Definitely the thing where you carefully craft a lesson plan, and then they latch onto the random tossed-off thing you said out of the blue instead and bring it back (occasionally as if to torment you..) on the exam.
But also that combination of respecting their contributions and expertise, what they are bringing to the table as a thinker and thus as a writer, and trying to help them discover that rather than imposing yourself on them. I'm best at teaching the writers who are already thinking much the same way I do (roughly, like an analytic philosopher...), but I am always trying to perform that careful process of discovery and encouragement of what _they_ are (or will be!) good at - and letting go of the students that just aren't going to be able to learn much from me other than the difference between "its" and "it's."
And bringing a book to office hours. (Or really, in my case, a pile of yet more papers to grade!)
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-15 09:56 pm (UTC)But also that combination of respecting their contributions and expertise, what they are bringing to the table as a thinker and thus as a writer, and trying to help them discover that rather than imposing yourself on them. I'm best at teaching the writers who are already thinking much the same way I do (roughly, like an analytic philosopher...), but I am always trying to perform that careful process of discovery and encouragement of what _they_ are (or will be!) good at - and letting go of the students that just aren't going to be able to learn much from me other than the difference between "its" and "it's."
And bringing a book to office hours. (Or really, in my case, a pile of yet more papers to grade!)