Teaching in Two Worlds: Critical Reflection and Teacher Change in the Writing Center

By Dale Jacobs

Excerpt

I had strategies for getting students to talk in class, but my words always remained at the center of the pedagogical relationship. I laid out ground rules for peer writing groups, but never shared my own writing. I wrote comments on student papers, but never talked with students about their writing. Despite the veneer of student-centered methods, I was engaged in what Paolo Freire calls ‘banking education,’ pouring knowledge into passive students. Working in the writing center radically challenged my approach to teaching and forced me to step back and examine critically my pedagogical location, methods, and philosophy.

Topics/tags:

Teacher as Writer Teacher Inquiry

Writing Centers: More Than Remediation

By Art Peterson

The Concept of a Writing Center

By Muriel Harris

Empowering Youth to Confront the Climate Crisis in English Language Arts

By National Writing Project

This special episode of NWP Radio features many of the educators behind Empowering Youth to Confront the Climate Crisis in English Language Arts, a co-published book from Teachers College Press and the National Writing Project. Recorded in three parts, you won't want to miss this comprehensive overview of this important book.