COMPOSITION STUDIES BY DIANE K. OLSON, PHD, WRITING, TEACHING AND CRITICISM

WE NEED TO HAVE COMPASSION ON THOSE STUDENTS EXPERIENCING WRITER'S BLOCK, NOT JUDGING THEM BUT RATHER LOOKING AT WHAT ABOUT OUR COURSES ARE NOT SERVING THEIR PURPOSES AS WRITERS.  OFTENTIMES, WHEN STUDENTS EXPERIENCE WRITER'S BLOCK IT IS NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO WRITE BUT RATHER BECAUSE THE ASSIGNMENTS THAT WE ARE OFFERING THEM ARE NOT SUITED FOR THEIR PURPOSES AS WRITERS, SO WE NEED TO BE ATTENTIVE TO WHAT ABOUT OUR COURSES ARE NOT WORKING FOR STUDENTS AND THEN CHANGE OUR COMPOSITION COURSES TO SUIT THEIR PURPOSES SO THAT STUDENTS FEEL WELCOME TO WRITE.  WE MIGHT BEGIN THIS CONSIDERATION BY ASKING THE STUDENTS, AT THE START OF THE COURSE, WHAT TYPES OF WRITING DO THEY ALREADY LIKE/LOVE TO DO AND THEN PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO DO THAT WRITING IN OUR COURSES.  WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT ABOUT THE CONTENT OF OUR COURSES IS NOT WORKING FOR STUDENTS AND NOT INSPIRING THEM TO WRITE AND BE PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR WRITING BECAUSE ALL STUDENTS HAVE PASSIONS THAT THEY WILL MORE THAN WILLINGLY WRITE ABOUT WHEN WE GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES.  WE NEED TO LOOK AT OURSELVES AS TEACHERS OF COMPOSITION WHO MIGHT NOT BE SERVING THE STUDENTS' PURPOSES AND PASSIONS AS WRITERS, AND THEN HAVE COMPASSION ON THE STUDENTS WHO LOVE TO WRITE BUT MAY NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE ASSIGNMENTS AND/OR LITERACY DEMANDS THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO THEM.