Hillock Response

Hillock does well in painting a picture of "what not to do" in the first few pages of his example. It is easy to envision a lecture like the one he describes in which a professor rambles and scribbles away at the chalkboard while students either confusedly try to keep up or simply tune out completely.

While I agree with a lot of the other respondents that there is no earth shattering epiphanies in his subsequent analysis of methods of teaching, what I took away from this article is the benefit to connecting with students. The 'bad example' he opens with is of a teacher who has a complete disconnect with his students. It is obvious that he speaks to students who he believes "cannot think for themselves." In my opinion, teaching students to think for themselves is the secondary goal of a Intro Writing course, second only to developing strong writers.

Can those two issues even be separated? I find it impossible to be a strong writer without having the ability to think for oneself. This is why I like Hillock's analysis of the reflective practice. It presents us with a framework for identifying the needs/shortcomings of each class we teach. I was talking with Jeanne Smith at Kent's Writing Commons this past weekend and she stressed that the ability to see your classroom as 15 individuals instead of one body really helps you to become a better teacher.

I think it is important for us as teachers to be constantly evaluating our methods so they don't become stale and outdated. In regards to Hillock, I believe treating your teaching method as an empirical study is an effective way to find out what works and what does not. Although I do not see as much of a pitfall as he does in "practice as routine," I do agree that we should engage in practice as inquiry when we find that the current routine is not producing good writers.

One last thing I liked is his final thoughts on life experience. He prompts us to ask "What is it I believe and why?" Throughout our readings so far this semester, I find myself looking for answers in the text and forgetting to look inward at my own beliefs of teaching. I think it is important to remember to read these articles while keeping in mind ones own convictions and theory.