Northcentral University

John Mitchell, PhD Part-Time Faculty, Department of Psychology When reviewing a student's work, one of the more challeng- ing tasks I encounter is how to help improve a student's writing. It would be easy to get overly technical (and overly critical) with suggestions that focus on grammar, spelling and other aspects of the "architecture of writing." While those aspects are certainly important, one approach I find helpful is to take a broader lens to the student's writing and to always try and link their ideas to the real world. With regard to a broader lens, I sometimes take the position of "the reader," instead of the instructor evaluating the student's writing. I want the student to write for any reader and not just fit their writing to my style as their instructor. I think it helps students to consider conveying their ideas for any reader who could learn from their work and try to simplify their writing, avoiding overly technical language or jargon. This could be as simple as "John, when you quote the technical results from the journal article, the reader is likely still wondering what it all means. Try to paraphrase the results in your own language, sharing the most important points from the results. Perhaps think of yourself as the 'interpreter' of the study for the reader." I also like students to imagine they're having a conversation with the reader through their writing. In this way, I again hope they try to avoid technical jargon and confusing language. With regard to linking ideas to the real world, this is my bias. I have always been a practitioner throughout my career, and have approached teaching with this same identity. Research and information, for me, should link to applications. Some ways to help students see this include encouraging them to imagine how their proposed ideas and interventions might be met in the real world, having them identify what obstacles or barriers might impact their ideas, and having them identify what resources might be necessary to bring their ideas to life (i.e., money, staffing, training). Such approaches also help me as an instructor. I find myself floundering when I feel like I am being an editor. However, when I can focus on a student's ideas, thoughts, or questions, then it can feel conversational for me, and the instruction becomes an exchange of ideas, an interaction of questions, and a sharing of the learning process. I really appreciate the ideas shared by John and Jesse. I think of John's approach as taking a step back to consider the bigger picture when evaluating student work. Of course, it is important for students to have good writing skills and appropriate feedback about writing. But the focus should always be on the bigger picture. Why do we ask students to submit work each week? It is not to give them an opportunity to work on their writing (although that is a byproduct). Rather, it is to give them an opportunity to portray what they have learned about the course material. I think John's approach is effective and encourages Faculty to consider the bigger picture when providing feedback to students. I also think this is related to Jesse's ideas about self-care. When we ask ourselves why we choose to teach, my guess is that very few of us say because we want to teach our students to become good writers. Of course, that is part of our job and an area that should not be neglected. However, what we love most is teaching the course material and instilling a passion for the field in which our students are studying. Therefore, taking a step back and focusing on the bigger picture when teaching could be viewed as an act of self-care, since we are likely to enjoy teaching much more when we do so. Mindi Mull, PhD Associate Director of Faculty Support and Development, SSBS Do you have an approach, strategy, or suggestion you think others would find useful or interesting? Please share! You can send your ideas to me (mmull@ncu.edu) and I would be happy to include them in an upcoming faculty newsletter. Thanks!

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