One thing I have my students do, inspired by my colleague Jennifer Dunkel in last January's Celebration of Developmental Education, is to have them choose [at least] two accountability partners. That's one of the major items scheduled on Friday, and what it basically means is that each student has at least two peers he or she can go to when he or she misses class or doesn't quite understand the instructions. If all three are absent, or all three are confused by the instructions, then I'm glad to fill them in, but this way, we all save a little time (and I don't have to give the same lecture again for each student who missed!) and energy. I know last semester several of the groups got to be very close, and they attributed that close accountability to much of their success due to being able to go to each other on the spot.
So, my students, take advantage of this opportunity. I still, of course, want you to let me know when you're absent for a valid reason, but ask your accountability partners what you missed. I'll happily clear things up if you're still lost.
Also on Friday, we'll be discussing blogging for our class. Each semester, my students do a class blog. Each week, each student is required to write a 300-word minimum blog entry--open topic, with some guidelines. The social nature of the blog does help discourage some of the repetitive style blog entries, and it encourages my students to try some new ideas with the opportunity for feedback from each other. With our last paper being a creative piece, it gives them the whole semester to tinker around with techniques and styles before committing to one story and one voice. Yes, I know, it can get a little tedious remembering to write every single week, but if you manage your time and don't wait until Friday to write (or Sunday to comment on two peoples' entries), it becomes a habit.
After all, how does one become a better writer? By writing, of course!
A quote about the writing process that last semester's students found encouraging:
i find that I encounter alot of writers block. I begin with a good topic and then after writing several paragraphs I then lose all train of thought. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all the writing we do have to do but I continue to push through it. It's ironic that when I was younger I enjoyed writing poetry and wrote alot of very good poems. But since I got older I kind of drifted away from writing as much.
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