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

Student Voices and Public Writing

Publishing is an important stage of the writing process, and writing for audiences beyond the teacher makes writing more meaningful and can inspire students to do their best work. This chapter supports English teachers to help young people find ways for their voices to be heard, with a focus on student writing about the climate crisis.