The Last Post

Each time I take a course towards the TCR PhD, I experience a paradigm shift in thinking and am inspired to learn more about the subject, and the too-soon ending ENGL 5060 is no exception.  Not having experience as a composition teacher, I came into the class with a preconceived prejudice against English instruction that quickly evaporated.  In its place, I found a deep desire to contribute to the solving of the English-instruction-is-in-a-rut problem that we discussed in our final wiki exam. The collaborative nature of our classroom allowed us to practice the theory that we learned. And the sharing of experiences from those of us who were practicing composition teachers enriched everyone.

Of most profound impact on me was Horner’s exploration of the roots of modern writing instruction, Parker’s iconic analysis of where English departments come from, and Brereton’s Shaugnessy-dedicated history of the origins of composition studies in the American college. In hindsight, I think it would have helped me to have had the knowledge from these important thinkers as I suffered through the current traditional (formalist) instruction popular in Canadian high schools in the late 1970’s as my children suffered a few years ago. I feel like we’ve been frozen in time ever since the decisions of the Committee of Ten in 1892 enshrined English instruction in stone, as it were.  The maverick research from Shaughnessy and the Khunian revolution prophesied by Hairston have yet to be adapted decades after they were proposed.  If the development of computer technology had proceeded at this pace we would still be using manual typewriters.

While I don’t think there is anything wrong with enforcing good grammar, teaching literary criticism, or even the introduction of journalistic style (as I’ve observed recently in my children’s English education), I do think we should also support the study of argumentation, forensics, and rhetoric. In this way, we bring up a well-rounded student who can communicate his ideas clearly and effectively.