Re: writing anxiety workshops

[ilene rubenstein <irubenstein@email.csun.edu>]

Wendy Wagner wrote:
> 
> Last spring, someone raised a question about tutoring students with
> writer's block. (Note: I am incredibly grateful to those who participated
> in this thread, as it inspired me to get over my own writer's block and
> finish my dissertation this summer; I defend in October!)
> 
> I am thinking about holding some writing anxiety workshops either this fall or
> maybe starting next spring. We see many older students who are very anxious
> about writing and about their English classes, and I thought a series of
> regular evening workshops (maybe brown-bags, and we could provide coffee and
> dessert) might be a way to support some of these students. But I am "blocked"
> about what to do in these workshops. Has anyone tried anything like this, and
> if so, what kinds of activities have you done? Freewriting exercises come
> immediately to mind. But how far can I go with that? Can we revisit the
> writer's block thread for some ideas?
> 
> I'd love to hear from some people who have done something like this, who
> want to do something like this, or gosh, anyone who who simply has an
> opinion about this. :)
> 
> Wendy Wagner
> Pace University
> tutorial@pacevm.dac.pace.eduWendy:  
I think I've mentioned this idea before, but I'll run it by again. 
Writer's block concerns all students, so I usually tackle it early by 
having students read Gail Godwin's "Watcher at the Gates."  We have a 
general discussion about the issues she raises and then students go off 
to create portfolios which depict their own watchers.  On the outside, 
they draw or paste pictures of everything that keeps them from writing.  
On the inside, the draw or paste pictures of those things that stimulates 
them to write.  When they meet again for the next class, we do a "round 
robin" portfolio collaboration.  Students, each in their small writing 
groups, pass their portfolios around.  As students get each 
other's portfolios, they write down (laundry list style) observations 
about that portfolio--what they see is the student's block or key to 
unlocking the block.  After about 3 minutes, portfolios are passed on to 
the next people for comments.  Comments are kept on separate sheets with 
the portfolio owners name on the sheet.  At the end of the session, the 
portfolio owner collects the sheets with comments from everyone in the 
group.  Students like doing this task because sometimes they discover 
things about themselves that the pictures reveal and that they didn't see 
themselves.  At this point, I send students off with a formal writing 
instruction geared to writing about their watchers.  I've used this 
technique--or some approximation of it--in lower division classes, as 
well as graduate classes intended for credential students.  When I ask 
students to comment on their experiences with the course, although 
initially many think the activities are childish, ultimately I always get 
positive feedback about this activity.
-- 
Ilene Rubenstein, Learning Resource Center        
Writing Programs Coordinator 
irubenstein@csun.edu
http://WWW.CSUN.Edu:80/~hflrc006/ep1.html