I’m not sure how the students who I interact with see themselves as writers. The two complaints I hear the most are that the students are only writing for their instructor’s sake, or that they aren’t sure where to go with a specific prompt. I find that prompting the students is easier than dealing with the issue of motivation based on the fact they must complete this assignment for a good grade in a class. I felt like this wasn’t addressed in Rose’s essay, since the discipline of sitting down to write isn’t addressed so much as the point at which one begins writing. However, I find that Rose’s idea of how students become fixated on rules fit well with their fear of only writing for the audience of their instructor, and their work having no value beyond that. I see a parallel between not valuing work, and believe that work is only good because it follows a specific set of rules.

In Zoe’s class on Monday, I was delighted to overhear a student saying the thing she liked about university versus high school was that in high school the emphasis was on the grade, but in university she felt like she could focus on making sure she learned, and if she achieved that goal she would be able to feel satisfied with her grade in class. I was lucky to realize the same thing near her age, which transformed the way I saw assignments—focusing now on them as a way to inform my learning rather than a hoop created by my instructors. I am hopeful that English 101 will build confidence for many of these students and teach them to advocate for themselves in future classes.