Happy Halloween!!!!!

In "The Right to be Assessed Well", Spandel brings up many good points about assessments; that is, what components a good assessment should possess. Instead of looking for the faults of our young writers, we should be looking for their abilities and strong points. I don't believe, as some do ,that we are pampering our children by focusing on these things...I believe we're shaping their future. This country (lacking the educational quality it so deperately needs) is now obsessed with assessments to try and make up for the loss. It's not going to work. I, like many other students, am sick to death of the grading system. Yes, I'll go out on a limb and say it's not just assessments that make me sick, but also the grades we're constantly struggling for. We've buried ourselves too deeply in the idea that this will somehow measure our intellectual ability and therefore, we can monitor our progress or failure accurately. Tax payers need to see where our money is going...Yeah, and our kids aren't learning half of what they should be. Nice try. But I definitely agree that we need serious reform in the grade grubbing and overbearing assessments. I don't know if it was Spandel or another writer, (I've read so much this week) but an interesting view came about in my research that I have adopted for my own classes: My students will know that as long as they are willing to redo the work, I am willing to regrade. This includes tests as well...

It is exactly this very idea that is carried over into Writing and the Writer, where Smith discusses the importance of the teacher, and the many ways in which we can implement learning writing in the classroom. I am concerned with providing my students with a positive, and productive writing environment. I don't want my students learning what they have to learn, I want them wanting to learn. I hate dittos (what we called them in my days) and they bore me to death. I remember well, the feeling of dread as my teacher presented us with yet another stack of "ditto's" to complete in our limited time allotted. Lovely...Time tested dittos. Yum. Please Sir, can I have some more? (Oliver Twist).

In addition, (I'm in smart-ass mode now) I agree with Smith when he states that "inexperienced writers usually stop writing because they are tired, lose interest, or become uncertain of what in particular to say next-or simply because they think they have written enough." (222) Yes, I agree wholeheartedly. I'm going through the same thing right now, and I never thought I would say this, but I'm tired of writing. I'm tired of writing for a grade. I'm tired of having to, all the time, regardless of whether I'm motivated or not. Obviously I've been in school long enough to learn how to write, (seven years to be exact) and most people know that I am quite capable of producing quality work. Not every paper teaches me something new, and I don't always walk away feeling better off as a result of having written it. Penn State should be paying me to write, as often as I'm doing it. And I can't perceive how deadlines, due dates, forced writing, grades, etc. is going to help me want to teach this to my students. Hopefully, I won't hold a grudge...I don't think I'll ever stop loving writing, but I'm to my breaking point. How many papers do we actually need to write in order to prove ourselves worthy? Yes, writing can be fun, but when it's the only method we're using, it beings to bore after a while. I've started wishing for the lecture teacher again. It would be nice to sit back and enjoy the ride for once...

And when our students begin to say this to us, how do we rectify the situation (in keeping our students wanting to write) and still keep the parents, taxpayers and administrators happy? There must be a better way...

I understand that assessments are necessary and that we do need to grade our students somehow, otherwise we would not be able to assess their ability to succeed. My question, however, remains; how can we teach what are not being taught? (Or taught little of). Granted, some professors are flexible, but not all of them, all the time. If we're exhausted by the time we graduate, how will we be able to motiviate our students? How will we write with them? Lastly, how will we tell them that this is what they're going to go through if they attend college? Sure, we all need to learn to write well in order to teach it, but at this level of education (including the dissertation we'll need later if we pursue college further), we should be well endowed with at least some effective writing ability, and I don't feel we need to prove it all the time.

We have learned a plethora of information this semester regarding assessments, learning environments, teaching methods, etc., and yet we are being taught the opposite of what we learn, simply because we're in college--so we are expected to have the maturity, responsibility and ability to write day in and out. In addition, not all teachers have an understanding of the projects we face in other classes.

Don't get me wrong, I love my classes and have learned from them, I just think that 3 papers per class or better yet, 3 exams (x how many classes?) can wear a person out. This is our major (for most of us anyway) and we could use a break once in a while--especially if we're supposed to teach our students how to love writing. Although I am still learning new knowledge through the process, I'm also learning to burn out--quickly. If it seems like I'm bitching, well please excuse me, but I guess I am. I want to enjoy my projects and writing as I wish my students will. But sitting at my computer 10-18 hours per day is causing me a bit of frustration. (Although I'm good, I'm not fast.) I can do it, but it won't be my best work, and I certainly won't enjoy it. The thought of taking more classes next semester overwhelms me...

Like I said, there must be a better way...