This and That

1. Last week, a student researching her Writing 102 essay was highlighting. A lot. Way too much. I looked down at her printed page of research about JFK (she was investigating the context of his inaugural speech) and saw mostly orange. The lines she left white were few.

I asked her why she was highlighting all of that. She told me that she was going to possibly use it later. I then explained that she would simply be reading through lines of orange-and-black, not the white-and-black original, to find what she wanted to use. The work she would be doing later would be the same as the work she was doing right then (perhaps more because she probably doesn't read from orange pages that often).

I told her to simply highlight keywords and dates and leave the rest white. Then I drew this on the white board
__________ _______________ _____ ___
________ _________________ ________________ ____
________ _________________ _________ ___
________ _____________

to illustrate my point. The first part is highlighting as she was doing it. The second part is the highlighted keywords, which are much easier to spot and distinguish from other highlighted keywords.

She said, "Nobody ever told me that before. Highlighting keywords." I told her that one of the advantages I have in the Writing Lab is that I see people working. I see the formation, not the formed, so I get used to helping that formation happen more efficiently. I really do think this is making me a better teacher.

2. A panicky student who often drinks enough caffeine to make her leg shake* came in last week and calmly ran through her plan of attack for her research paper. She knew each section she wanted to cover, and her sections grew more specific as she proceeded through her paper. I was impressed. This student had cried earlier this semester. Writing overwhelmed her. It was too much and she had to leave for awhile. And here she was, calmly speaking from the notes and visual organization she put down on sheets from a legal pad.

All I could do was say, "That's great" and watch her go. She had no questions. She just needed time to work.

3. I love watching people think. At breakfast with a friend this Friday, he asked me if I would be busy that day. I said yes and no, that there would be people in working on research papers and they would be working working working, only asking questions when necessary**. I love when students sit down with their piles of research or plop down and type away at their drafts. I feel like they are understanding what it means to write. They aren't worried so much as focused. There will be time for revision after a conference with a teacher or a peer review. This is the time to forge ahead, and I love being in the room when that happens.

*Not a hyperbole. I've seen it. Although I suppose the stress of writing a paper contributes, she does drink a lot of caffeine.

**Like swimmers breathing only when necessary and concentrating on their stroke, their goal.