But I'm Not an English Professor!
Using WAC does not mean that you suddenly have to become an expert in teaching writing. You don't have to be an English professor to implement a WAC approach. Your own background as a reader and writer--as a professional in your discipline--provides you with an invaluable resource of information about how scholars in your field think, solve problems, and communicate ideas. Remember: the primary focus of WAC is not about teaching writing correctness; rather, it is about helping students to learn to think and write in the appropriate modes of your discipline.
Below are some tips on how to maximize your effectiveness as a facilitator of critical thinking and expression through writing:
- Provide your students with a wide variety of writing experiences. Use both formal and informal writing assignments.
- Expose your students to examples of excellent writing in your field. Discuss what features make them particularly strong pieces of writing.
- One of the most important factors contributing to improved student writing is frequent, careful revision. Give your students plenty of opportunities to revise their written work. This emphasizes the true nature of writing--that it is a process and that students need to practise it in order to achieve mastery. The process of revision must be coached repeatedly. [see Helping Student Learn to Revise]
- When responding to student writing, focus first on ideas, asking yourself whether the author was successful in communicating his or her message. Issues of mechanics and spelling can be dealt with afterwards. You don't have to become a walking encyclopedia of grammatical rules and terminology in order to help students with their writing. As a well-educated professional, you know when a piece of writing works well or misses the mark. Focus your comments on letting your students know what works and what doesn't in direct, everyday language. [see Responding to Student Writing]
- Place the onus on the student to fix the problems in their writing. You are not the student's editor. If you correct each error, you take ownership of the writing and you waste both your time and that of the student.
- Present yourself as a writer. Be an example for your students. Be honest and share with them the challenges you face as you try to write in the expected modes of your discipline. If possible, show them a draft (or a portion of one) and use it to discuss how you are approaching the problems that exist in the work. Ask for their input.