And then I thought...

Pedagogy is a strange word. It takes a bit of practice and repetition before you really get the flow of it and can move into words like Pedagogical and what not but what's most important about Pedagogy is the definition. It is the practice of education. Education is something that we all have some dealings in, either regretfully or gleefully. What really draws me into Pedagogy is the connection I have with learning. I immensely enjoy teaching and seeing the connections students make to the information being presented, how it relates to their life, and how they've improved it over the course of their education. Writing in its educational practice should always include topics that a student relates to or feels “at home” with. When a student has a passionate connection that extends beyond the border of school (whether physical or figurative) you really see the student start to take pride in what they’re writing and really develop their skills. Ownership of one’s writing and in extension, beliefs is one of life’s basic fundamentals. But how do we gain this pride? How do we figure out the ownership? I struggle with this and other questions but have found a road that may lead me to my answer!

Teresa Redd states in her article “’Talkin bout Fire Don’t Boil the Pot’: Putting Theory into practice in a First-Year writing Course at an HBCU” how English 101 “cannot limit itself to academic purposes for writing.” She then goes on to say, that the CCCC warns “’to restrict students’ engagement with writing to only academic contexts and forms is to risk narrowing what we as a nation can remember, understand, and create.’” There it is. There is the first step for students taking ownership of their writing. I never disliked writing but I never thought I excelled at it or that I had this ability to coherently shape and mold my inner thoughts in to an argument, an analysis, a paper. It all begins though with just simply writing. As human beings, we will never do something with a fervor and passion unless we are passionate about the topic of choice. Her words in this article resonate with my educational and pedagogical ideas that we first must establish the students’ ability to write, and be COMFORTABLE in writing by allowing them to find a topic that resonates and write, write, write. Right?

Redd also mentions theorists suggesting our thoughts are incoherent in our own head but can be put into formed thoughts, opinions, and reflections because of our ability to write. This idea of writing to put out ideas works the opposite way as well, in that often times our brains remember what we have written (that is, new information) more easily than simply reading or listening. Writing relies on that passion, that spark that we try to kick start in our students and that passion for writing starts by showing them how to take ownership of their writing. The road is paved with crumpled balls of paper, an overflowing trash can here and there but ends with thoughts organized, shared, and appreciated.