Favorite 4C's session

Session L 18: The Portraits of Composition Study: Focus Interview Design, Results, and Data Triangulation.

This session presented the in-progress work of a multi-year study of how composition gets taught in the early 21st century. I wanted to attend because Kathi Blake Yancey was on the panel and because I'm interested in focus-interview research methodologies.

I was slightly disappointed when the opening speaker explained that the session wouldn't actually discuss focus-interview research in depth. The focus-group phase of the project is still underway, and the researchers didn't want to compromise that data. So instead, the speakers presented a preliminary analysis of the results of survey data they'd collected. They'd presented some of this analysis at last year's 4C's, but this year they were looking more deeply into the data.

The survey info was fascinating. More than 1800 composition teachers from public and private 4-year, 2-year, tribal, and HBCU institutions had responded to an electronic survey that asked about teachers' training, pedagogical preferences, use of technology, etc. Yancey looked at what the data revealed about teachers' disciplinary backgrounds (comp-rhet, lit, and the ubiquitous "other") and analyzed how those backgrounds relate to what teachers said they focus on in their teaching.

My notes are sketchy, but a few things that stood out to me: Respondents whose backgrounds were in comp/rhet were more likely than respondents whose backgrounds were in lit or "other" to say they focus explicitly on issues of rhetoric and genre in their teaching. Respondents from comp/rhet backgrounds were also more likely to consider technology as "very important" to their teaching and to recognize the "toolness" of the writing process. Lit folks and "others" were more likely to emphasize the teaching of argument than the rhet/comp-trained teachers.

What really stood out to me was the large number of respondents whose training was *not* in comp/rhet. At one point, Yancey said something along these lines: If you care about the preparation of teachers of writing, you might be alarmed by some of this data. I was.

An aside: as someone who's usually more interested in qualitative research, I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting and rich all this statistical data actually was. I hope the group presents next year so that I can find out how the focus-group data informs the statistical stuff.

Glorious Day

Today was the most beautiful, perfect, glorious day we've had all year. Since I had no classes, office hours, or committee meetings, I decided to stay home with Kate all day.

We discovered crocuses in the front yard.

Of course, Kate picked these crocuses two seconds after I snapped the picture. So we took them as a little gift to her speech teacher this afternoon.

I took a gazillion pictures of Kate in various poses.

Our across-the-street neighbor saw us horsing around and offered to take photos of the two of us together.

When Anna got home from school, the neighbor girls came over to play. They were so happy to be outside and to see folks they hadn't seen in months. In this picture, they're waving like crazy to their favorite neighbor two houses down.

A delightful day. I hope there are many more to come this spring.

Same old story

Tonight, on my way home from work, I got a call from Kate's teacher, Tricia, who's also the director of the little daycare center Kate's been attending for two-and-a-half years.

I was kind of alarmed when I heard Tricia's voice. Because she never, never calls unless there's an emergency. But all she said was, "Hey, are you going to Skyline tonight?" Skyline is a little local restaurant that we frequent most Wednesday nights. Kids eat free on Wednesdays, plus there's a craft table for the little ones, plus several other friends and their families join us. It's our Wednesday thing. Tricia knows she has a standing invitation to meet us at Skyline on Wednesdays, but she almost never does.

So I knew something was up when she said she wanted to join us. Shit, shit, shit.

And sure enough, about halfway through dinner, she dropped it on me: she's leaving the center in two weeks to take a director position at another daycare. Slightly better pay, slightly better hours. She'll miss my kid terribly, etc., etc. I know the spiel by heart.

So I said: "I'm happy for you, but very sad for all of us parents. And for Kate. And for the other kids."

This is what I always say. What I've said a million times before to a million great daycare teachers to whom my kids have grown attached. To whom I've grown attached. A couple of times, I've cried during this parting. Or the teacher has cried. One time, about a year ago, we both hung on each other and sobbed.

But this time, I was just...stoic. I've gotten so used to this situation.

Later tonight, Kate, Anna, and I were counting up all the teachers we could remember who've left in the two-and-a-half years that we've been at our current daycare, a tiny little intergenerational care facility that only takes 16 kids. (It's intergenerational because it exists inside a nursing home; every afternoon, the kids visit the nursing home residents.) Anna and I came up with 8 names in about 30 seconds flat, and then the names of a couple more very short-lived teachers re-surfaced in our memories. I'm sure there are others we were forgetting.

And that's just at our current daycare. For four years before this one, we were at another center--a huge, multi-classroom center--where teachers would come in and out like...I don't know...the only simile that comes to mind is the cliche of the revolving door. Most of those teachers were kind and loving and dedicated. But they were always on the lookout for a better wage, a lower teacher-kid ratio, more flexible hours. And who can blame them?

When I think of the number of women (because, really, there's only been one man in all those years) who've gone in and out of my children's lives...it's just heart-breaking. And guilt-inducing, of course. When I think of the number of women who've had to re-start one childcare job after another...well, that's just heartbreaking too.

I don't know what the solution is. Unionization of daycare workers? A complete overhaul (ha) of the childcare system in this county? What else?

After 4C's

Glad

That I got to meet so many bloggers: Jo(e), Marcia, Timna, Angela, Nikki, Susan (whose scholarly work I've read!), Clancy, Mike, Liz. They were just as cool in real life as they are on their blogs.

That I ran into lots of old friends this time and got to really catch up with some of them, especially Cathy, Ellenmarie, Collin.

That I stayed with Marian, the best roommate ever, who does the most beautiful sun salutations every morning. Really, they're a work of art.

That I picked my sessions wisely. I only went to like 5 or 6, but they were all worthwhile.

That Marcia took such excellent notes. Now I can at least feel like I went to more than 5 sessions.

That my own session went well. And that I'd followed the suggestion of our media guy back home by bringing his remote clicker thing with me. It was so cool to not be tethered to my computer during the presentation.

That I got to visit with my brother Joe and his wife Jen, who live near Chicago. And that we got to disect the goings-on of the other seven siblings.

That the kids did okay without me and that our complicated plan for the care of their hair worked just fine, especially since Todd can't really even do a ponytail.


Sad

That United Airlines lost my luggage, which contained the little presents I'd promised the girls. (Got it back late Sunday night, though.)

That I didn't get to meet Joanna. (I hope you had a very restful week!)

That I only got to spend a tiny bit of time with Rich B., my former "boss," one of my favorite people in the whole wide world.

That I didn't make it to this presentation. It was right before mine, so I was still tweaking my slides.

That I had to say goodbye to my friends, especially the ones I only see once a year at 4C's.

A 4C's Retrospective

4C's (for those unfamiliar: a big conference in my field) always feels like an anniversary or a mile marker for me. Every year around this time, I find myself thinking back to two/four/eight years ago, reminiscing about the cities I visited, the presentations I gave or attended, the old friends I caught up with. I can never keep the years or the cities straight, though.

So this week, just out of curiosity, I looked up the past conventions here. It was fun to take stock of what I was doing when:

1992: Cincinnati
My role at the conference: One of my grad-school professors was in charge of the TYCA breakfast that year. Since the convention fell over spring break, and since Cincinnati was close to my parents' home, he asked me to help with the breakfast. So I drove up on Saturday and checked people in at the TYCA registration table. I hadn't officially registered for the conference and didn't have a name badge, so I didn't go to any sessions (I'm such a rule follower).

My professional life at the time: First-year MA student.

My personal life at the time: Huh?

Conference highlight: I couldn't believe the nametags I saw: all these scholars I'd been studying. I was star struck.


1993: San Diego
My role: Helped facilitate a workshop on portfolio assessment with a couple of my professors and fellow grad students. Very low-key presentation--a nice way to get started. Also interviewed for an instructor position at a university back home.

My professional life: Second-year MA student. Wasn't sure about what I'd do next, but thought I'd probably adjunct at a community college. Or, more realistically, at two or three of them.

My personal life: Hanging out at Ozzie's and Attractions with my grad-school friends.

Conference highlight: San Diego itself! Oh--and eating huevos rancheros for the first time.


1994: Nashville
My role: Presented on first-generation college students and academic literacies.

My professional life: In my first year as a full-time instructor (at the school I'd interviewed with the year before at 4C's). Working my butt off teaching a 4-3-3 load.

My personal life: Todd and I had just decided to get engaged.

Conference highlowlight: I was terrified--TERR-IF-IED--of presenting that year. My talk was based on my MA thesis, and I was still too close to it. I could see all the holes and flaws, and I was sure the whole talk sounded totally stupid and un-scholarly. I wanted to vomit right before I presented: there were lots of folks I knew and respected in the audience.


1995: Washington D.C.
My role: Presented on working-class narratives in first-year comp.

My professional life: In my second year as an instructor (on a four-year appointment).

My personal life: Had just gotten married and bought our first house.

Conference highlowlight: Someone in the audience kind of challenged something I'd said. My fellow panelist, a much-loved senior colleague of mine, came to my rescue. (But really, the guy in the audience was right, and I thought my whole presentation sucked, sucked, sucked.)


1996: Milwaukee
Didn't present that year. But I went with a friend anyway. Thought I'd LOVE attending the conference without having to present. But really, I didn't enjoy it as much. Who knew I'd miss the pressure/anxiety/relief/(sometimes)euphoria that, for me, comes with presenting?


1997: Phoenix
My role: Presented on service-learning theory and practice.

My professional life: Had recently been named lecturer at my university (the same job as instructor, but with three-year renewable contracts--no more "expiration date.")

My personal life: Still living happily in our first house. I loved that little house! Later in the year, we'd move for Todd's job, and I'd have a one-hour commute to work.

Conference highlight: After our presentation, a man from a then-fledgling (but now much respected) service-learning journal asked my colleague and me to submit our paper to the journal. Never did it. Too busy, too un-confident, whatever. (Damn.)


1998: Chicago
Didn't go. I think my proposal was rejected that year.


1999: Atlanta
My role: Presented on service-learning partnerships, I think? (Yes, service learning again.)

My professional life: Didn't give a flying F about my professional life because...see below.

My personal life: Just two months before, I'd given birth to my precious, beautiful, amazing first child, who went to the conference with me. My mom also went to help with the baby. I remember being nervous about my presentation, and then writing the following at the top of my presentation notes: Just get the damn thing over with and go explore Atlanta with your baby!

Conference highlight: An old friend I hadn't seen in years came to my session. Afterwards, she said, "I almost didn't recognize you up there. You looked so...well...buxom." Yeah, breastfeeding will do that to you.


2000: Minneapolis
I was supposed to go, but my 14-month-old daughter had pneumonia, so I canceled. I was only chairing a session that year, so I didn't feel bad in the least.


2001: Denver
My role: Presented something on learning communities.

My professional life: Still a lecturer at the university. Our teaching loads were slightly reduced by then.

My personal life: Pregnant with baby #2!

Conference highlight: Just a pleasant time all around. Felt good about my presentation. Wasn't quite as initimidated by the whole scene as I'd been in the past. Fell in love with Denver.


2002: Chicago
My role: Presented on career longevity for non-tenure-track composition teachers.

My professional life: Still a lecturer at the university. Very comfortable and happy there. Still a long commute, though.

My personal life: Diapers.

Conference highlight: No diapers. (And: I actually had fun--FUN!--presenting that year.)


2003: New York
Didn't go. Don't think I even submitted a proposal that year. (Too overwhelmed with kids, probably.)


2004: San Antonio
Didn't go. Our proposal was rejected. My colleagues and I had thought it was the best one we'd EVER written--a shoo-in for sure!


2005: San Francisco
My role: Presented on distance learning and intellectual property issues in two-year colleges.

My professional life: In my second year at my new school--a cc. (And no more long commute!)

My personal life: My older daughter had started kindergarten that year and had *major* separation anxiety. She cried every day for the first four months. By March, she was finally saying goodbye in the morning without clinging to me. I feared that my trip to San Francisco would set her back. It didn't. (Whew.)

Conference highlight: My favorite 4C's ever. My colleague and I presented collaboratively in a kind of dialogue form, and it was awesome. I felt poised and knowledgeable and comfortable--like we had something important and complex to say. It just felt good. Plus, this was my first 4C's as a two-year-college person. Most of the sessions I attended were focused on two-year issues, and I went to the TYCA breakfast, and I met lots of really cool cc folks. I felt at home, like I'd finally found my niche.


2006: Chicago
My role: Will talk about professional development and community-based literacy work.

My professional life: In my third year at the cc.

My personal life: Humming along. Knock-on-wood.

Conference highlight: ??

File this in the silly-little-things-that-totally-delight-me category

For the last year or so, I've been using the gradebook feature of Blackboard for all my classes, including my face-to-face ones. I've been using it in its simplest form, though: just posting grades there. I hadn't taken the time to figure out how to make Blackboard weigh items appropriately, so I still had to calculate all the (for me, complicated) math at the end of the quarter.

But last week, spurred on by a student who wanted to know exactly where she stood grade-wise, I finally played around with the "weight grades" function on Blackboard. And--holy cow--it's SO easy to use. (Aren't most techy things, really, when you finally just jump in?)

My students can now see exactly what their grade would be if I had to submit grades today. Some of the more anxious students calmed down when they saw the actual number. Some of the slackers stood up and noticed.

Me, I'm thinking I'll never have to do end-of-the-quarter math again. Love it.

I'm sort of jealous...

...of all the bloggers who've been writing about all the snow they've gotten this week. We haven't gotten nearly enough of it this year in my neck of the woods, I think.

Two quick questions

1. How do you create a link within a comment on someone's blog? I've been inserting an entire URL into a comment, but how do you make a fancy link like this?

2. What's the protocol for changing the name of your blog? Anybody ever done that? Does it just throw everything off? Is it too confusing for readers?

Book-n-Bag Day

It's Book-n-Bag Day at my daughter's school today.

Everybody wore pajamas and brought a bag that's supposed to contain a blanket, a pillow, several books, and snacks. Anna took five or six Junie B. Jones books, some Girl Scout cookies, melba toast, and a juice box.

This morning, all the kids in grades K-8 are doing regular work, and then they're spending the whole afternoon lounging around on their blankets and reading to their little hearts' content.

I wish I were there.

teachingwritingmotheringbeing

My banner thingy says "Teaching, writing, mothering, being: just practicing all of em," but I've never really organized a post around those four "ings." So here goes:

Teaching
We're in the 10th week, and I'm not feeling quite as stressed as I usually do. I have one final set of papers to respond to for my online comp class, and I'll get two sets of papers from my developmental sections tomorrow. I feel strangely confident that I'll get the stuff done.

One reason I know it'll get done: I'm working to the rule. I've not blogged this before, but our union has been in the midst of contract negotiations all year. Things haven't gone well. We've had a contract imposed on us; and in protest, union members are working to the rule: that is, we're teaching, prepping, holding office hours--but not serving on committees, not taking on extra projects, not heading up task forces, etc., etc., etc. It's a difficult and stressful place to be in (but necessary, in my opinion).

Writing
I'm working on my 4C's presentation little by little. It's partly about professional development issues, so I've been holding little focus-group sessions with some of my colleagues to get their feedback on a professional-development activity we've all been involved in. Data collection, I guess.

The other thing I've been writing: a letter to the editor of our student newspaper protesting our administration's misrepresentation of faculty salaries in our local media. It runs tomorrow. I hope I don't live to regret it.

Mothering
Anna didn't get invited to the birthday party of a little girl in her class. I'm taking it harder than she is. She said she asked the little girl yesterday why she wasn't invited, and the little girl said, "My mommy said I could only invite 10 people." Anna seemed totally satisfied with that explanation. I guess I should be too.

Being
I've got yoga tonight.

Ohm shanthi.