"What I learned"

One of my pedagogical commitments is to ask students to reflect on their own learning -- and to articulate that reflection in writing.

One thing I ask sometimes is for them to write, anonymously, on two sides of an index card:

• 3 things I think everyone in class has learned/achieved this semester
• 3 things that only I learned/saw/achieved

Here's a list of "Only I have learned" from my American lit course:

1. I learned how to perform scansion when reading poetry.
2. I enjoyed doing the facilitation more than I anticipated -- especially the PowerPoint and video [this from a student who researched The Crucible's links to McCarthyism (I recognize his handwriting)]
3. Poetry can take on the most peculiar of forms.

1. how to notice nuances in writing to "see more"
2. the value/need to contextualize a text to really understand it
3. contextualizing research teaches you history and more . . .

1. Poetry is 50% interpretation and 50% research.
2. It is best to facilitate a discussion in an area you love.
3. Reflection after reading is pertinant in order to understand what you've read.

1. how to analyze works based on historical events happening at the time
2. how a short story can actually be a longer story when looked at through different eyes
3. allotting sufficient time to read is important to be able to focus on a piece and truly analyze it
   

1. I learned to stick with it, even when I don't understand the class completely.
2. I learned how to more respectfully disagree or keep quiet.
3. I learned a great deal about minority viewpoints in Am. Lit that were previously foreign to me.

1. American writers are very depressed writing. [this is a Pakistani student]
2. A lot of problems in the author's life forced them to become extraordinary writers.
3. I had lots of fun learning more about American lit.

1. Independent bookstores were a brand new experience for me [they need to visit one in a "field trip" experience]
2. Two lit courses in one semester is a lot of writing & reading.
3. Need to be more proficient Analyzing poetry!

1. To find symbolism & metaphor in writing such as the snake in "Sweat" & "Chrysanthemums" & "The Eyes".
2. That the cannon (sic) of literature will always evolve because of individual talents & new writers.
3. American Literature is unique because it reflects the many cultures that have come together and an endless search for identity & belonging vs. retention of individualism.

1. co-operation
2. tollerance (sic)
3. research skills [this fellow's "everyone learned" list was "co-operation, research skills, speaking skills"]

1. I earned more about the various interpretations of the pieces.
2. I learned more about the work of "The Awakening" through preparing our facilitation.
3. When our guest speaker, Kelvin [Monroe], came in and the facilitation on Jazz I saw the connection of the music of Jazz to Morrison's style of writing

1. Presentations go much better without games.
2. A writing journal really helps put thoughts/ideas in perspective.
3. The same exact piece of literature can be many things to many people.

1. Learned the importance of good exposition & good filler [did this student bullshit on her/his essay??]
2. I've found different reading strategies.
3. The importance of transitioning sentences

1. How to begin to decode poetry.
2. MLA referencing
3. How to tread lightly on fragile egos in group projects.

1. interpret an author's message within their story
2. enjoy an author's story that I normally didn't like
3. to read faster

1. about the author I wrote my paper on
2. feel more confident about future classes

1. more about the beat generation
2. about F. Scott [Fitzgerald]
3. how to better deal w/passive aggressive people [this student incited some heated discussion in class because she had a hard time listening to others]

1. The difference between an Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet and a Shakespearean sonnet
2. How to make a formal presentation
   

1. I never knew anything about Henry Adams
2. I absolutely fell in love with "The Awakening" (and found it inspirational)
3. Appreciate the connection b/t Art, lit., and music.

1. The significance of Black American writers and their contributions to Literature.
2. How/why creative writing is necessary [I don't understand this point as related to our class]

1. Becoming more well read
2. Survived my first college course toward my major!!
3. I've read things I never thought I would

1. That paper grading is very arbitrary [this woman "has gotten As on all my class papers" -- she's really mad at me]
   
2. That Amrican (sic) Lit. is depressing all about abused women.
3. There is a lot of reading

1. To control my fear of failure. [this from a 70-year-old woman]
2. To control or work through anger so I could finish assignments on time.
3. To [she didn't complete her card]
   

Isn't this list amazing? A mixture of heart, heat, and reason; a mishmash of personal attack and personal revelation; a lively data set that reflects relatively accurately the personalities in this class of 27 (not everyone turned in their card). Mostly, this group of students was terrific.