and sharing the efforts, gives the teacher credibility in the eyes of the students and a frame of reference for the students to …show more content…
My experience volunteering this summer as a writing tutor has been eye opening. I am seeing Lindemann’s words come to life in the summer school classroom. In the opening session over a week ago, I met seven sophomore boys that landed a spot in summer school because of failing grades. The summer school teacher remarked that they are not “dumb…just lazy.” She further added that they participate in class discussions and have profound ideas, but refuse to put it in writing. I didn’t know why until I read chapter two of Lindemann’s book where she maintains that, “[w]hether taken from a printer or a typewriter, or written on with pen or pencil, paper represents for most people a medium less comfortable than the human voice. Writer and reader are separated in time and space” (15). Perhaps the “wayward boys” were not as lazy as perceived, rather they needed positive contact in order to build the confidence to navigate the conventions of the written word. When discussing in class, students get instant feedback from peers and the teacher in the form of verbal and non-verbal cues. Writing on paper can be a lonely, isolating process, and the result of the labor often comes dressed with red ink, “a psychological barrier to communication” (15). Incidentally, the majority of these
The student “addresser” presents a plethora of issues because of diverse social, cultural, economic, and human experiences that define who they are. Lindemann stresses that “[t]o teach them well we must know as much about them as we have time and patience to discover” (11-12), and by writing “as frequently as we ask our students to, we will be better able to discuss with them strategies and habits of experienced writers” (12). Her observations make sense because the teacher, playing the role of the “addressee,” needs to make the contact, mentioned later in the chapter, positive for writing to be effective. By establishing that trust and interest in the individual, the teacher can better plan lessons and writing activities that meet the needs of the students and ensure a positive experience for both parties. In addition, modeling proper writing behaviors, and sharing the efforts, gives the teacher credibility in the eyes of the students and a frame of reference for the students to …show more content…
My experience volunteering this summer as a writing tutor has been eye opening. I am seeing Lindemann’s words come to life in the summer school classroom. In the opening session over a week ago, I met seven sophomore boys that landed a spot in summer school because of failing grades. The summer school teacher remarked that they are not “dumb…just lazy.” She further added that they participate in class discussions and have profound ideas, but refuse to put it in writing. I didn’t know why until I read chapter two of Lindemann’s book where she maintains that, “[w]hether taken from a printer or a typewriter, or written on with pen or pencil, paper represents for most people a medium less comfortable than the human voice. Writer and reader are separated in time and space” (15). Perhaps the “wayward boys” were not as lazy as perceived, rather they needed positive contact in order to build the confidence to navigate the conventions of the written word. When discussing in class, students get instant feedback from peers and the teacher in the form of verbal and non-verbal cues. Writing on paper can be a lonely, isolating process, and the result of the labor often comes dressed with red ink, “a psychological barrier to communication” (15). Incidentally, the majority of these