Re: No, Yes, and But for Formulaic Writing

[z_robertsomt@TITAN.SFASU.EDU]

A lot of this discussion seems to be really aimed (intended?) for those of
us who teach composition, as oppossed to tutoring ina WC. I guess my
concern (one at least) lies with the area of consequences. What are the
consequences of teaching/tutoring a 5p methodology? What are the
consequences of not using this method? How much control (the whole
ownership of a paper issue) does the STUDENT have in such a situation?

As a graduate assistant in our WC I must confess I saw more people tied
down to a "formula" that hindered their ability to just communicate an
idea. I saw students who could very intelligently discuss their paper, yet
experienced writer's block when trying to put their square peg
thoughts/theme/ thesis in the round hole formula. The overwhelming
majority of the time it was the instructor who gave them a skeletal
handout showing exactly where the elements of a "real" paper belonged.
Lost in this miasma is the two most important elements of a tutoring
session, audience & purpose.

I agree that much writing in the "real" world is formulaic, but typically
those forms have a discernable purpose. In the 5p essay it's usually only
the form that has purpose not the actual ideas or even content. Perhaps
this is why so many students struggle/rebel with and against the 5p form.
Students usually have a pretty good horse manure detector and have already
had at least twelve years of the "busy work" mentality that leaves them
afraid to write for fear of not being "good" enough writers. I can't tell
you how many times I've heard a student begin a tutoring session with "I
can't write" and it breaks my heart every time. Is the formula more
important than the content or context of a student's work.

Perhaps a whole lot of this can be avoided by giving students the
opportunity to write about topics meaningful to them and of their own
choosing, instead of "assigning" a topic and a formula to go along with it
(creating an "ideal text" in the mind of the grader) as the 5p usually
only applies to freshman comp classes--not many jr or sr level classes
want the 5p stuff so isn't it kind of misleading to give that as a model
for student writing? I think much of the problem stems from treating comp
classes as intro to literature classes instead of focusing on writing as
recursive act that is suppossed to DO something rather than be an end to
itself.

I think there might be some deeper issues with a student who feels the
need for the 5p essay in every assignment. I think it misleads the basic
writer and allows the other writers to atrophy as a result of not being
challenged to extend an idea beyond three or four sentences. In the rarest
of occassions it might be used to help get a student started, but probably
only as a last resort and never on an entire class or in writing center
pedagogy.

That's my rant for the evening, I have to be in class tomorrow morning
trying not to be too visibly depressed that I squandered my meager break
writing my thesis proposal.  ;)




Micah Robertson
Stephen F. Austin State University
z_robertsomt@titan.sfasu.edu