Reflective Commentary

In my basic writing course, there is a great deal of knowledge that I gained that is important to me.  One of things I realize is that basic writers are not limited only to basic writing or developmental writing courses.  In fact, I learned that we are all basic writers.  The awareness of this common thread should help me to empathize more with students who are placed into these courses because of their failure to perform well on a 90-minute high stakes test that keeps them out of mainstream college courses.  Prior to taking this course, it never occurred to me to question the fairness of CUNY’s Writing Assessment Test.  No matter how you look at it, the test is used to keep people out of the mainstream.

Above all else, I have learned that there is hope.  There are teacher-scholars and administrators who see our work with basic writing students as a call for social justice.  In fact, there are several examples of innovative pedagogical approaches to basic writing like the Accelerated Learning Program at The Community College of Baltimore County that are mainstreaming students so that they can have a chance at the American Dream.

Another thing that I have learned is that I do not have to correct every single error on a student’s paper.  I am grateful for the lesson on Higher Order Concerns and Lower Order Concerns.  I would feel guilty if I did not correct every common mistake that composition students make in their essays.

Sadly, I have learned how our society is not eager to give resources to students who are not college-ready even when it is not their fault.  Unfortunately, racism and classism still are big obstacles to overcome in order for some of our citizens to have access to a quality education.  I am clearer today about the politicization of basic writing and how access to higher education is becoming more of a privilege for the few rather than the many.   I did not realize that my work as a writing instructor is a form or resistance –that the teaching of writing and critical thinking is essential for the transformation of students’ lives and their communities.  Also, I did not realize that I chose to attend a college that has a tremendous legacy of women like Audrey Lorde, Mina Shaughnessy, and Adrienne Rich who were willing to fight the good fight in order that others might have a chance to be somebody in life.