Writer who teaches

A part-time writing teacher reflects on the challenges

I've launched the fall version of my Feisty Freelancer Freelance Writing Intensive course, and as I work to get the course in front of the people who could use it (feel free to help: https://feistyfreelancer.com/course/intro-freelance/) I am prompted to think about things I've learned about teaching writing through my 15+ years as a part-time instructor at colleges and universities.

For the last six years, I've taught in a Professional Writing and Communications graduate certificate that I helped to develop at Humber College here in Toronto. Before that, I taught the required Workplace Writing courses to Humber students in other majors (who were slightly less enthusiastic about writing to put it mildly). I also taught similar introductory writing courses based on poetry and drama and short fiction at the University of Ottawa where I did my PhD. And gloriously, taught a course a couple of times at York University on the History of Publishing in Canada, which related directly to my dissertation on early Canadian magazine history.

So, I've had some time to think about teaching. Here are some of the thoughts:

Teaching requires a different articulation than doing

I have to admit that it was not until I taught grammar that I was forced to up my game and stop saying things like "it doesn't sound right". Same thing with structuring articles and every other forms. What elements exactly does the writer need to include in the nut or theme graf that helps prepare the reader with the information they need to digest the rest of the story? Why does some prose hum along while other pieces get clunky? (it's the adverbs, you fool!) On the total upside, this exercise makes you clarify for yourself why things work, and the practice of finding illustrative examples gives you even more models to emulate in your own writing.

Teaching is its own skill

When I started to teach, I took a couple of non-credit courses offered to grad students by my university’s Centre for Teaching and Learning, first a classroom covering learning styles and lesson plans and then a teaching mentorship where I was able to observe a senior faculty member (and he reciprocated, scary). I found the theoretical elements of teaching were especially helpful, and also learned several classroom-management tips that I use to this day. You might not need a whole course, but if you can find a workshop on teaching or read a book on pedagogy, you’ll definitely get ideas. Or even observe the next time you see a good teacher in action what makes them good. I also took a course a few years ago on how to teach online, which I equally recommend and has come in especially handy for virtual teaching during the pandemic.

Adult learners want to see the practical side

Perhaps because I am also interested in the practical side, I've always tried to make my assignments really practical so a student is never wondering why they're working on something. I once dropped a course mid-registration when I saw that the first assignment was to write an essay on copyediting. My graduate writing students are especially keen on practicality as they are taking the program after finishing a bachelor's degree and realizing that they need some concrete skills to make the transition from academia. I even offer a perfect mark to students who pitch an article they developed in class (a great idea borrowed from a fellow prof).

Any thoughts on teaching writing that you've experienced as a teacher as a student?