Here’s the survey from the first assignment. I made my answers bold since you can’t realy circle things, at least not that I know of…

Writing and Teaching Attitudes Survey

 

The questions that follow are designed to elicit your feedback as a student, a writer, and one who is interested in teaching writing to others.  

 

1.      Describe your abilities as a writer (circle one):

 

Excellent          Strong             Okay                Weak               Terrible

 

2.      Describe your perceived abilities as a soon-to-be teacher of writing (circle one):

 

Excellent          Strong              Okay               Weak               Terrible

 

3.      Describe your history as a student of English/Language Arts (circle one):

 

Excellent          Strong             Okay                Weak               Terrible

 

4.      How confident are you in your writing ability?  (5 = extremely confident, 0 =  not at all confident)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

5.      How confident are you in your ability to teach writing?  (5 = extremely confident, 0 =  not at all confident)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

6.      How comfortable are you having teachers assess your writing?  (5 = extremely comfortable, 0 = extremely uncomfortable)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

7.      How comfortable are you with assuming the role of assessor—of assessing student writing?  (5 = extremely comfortable, 0 = extremely uncomfortable)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

8.      How much value do you give instructor assessments of your writing?  (5 = tremendous value, 0 = no value)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

9.      How much value do you believe your students will give your assessments of their writing?  (5 = tremendous value, 0 = no value)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

10.  How often are or were you asked to participate in some form of peer response activity in the writing classes you have taken in college and in high school? 

 

Very often          Often               Sometimes           Rarely             Never     

 

11.  How often will you ask your students to participate in some form of peer response activity? 

 

Very often          Often               Sometimes             Rarely            Never     

 

12.  How comfortable are you having fellow classmates respond to your writing?  (5 = extremely comfortable, 0 = extremely uncomfortable)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

13.  How comfortable do you believe your students are likely to be having their fellow classmates respond to their writing?  (5 = extremely comfortable, 0 = extremely uncomfortable)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

14.  How confident are you in responding to your peers’ writing?  (5 = extremely confident, 0 = not at all confident)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

15.  How confident do you imagine your students will be in responding to their peers’ writing?  (5 = extremely confident, 0 = not at all confident)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

16.  How much value do you give peer responses to your writing?  (5 = tremendous value, 0 = no value)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

17.  How much value do you imagine your students are likely to give peer responses to their writing?  (5 = tremendous value, 0 = no value)

 

5                      4                      3                      2                      1                      0

 

 

Short Answer

 

18.  If asked to define writing in your own words, how would you respond?  What is (or isn’t) writing?

I would define writing as putting words together to create meaning. There are a many different kinds of writing, everything from writing poetry to academic research papers.

 

19.  If asked to define teaching in your own words, how would you respond?  What is (or isn’t) teaching?

My definition for teaching is passing on a specific knowledge or skill. Once again, there is a broad range of things that qualify, whether it be a college class or an beginning piano lessons.

 

20.  What would you list as your particular strengths as a writer?  And how have you come to know them as your strengths?

I think that my strengths as a writer are mechanical aspects like spelling, grammar, and such, and I think make good word choices. These things I have figured from feedback on papers that I write. I also believe I am a pretty good creative writer – I did Power of the Pen in junior high.

 

21.  What would you list as your particular weaknesses or challenges as a writer?  And how have you come to know them as your weaknesses or challenges?

Based on feedback from my writing that I have done in college, I think I can improve the development of the thoughts that I am writing about. I frequently get some variation of an “underdeveloped” or “add more detail” comment.

 

22.    How did you learn to write; or, how do you remember learning to write?

I don’t have a specific memory of learning the physical skill of writing. I can remember spending a lot of time working on both narrative and research type writing in junior high.

 

23.  When, or as a result of what phenomena, do you believe writing improves?

I think writing is a skill, and like all skills the best way to improve is through repetition and practice with some guidance from someone that can point out ways to continue to get better.

 

24.  When, or as a result of what phenomena, do you believe writing worsens?

I never thought about it before, but I suppose, just as you need to practice the skill, if you go a long time without using it you are probably not doing your writing abilities any favors.

 

25.  What would you list as your particular strengths as a teacher of writing?  And how have you come to know them as your strengths?

My one attribute in this category, which unfortunately is a weakness, is inexperience. I simply have never really taught anything about writing up to this point, so I can’t very well say that I can do something when I haven’t done it yet.

 

26.  What would you list as your particular weaknesses or challenges as a teacher of writing?  And how have you come to identify them as your weaknesses or challenges?

Going along with the last one, inexperience worries me. Obviously, once I begin doing it, I will gain experience and will learn from what I do. However, I expect that the first couple of years will be quite difficult as I learn what works for students and for myself as a teacher. I say this because I think started off and exploring yourself as a teacher is difficult for all.

 

27.  Some people say that writing ability is something that cannot be taught.  What do you think?

I think they are either lazy or do a poor job and therefore don’t want responsibility for what happens. The seeds are definitely planted early, but I am constantly still learning about writing.

 

 

 

 

 

Any additional thoughts and/or comments you’d like to add?  Feel free to include them here.