Basic Writing Pedagogy

Throughout the Mutnic article, I felt the tension of the debates over Open Admissions, basic writing, freshman composition courses, and "tracking" at the college as well as secondary levels. While these debates are seemingly endless and do not have a solution that will satisfy one and all, I found myself searching for answers. My thought process lead me to a reflection on the issue of responsibility, and the idea that universities as institutions and individual teachers may have different responsibilities in regard to the above mentioned debates. It seems logical that if a university is going to offer Open Admissions, then the university also needs to offer basic writing and other remedial courses that are appropriate for the incoming student body. I suppose, all universities are responsible for providing courses appropriate for their incoming student body. This idea applies to Open Admission schools as well as more selective schools. My brother attends Georgia Tech and takes math classes I've never heard of, but this is appropriate for a school offering one of the top math programs in the country. So, it seems slightly elementary to concede that the policy of Open vs. selective admissions and thereby the curriculum is the responsibility of the university, but it seems to make sense.

The individual teacher has a different responsibility: to teach the kids in his/her class. Regardless of whatever the admission policy may be or the remedial or rigorous curriculum offered, students will vary in levels of preparedness. Teachers must teach the students they have. Although, it is not quite that simple. There is obvious strain between expectations and reality, but these issues are why I love teaching. I often have friends ask me if it gets boring teaching the same subject over and over (I teach at the high school level, but it is admitted that college level teachers often have more variety in what classes they teach). I always answer that it is never boring because although the material I teach in US History seldom changes, the kids are never the same. There are always unique faces, stories, and challenges.

However, I am well aware of the potential influence of individual professors on university-wide decisions. I do not mean to imply that teachers should not try to influence larger decisions made by thier institutions. My point is that my classroom is where I can make the greatest difference. Whatever my beliefs on certain debates, I can try to influence my school one way or another, but ultimately my greatest influence will be on the individual students in my classroom.