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My Teaching Logs - Stephanie Flood (Aug 31, 2015 8:42 PM)

Last Edited By Stephanie Flood on Sep 14, 2015 6:11 PM
Day 1

First class. I was nervous. I arrived 10 minutes early. I sat in the second table to the front. Had a large coffee, Mr. Martin's Syllabus, a
big fat black notebook, and the red summer/fall residency & semester handbook with me. Mr. Martin came in, and found me, because I
might have been hiding, and asked me to write my contact information and office hours on the board. The first marker I picked up, was
green, and it didn't work. The second marker was red, and it did work.
Class began. For a little while, I forgot I was a TA. Then Mr. Martin asked me to introduce myself, and so I did. I told everyone my
education background, that I'd been published in literary magazines, and I'm an editorial assistant at The Review Review, so my
specification is the literary arts, but as I'll be teaching assisting in this class, I will be facilitating discussions on Canvas, involved with
grading and providing feedback on assignments, I might teach some of the classes, and for the most part, I'm really here for questions, as
my office hours are on the board. I felt like an officer, sitting very rigid in my seat, but I hopefully I seemed more friendly than I felt at the
time.
Mr. Martin gave an "ice breaker" activity that I thought was unusual. Each student was given Student Interview Questions that asked a
series of 10 very good, lively questions, that sounded genuinely relevant. Where were you born? Places you have lived? Do you have
children? What do you do for a living? What is your dream job? What degree are you seeking? What are you passionate about? What do
you find easy/difficult about writing? Describe your previous experiences in English classes. What are qualities of good students? Name a
favorite author from last year. Everyone was given 25 minutes to interview a partner, and write down their answers. Then, each pair stood
up and introduced the other student, and this is where I began to write notes, because I felt like it'd be good to know.
I wrote notes on each student's discipline. 26 students. And, each student is striving for a different discipline. Psychology, fashion
design, law, criminal justice, secondary education, athletic trainer, sound engineering, hair salon, medical field, business
entrepreneurship, criminology. What are their hobbies? Lots of students were interested in sports, surprisingly enough--at least it was
surprising to me, I dunno. They're interested in music, animals, friends, family, roller derby, motorcycles, helping people, MCing,
photography, the SWAT team.
After I'd taken those notes, I suddenly realized that one thing I wasn't paying attention to was their names. I really felt awful for not
trying to even attempt to learn everyone's names, and I could have done that, by writing down their disciplines and their names together.
But that moment passed. Time passed.
Mr. Martin showed his syllabus on a projector screen and really clearly laid down the structure of the class. He diligently went through
the course goals, outcomes, assessments, an organized outline of content that will be covered in the semester, texts--there is none
needed!, philosophy about teaching--which was very thorough and focused on helping students develop their writing skills with practice,
and the use of his five different instructional methods. There's student conduct and the three R's: Be Responsible, Respectful, and
Reliable. Attendance policies, writing assignments, grading, course evaluation, and the semester calendar. Pay attention to all that's in
bold, he said, because those are deadlines and important information. Also, on the back on the syllabus packet is a description of how to
turn in a writing assignment that correlates to MLA formatting guidelines.
At the end of the class, I got lost trying to find his office again. It looks like I'd passed his office several times without realizing that it
was his office. Went I finally met him inside, I told him that I was really excited to observe all of the classes, and already, I saw that it's
very interactive. I asked him lots of questions on writing assignments. Will they all be on Canvas? Will we team-work grade and provide
feedback? Will the grades be posted right after the assignment is due, and shown individually, or will they all be with held until a certain
day? What kind of feedback would you like me to give the students for this coming Wednesday's in-class writing assignment, that they'll
do after the syllabus quiz? And, I commented on all the disciplines the students are a part of, and he recognized the challenge in that.
Finally, since I didn't want to take up too much of his time, I told him that I'll make sure to be 10 minutes early to every class on a regular
basis, just in case he'll need to cover anything with me before the class starts.
When I got home, I dived back into Jung's book. Mr. Martin sent me a copy of my signed contract, and his resume. When I reviewed
that, I was really impressed. He's got over a decade of teaching positions at several colleges, with multitudes upon multitudes of English

writing courses that he's taught, along with presentations, getting published, and leading workshops. I sent him an email, thinking him for
sending me the papers, and suddenly felt like this semester of teaching assisting with him would really be a good one. But, I also felt like a
beginner, an amateur who hasn't even taught a full class on her own. Still, I was hopeful for what I could do for this class, what I could do
for students with so many disciplines, in this English 101 course.
Upon reflection, I felt like Mr. Martin's teaching approach was newer that what I've seen at a community college. I see that Mr. Martin
has a core strength on having a passion for the writing craft. He's super relaxed in front of class, and can make jokes, and talk about where
he's from, Hershey, Pennsylvania, his little 8-month baby, and really share who he is as a person, not the writer that I know he is, since I
looked over one of the chapbooks he'd published earlier. This kind of identity is what I didn't show when I introduced myself, and maybe
the next time I have a chance to, I can talk about myself as a person to students and the class as a whole. That, I am a movie-going addict.
I have a cat. I like hanging out at bookstores and cafes for hours. I want to travel the world. But, I just don't think I would sound very
interesting at all, and I fear if I shed personal info like this, students will never want to ask me writing advice.
All in all, not a bad first day! I look forward to the day when I can be comfortable enough to be myself with students, and show the
brighter colors of my personality, as well as teach inclusively.

Re: The First Class - Tammy Lechner (Sep 6, 2015 6:04 PM)
Hi Stephanie I read through your teaching log post on my iphone the other day, but couldn't really respond very well with that device.
So, I'm back to say that I applaud you for writing down so much of what you thought and felt on this first day (vis-a-vis what was
happening in the classroom). Ultimately it is how "what was happening in the classroom" left you thinking and feeling that you want to
capture in your log notes. What worked what didn't, and why you suppose? These experiences, however fresh and poignant they seem
to us now, will fade from our memory if we do not make a habit of keeping a log. The log does not require lengthy entries, but rather
entries noting situations of significance in our classroom experiences (or even our "institutional" experiences.)
Writing down so much of what you were brought to consider on your first day is going to remain an interesting "post" in the long road
ahead and one you will look back on soon and say, "Wow, look at all I've transcended!"
It is very typical for us to enter the "TA" position with the posture of "student" and beyond this a student of the discipline at hand
(freshman English, or beginning CW, etc) than as a student of "the pedagogy of creative writing." We all have to make that switch and it
does come quickly. Sounds like you might've made the switch during the course of this first class meeting. "Wait a minute I'm
supposed to be observing this class as a teacher, not as a student." (The truth is though we forever remain students of the disciplines we
teach how can we not?)
Sounds like your Mr. Martin is a very good teacher!
How long is the class meeting? I ask because it sounds like he was able to cover a remarkable amount of material in one class meeting!

Re: My Teaching Logs - Stephanie Flood (Sep 14, 2015 6:10 PM)
Last Edited By Stephanie Flood on Sep 14, 2015 6:12 PM

Day 4
I watched Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech in class last week, and today, we focused on four main persuasive
rhetorical techniques found in the essay: 1. Allusion 2. Repetition 3. Metaphor 4. Simile, then went on to read the speech, and group up
phrases, into one of the categories. This was an in-class exercise, and in it, I also got to express to the class how thorough this speech is,
from a writer's stand point.
To date, I was able to post two online discussions about persuasive writing rhetoric. One discussion, was an article I found from
Noodle.com, and I asked questions about the techniques they saw in the article, and I also asked them if they've been using any of these
techniques unknowingly in their first writing assignment, about an inspirational quote, and if they see themselves using these in the
future, if they revised the assignment. The other discussion, is an open question about what kind of persuasive writing has everyone
been writing recently, and its purpose.
I talked to Mr. Jeremy Martin after class, and he told me about what to prepare for on Wednesday. I will have had to thoroughly read
and studied, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," so I can add to the discussion for that day. I told him brightly,

that I would, and shall be prepared for it. After that, I mentioned what I've been reading in Bean's "Engaging Ideas" book, and that I
wanted to add in an in-class Critical Thinking activity, that will somehow mesh into one of the next three classes, that will be focused on
Ethos, Pathos & Logos.
I walked away, feeling good, class done, ideas floating around endlessly in my head like always. I realized, the best part of class today
was seeing how critical and technical Mr. Martin was with the rhetorical techniques in the "I Have a Dream" speech. I hadn't realized,
how genuinely balanced, thorough, and ingenious that speech was until now. When you make an exercise that extracts the phrases and
places it into technique categories. Now that's precise. Plus, the students in this class are sharp, and getting more perceptive every class.
That is so awesome to see.

Re: My Teaching Logs - Tammy Lechner (Sep 18, 2015 8:20 PM)
When you do the "Letter from the Birmingham Jail" be sure to notice and mention King's use of the semi-colon to build a powerful,
rolling wave of emotion (pathos!) Here's a great example as to why and how punctuation (or the mechanics of rhetorical composition)
exist. They can serve the message and ultimately they serve the reader/audience.

Re: My Teaching Logs - Carrie Kellerby (Sep 22, 2015 9:02 PM)
Yes! I love that semi-colon. (I almost did my senior seminar on it).
and Stephanie, this class sounds like such a great opportunity to learn and apply. Kudos for suggesting the student-centered
learning activity.

Re: My Teaching Logs - Stephanie Flood (Oct 4, 2015 8:02 PM)

WEEK 6
We'd spent a full week in one-on-one student conferences last week, and it was incredibly daunting. There was so much to comment
on. Before this, I spent an entire weekend thoroughly reviewing each 3-4 page paper, commenting on a rhetorical analysis paper, for
each student. The comments basically involved This General List of Revision Requests
Grammar & Punctuation
Needs to only use historical context if it actually links to a rhetorical technique
Thesis sentence needs to be clearly said in Introduction
Thesis statement needs to be concise
Make clear topic sentences for the body of the paper
Back up each topic sentence with hierarchical evidence to support it
Make a full conclusion by drawing in the intro thesis statement, topic sentences, and summary
What really helped was offering a summary note to each paper. This, I read out loud, when I finally met with the student. This
summary note was a sandwich of good, suggestions, and good. This also triggered my memory of the paper, and its overall personality,
its craft strengths, its structural flaws. I could often remember, right away, the Hidden Wonder, which is a unique angle that no one else
thought of, or attempted.
Hidden Wonders List
Recognizing a Counter-Argument
Deliberately Adding Creative Wording To Text
Bringing in The Knowledge of Peaceful Political Moves in History

Writing the Paper Consistently in 3rd Person & Past Tense

In the conferences, sometimes I'd go on a tangent, but the students don't mind. One time, I had to pretend I wasn't worried about the
puddle of coffee I accidentally made on the burner of the coffee maker, but I was. One time, a student blurted out that I'm more
approachable than Mr. Martin, when he was right behind her, and I thought that was amusing, because I'm definitely not more
approachable than Mr. Martin. During the conferences, I found these little things about students, like their quirks, and their history, so
fascinating. One student had a father who's written published books on the universe and the galaxy, he's a PhD and a psychologist. I
asked this student what he was studying, and he said, environmental sciences. Later, I wrote on his paper an added comment. That I
had a friend who studied astronomy all throughout graduate school, and later became a freelance writer for Science Magazine. I
thought, might as well try to inspire, in my own little ways! Overall, I learned so much from this overall experience.

Re: My Teaching Logs - Kirsten Flournoy (Oct 14, 2015 11:54 AM)
Oh, I like the Hidden Wonder concept! Is that something Mr. Martin provided to you or is that your own?

Re: My Teaching Logs - Stephanie Flood (Oct 20, 2015 7:23 PM)
Thanks Kirstin, I thought of it myself! The "hidden wonder" helps me see just one element that the student writer could build on, as
it always seems like there's one big jewel, that glimmers brightest in the first drafts.

Re: My Teaching Logs - Tammy Lechner (Oct 17, 2015 4:50 PM)
Does an academic research paper have to be written consistently in third person and past tense? Personally I don't think so but I'd
love to hear what you think?
Interesting too that historical context is only necessary when linked to a rhetorical technique. It seems to me that historical context
might add to the overall understanding of the rhetorical "situation" being appealed (by the techniques.)
It's interesting to me how we view and teach "rhetoric" both the form and the content (approach and strategy)
You're having a large and meaningful experience in your TA on-site placement. Awesome!

Re: My Teaching Logs - Stephanie Flood (Oct 20, 2015 7:35 PM)
Last Edited By Stephanie Flood on Oct 20, 2015 7:37 PM

Good question Tammy. Let me reflect on this, since I just graded 26 essay papers and my brain is sharp as an arrow right now.
I I think it all depends on how the "I" is being used in the academic research paper. I guess first person can only fly with me in my
opinion, is when the prominent research, sources, and examples in the paper, really proliferate around the "I." First person is
successful where the research is still balancing out the perspective, and the "I" is subjective for narrative purposes. Sometimes,
when I see the first person used in an academic paper, I see how it lures the student writer into viewing themselves or their
opinions too much.
My tactic, when trying to speed grade at least, has been to slice out that first person at times, which can often times enhance the
details really well. Third person can often balance out the papers that I've been looking at because sometimes by just switching the
perspective to third person, the paper can also be more objective, allotting the writer a proper distance with the technical material
they're working with. A very thought-provoking question. Because, I can now see why I was asking some students, but not all of
them, to switch perspective. A view I didn't have before.

Re: My Teaching Logs - Carrie Kellerby (Oct 17, 2015 10:23 PM)
Stephanie,
I like the "hidden Wonders list" too. It makes me think of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. I just finished doing one on one conferences
with the senior seminar writers and have started on the daunting task of meeting with my fresh people. I like that you had a delicious
note sandwich at hand (even if the smell of burning coffee pervaded the room).

Re: My Teaching Logs - Stephanie Flood (Oct 20, 2015 8:13 PM)
Oct. 19th 2015 / In My Big, Black Notebook I Bring With Me At All Times
The class starts with Video Previewing Questions. The teacher has them displayed on the projector screen. There are clips ready to be
shown on the projector screen after that. Starting off with the "By Any Means Necessary" section of Video #2, called Consuming Kids. A
video we were assigned to watch before the class today.
Again, the teacher begins with an overview of the questions. He talks about answering the questions. Everyone gets a hard copy of the
questions and each must write their own response to each question.
The class is quite on a Monday morning. Sleepy, thinking, and writing.
My long-hand answers:
1. Little Mermaid, Barbies, American Girl Dolls, Osh Kosh B'Gosh
2. It is a problem if it isn't balanced when the corporations aren't given mandates to
regulate the way they gather information on children.
3. Protect our kids from advertising by informing them and encouraging them to
pursue art and educational interests. Materialism can change with more interest. Like
watching Bill Nye the Science Guy and Carl Sagan.
The students respond, telling the class about their childhood and what they remember. Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
and the students chuckle. Super heroes, Batman, Superman, and it's all common ground. Fisher Price, a company that's still here today.
"Beanie Babies were huge for a while," one student says.
Students are all happy to respond to the first question. Choose Your Own Adventure. The Box Car Children. All stuff I grew up on
too. Everyone becomes really open, laughing, and Mr. Martin jokes too.
Now he dives into Consuming Kids. And, flip the sheet over everyone.
The other side of the sheet has Visual Argument Questions. This side is introduced with Mr. Martin saying, "All documentaries are
visual arguments." And, talks about the clip we're about to see.
"Watch what makes them tick," he says. "We will be watching to find the main argument, what evidence is being used, the three
appeals, and overall, the film maker's effectiveness in the argument."
This side of the sheet switches the answers into a Meta lens. This is perfect, because the documentary is obviously bias. These questions
are the very basic writing elements that the students needed to develop in regard to their first big, rhetorical paper analysis they wrote
earlier too. I see exactly what Mr. Martin's getting them to do.
The idea clip plays, and everyone pays attention.
I mean, really pays attention.
MULTIMODAL NOTES For The Development of My Critical Paper
I watch the students really focus on the video clip. The material playing before everyone is current, and provides a critical window into
the world's advertising techniques on children, which is something we're all pulled into.

The video gives fast messages and content straight to the students, and enables gut responses with the students. Each student was
assigned a video discussion response that they posted online, due before class, so each student was already cognitively prepared to
answer Mr. Martin's analytical questions. Both, in content, and in rhetoric perspectives.
I must add, that the projector screen and the use of video is really prevalent in this class. I notice an atmosphere of comfortability when
the technology is being used. There is a direct compatibility with the technology, from the source straight to the receiving eyes and
inquisitive minds.
In this time this ENG101 class has been undergoing a phase of documentary watching assignments. The first documentary assigned was
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, directed by Morgan Spurlock. The next one was Consuming Kids, all about how old, adult, ingenious
marketers are manipulating children to buy when they're young. And the next one is Bowling for Columbine, a documentary that I'm
sure will also make good critical responses.
I asked Mr. Martin earlier why he's using advertising as a main subject in his ENG101 class. This question was asked because I've been
more familiar with reading classic literature in my earlier English classes. His response was something to the affect that this advertising
material provides critical thinking subjects for the students, and sharpens their basic persuasiveness, which is the strongest component
of early writing.
Video is often used in this class because it sustains a students' attention span very well. Through my observations with the use of media
in this ENG101 course, I noticed that also with proper video selection, you can change the tone of the material right away, right in the
very classroom. The tone of learning basically can change from funny, to amusing, to controversial, and this change can really help a
student keep alive and alert in the mornings.
Lastly, Mr. Martin will still write on the dry erase board too. So combined, that's the projector screen, video clips, printed out
worksheets, and dry erase boards that students use in this class.
All alternating depending on how the discussions and teacher's lectures are set-up.

Re: My Teaching Logs - Tammy Lechner (Oct 25, 2015 2:58 PM)

This is an interesting look at how lesson plans can utilize multimodal forms and presentations. Video may
be attention-grabbing with today's students because they've grown up with itit's a very familiar medium.
I would guess that they've spent many more hours watching video (of some sort) than they have reading
(on any platformprint or electronic).
I agree with Mr. Martin that rhetorical skills can be developed by focusing on something other than
literature (or writing), even though writing is the form of transfer. For this reason (writing as the form of
transfer) I do think there needs to be some modeling of rhetorical strategy in the written form. But overall I
totally agree that it's useful and productive to change up the way we present learning opportunities, both
in terms of form and presentation.
Students get bored when their classes become too predictable. On the one hand they like an agenda that
has consistent workload and expectation from week-to-week, but on the other hand they enjoy (and will
often respond well) surprises here and there.

WEEK 11: "Triggered" - Stephanie Flood (Nov 9, 2015 9:12 AM)

Last Edited By Stephanie Flood on Nov 11, 2015 11:49 AM

Complete Teacher's Log

Maybe a part of my brain knew that the progression was pulling up emotions in me. Feelings I was unwilling to want to feel again. The
progression of media started making me feel pessimistic about people. I was beginning to see the dark side of media. Biases. Images,
flashing together in rhythmic sequences, squashed like condensed nightmares strung together in a chain, leading to class discussions. I
didn't fully know it, but I feel like I was experiencing something like a Descent into Darkness, with the chain of media behaving like a
commanding officer to my attention. Then, this morning, I watched Tough Guise 2, which as about male violence. The documentary
writer made the effort to show that the cause of it could be media. I could tell this was bias. This morning, I also felt as if I didn't want to
see this at all either, nor did I want to participate in the class about this. I felt like this wasn't covering the full story of violence in society
too, which also made me feel uncomfortable, pulling up the reasons for why I felt this way.
It made me initially uncomfortable because the male violence I'd experienced in my own life had nothing to do with media. It had
everything to do with socio-economic variables, and post-trauma, concerning the two strongest males I'd known in my life, who had
broken my world into a prism of colors, many colors, blinding.
I went to class this morning feeling uneasy. Mr. Martin asked students to talk about males in society, and then asked students to name
the derogatory names that males are called, if they don't act male enough. He wrote a list of words on the dry erase board. Strangely
enough, it made me feel dizzy looking at them, as I sat quietly uncomfortable in the back of the class. The words being fag, pussy, bitch,
pansy, twinkle toes, gay, queer, mama's boy.
I squinted, and squirmed, and kept staring down at my notepad, refusing to look at Mr. Martin. Then he called on me, to say a word
that men are made to look like in society, and I said, "strong," because that's what my adopted brother and my adoptive dad were like,
strong. So strong, that they broke our family a part when I was growing up, as well as my dreams of ever having a home. The rest of the
class dragged on, and I felt unwilling, like I was being forced to see something I didn't want to see. Forced to feel things that I didn't
ever want to feel again.
After all the students answered all of Mr. Martin's discussion questions, they began to organize in groups. I left the class, not wanting to
hear any more. Outside, I started walking through the hallways. I found myself sitting in front of a large window in the hallway of the
community college, stifled at what was happening to me.
It was sitting in front of Flagstaff's ponderosas, when I realized, I was processing trauma.
Trauma on a subject of violence, that evidently touched something very fragile in me. But, why? And why, at this time, was I thinking
about my brother? I could see him so clearly in my mind, looking so wrecked and defeated, failing me all over again. I saw the names
listed on the white board, and they echoed, as the names some males called my brother back in high school, back in the day, and it hurt
him so much, I knew. Then, I couldn't stop thinking about how he was bullied then, only by males, and then, how he bullied my family,
how my father bullied him, and how it broke my heart in the end, and forced me to be the woman I've become now, in the present. How
odd, this was all surfacing. And, why are tears running down my face? Why do I hate that this violence is in the media, and has the
ability to recreate our wounds, and why do I hate that this found a way to be vengeful to me in this very ENG101 class? Why was that
documentary and that discussion, and possibly the ones before this, all making me feel so defensive?
I thought, It started out as propaganda, then to child marketing, then to women being demoralized in society, then to school shootings,
and then to male violence. I hadn't known these videos would keep getting worse, heading into a place that I'd left behind when I was
younger, not ever wanting to go back to, ever. But there it was. The reality of male violence, a reality that had taken so much from me as
a child. And then I'm remembering it, because it seems, it happened. I'd been "triggered." That was the word everyone was talking
about at that 10-day-residency.
"Trigger warnings." That was the phrase. And, that's why those are there, to warn of possible emotional/psychological triggers that can
happen to people in class, if they'd been traumatized.
I sniffled, knowing that the class was almost done. I also needed to embrace what was happening to me. So, I had to understand all that
was coming up, and I had to re-process it. So, I thought about what I've been doing these days, to make me happy. I gazed at the trees,
and I actually had to visualize all those things that made me happy, to bring myself back. Back to where I am now, as I knew, I had to let
this feeling dissolve, rather than ruin me.
And when class was ended, I thought it would be good to tell the teacher about my being triggered too.
Mr. Martin and I met later after I left the the college, grabbed a burger, and got some air. In a meeting, I told him about what I've been
experiencing with the documentaries we were being made to watch. I told him that I hadn't watched any of them before, so I didn't
know how they'd affect me. Sure enough, because of the violence in them, it was making it difficult for me to assist in the classroom
with lessons, because the material was uncomfortable to watch. Also, it was making me uncomfortable to be a part of the class
discussions, because they were focused on the subjects of the documentary. Lessons never eased up with traditional ENG101

composition topics, or balanced, with good media.

I talked about the PMFA program after that. I showed Mr. Martin the books from our class, because at that point, I had tears rolling
down my face. I struggled to keep focused, and push myself out of the emotions that were triggered earlier, so I started talking about
Paulo Friere's book, and John C. Bean, and Julie Jung, all important to me. I told him how I really wanted find a way to integrate my
studies with this assistantship, and figure out how to bring us all to a balanced level, but I might have been babbling. I'd like to still
assist him in the class. How? I don't know, but maybe after a few days of healing from this trigger, we can meet on Thursday, and revive
my position. I didn't want to give up, just because the documentaries were making me cry. Mr. Martin wanted us to keep moving along
too.
In the end, we agreed that I'd email him my reading annotations in the PMFA program, to give him a glimpse of what I'd been studying,
so he might know a little more about my TA interests. Next, we will meet this Thursday, to talk about how I can teach assist for the last
10 classes of Mr. Martin's ENG101 course.
And, finally, I had to relax for the rest of the day. The upside, is that I felt like after that trigger, I let life in a little more. I let air into a
place that I might have closed off, for quite some time. Plus, I got to talk about it a little, and still keep myself focused on a good goal,
which is to somehow keep Mr. Martin and mine's shared learning cycling, in this TA experience and supervisor experience. As I end this
teacher's log, with a little more light than I started with.

Earlier notes from the morning before going to class:

I'm cutting-and-pasting this to show the progression of the video (only materials that Mr. Martin requires students to
read/watch). Then they have to write responses, and talk about the discussions in the morning class. I added the grading detail
myself to at least give them a rubric to help with their academic writing.
But for now, I'm at a loss of what to teach with this type of material and questions.

Canvas Video Response #5: Tough Guise 2

After you watch Tough Guise 2, write a three-paragraph response to ONE of the eight questions below. Make sure to begin
with your thesis, which will be your first answer to the question, and then support that thesis with examples from the film,
along with explanations to connect those examples to your thesis. Feel free to use your own experiences and knowledge as
evidence as well. I will grade your responses based on your ability to write according to the above instructions, as well as
your ability to write clear, concise, and correct sentences. (Grading details below.)
I will also use your answers to spark class discussions, so keep in mind that we are your audience for these responses. Here
are your writing prompts:
1. What are some benefits to boys and men of putting on the tough guise? When is it an effective and adaptive
response, and when is it self-destructive and dangerous to others?
2. What are some of the potential effects on boys and men of trying to live up to our cultures ideal of physical
size and strength? Emotional effects? Health effects? What is the relationship between cultural ideals of
male strength and steroid abuse?
3. How much of what it means to be male to seem male do you feel is learned? How much do you feel is
natural? And where are the primary places boys learn how to be in the world?
4. What sort of pressures do boys, in particular, face during their middle and high school experience? How
do these differ from the pressures girls face? How are they similar? Can these pressures lead to violence? Why
does it seem to happen in some cases, and not in others?
5. Do media images cause violence? When is the cause direct, as in imitative acts of violence? How might
the influence of media be felt in more subtle ways?
6. What are some of the emotional and psychological reasons why boys and men are so much more likely
than girls and women to act out violently?
7. What are some examples of alternative masculinity prominent now in American pop culture? How are these

images different from those of traditional masculinity?

8. If you were in charge, what would you do to reduce male violence in schools?
*Grading Details: Please carefully review the Video Rubric which will be used to grade your writing. This rubric is based
on the basic writing components we had discussed earlier in student conferences. It is designed to assist in the
critical, academic writing skills that will be needed for upcoming writing papers and assignments.

Canvas Video Response #4: Bowling for Columbine

After you watch Bowling for Columbine, write a three-paragraph response to ONE of the seven questions below. Make sure
to begin with your thesis, which will be your first answer to the question, and then support that thesis with examples from
the film, along with explanations to connect those examples to your thesis. Feel free to use your own experiences and
knowledge as evidence as well. I will grade your responses based on your ability to write according to the above instructions,
as well as your ability to write clear, concise, and correct sentences. (Grading details below.)
I will also use your answers to spark class discussions, so keep in mind that we are your audience for these responses. Here
are your writing prompts:
1. Michael Moore asks the Lockheed manager if kids think, Dad goes off to the factory every day and builds missiles. These
are weapons of mass destruction. Whats the difference between that mass destruction and the mass destruction over at
Columbine High School? The Lockheed manager suggests that there is not a connection. Do you think there is a
connection? Why or why not?
2. Is it your responsibility as an American to support gun rights, or have modern weaponry and living conditions made the
Second Amendment obsolete? As you compose your response, consider these questions:
What was the population of the United States when the Second Amendment was drafted, and how did most
Americans live?
What personal and social dangers did people face then compared to now?
Do you think the language of the Second Amendment refers to the individual right to possess guns, the collective
right of the people, or both?
3. An underlying theme in the film is the issue of white racism and how this racism has spawned fear. Using specific
examples from the film as well as other evidence, agree or disagree with the concept that racism in our country leads to fear.
4. In our democratic society, what is the medias responsibility to the American public? Be specific and detailed in your
response.
5. Moore uses various editing styles throughout the film--dramatic, humorous, shocking, satirical, among others--to convey
his messages. Describe and explain one or two of them. What point is the filmmaker trying to make with these different
approaches? Do you think these styles are effective? Why or why not?
6. How does Moore use the soundtrack to convey his messages? What song would you select to convey the overall feel of this
film? Why would you pick that song? Provide evidence from the film to support your selection.
7. Write a response to anything in the film that provoked an emotional response from you, or challenged your way of
thinking about school shootings, gun violence, or how fear, racism, and poverty contribute to a violent society.
This discussion response is due by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 2. Responses received after that day and time will not
be accepted.
*Grading Details: Please carefully review the Video Rubric which will be used to grade your writing. This rubric is based
on the basic writing components we had discussed earlier in student conferences. It is designed to assist in the

critical, academic writing skills that will be needed for upcoming writing papers and assignments.

Canvas Video Response #3: Killing Us Softly 4

After you watch Killing Us Softly, write a three-paragraph response to ONE of the seven questions below. Make sure to begin
with your thesis, which will be your first answer to the question, and then support that thesis with examples from the film,
along with explanations to connect those examples to your thesis. Feel free to use your own experiences and knowledge as
evidence as well. I will grade your responses based on your ability to write according to the above instructions, as well as
your ability to write clear, concise, and correct sentences. (See grading details below.)
I will also use your answers to spark class discussions, so keep in mind that we are your audience for these responses. Here
are your writing prompts:
1. How does American culture define femininity and masculinity? Are these definitions
universal, or do masculine and feminine ideals vary from place to place and over time? Make sure to include specific
examples in support of your view.
2. Can people, whether female or male, have both feminine and masculine characteristics? Do
you see a danger in limiting people to one or the other? Provide detailed explanations for each question.
3. What sorts of products are sold using images of women and femininity? What kinds of products
are sold using images of men and masculinity? Are these ever switched around? If so, when? Why are certain products
assigned to one gender over the other?
4. What are some of the potential physical, emotional, and mental effects on girls and women who
try to live up to our cultures ideal image of beauty? What relationship does Kilbourne see
between cultural ideals of thinness and the cultural obsession with both dieting and eating
disorders? What do you make of this connection?
5. There have been recent studies that show the objectification of men is beginning to take a toll on
mens self-esteem. More men are reporting dissatisfaction with their bodies, and eating disorders
among men are on the rise. In what ways might the objectification of men in advertisements be
affecting how men feel about their own bodies?
6. How would you describe Jean Kilbournes point of view of women in advertising, overall? Can
you think of other ways to look at the role of women in advertising that might contradict her
central argument? What sort of reasoning might lead to a defense of how women are portrayed in
advertising? Whats your own take?
7. Do you feel that the media reflect or create the ideal image of beauty in our society? Or do you
think its a bit of both? Explain what you mean.
This discussion post will close at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21.
*Grading Details: Please carefully review the Video Rubric which will be used to grade your writing. This rubric is based
on the basic writing components we had discussed earlier in student conferences. It is designed to assist in the
critical, academic writing skills that will be needed for upcoming writing papers and assignments.

Canvas Video Response #2: Consuming Kids

After you watch Consuming Kids, write a three-paragraph response to ONE of the seven questions below. Make sure to
begin with your thesis, which will be your first answer to the question, and then support that thesis with examples from the
film, along with explanations to connect those examples to your thesis. Feel free to use your own experiences and knowledge
as evidence as well. The grading of your responses will be based on your ability to write according to instructions, as well as
your ability to write clear, concise, and correct sentences. (See grading details below.)
I will also use your answers to spark class discussions, so keep in mind that we are your audience for these responses. Here
are your writing prompts:
1. Do you think its reasonable to believe that people can be transformed, from the earliest
ages, into life-long consumers? Do you feel that there are, or should be, societal or
moral reservations about marketers approaching children at such early ages?
2. With the increase and growth of media-linked toys and products, there has been a rapid
growth in childrens consumption. Do you think we should be concerned about this?
Why or why not? Is there special reason for concern regarding the use of licensed
characters to sell junk food and other products to children?
3. Do you feel the government should oversee and regulate these advertising methods, and
place some limits on advertisers? If so, why? And what types of regulations do you
think could fairly be put in place? If not, why not?
4. What factors have contributed to the increasing commercialization of our schools? How do you think
the presence of advertising in schools relates to the overall mission of public education?
Can a case be made that it somehow strengthens and advances the goals of public
education? Can a case be made that it fundamentally contradicts and undermines these
goals?
5.When asked about the ethics of marketing to children, Lucy Hughes, a child marketer,
responds that she is just doing her job. Should child marketers and corporations have to
address the ethical side of marketing to children? Should they be held responsible for the
potentially negative consequences of their professional approaches? If not, why not? If
so, why?
6. Are the values and messages that marketers tend to push at odds with the kinds of values
we expect parents to instill in kids? Do you think this might make parents job more
difficult? Might it complicate the common claim that its up to parents and nobody else
to make sure kids are looked after and cared for as much as possible? Explain.
7. Respond to any part of the documentary that sparked an emotional response from you. Make sure that your position is
very clear and that your evidence to support it is relevant and sufficient.
This discussion post will close at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 19.
*Grading Details: Please carefully review the Video Rubric which will be used to grade your writing. This rubric is based
on the basic writing components we had discussed earlier in student conferences. It is designed to assist in the
critical, academic writing skills that will be needed for upcoming writing papers and assignments.

Canvas Video Response #1: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

After you watch Morgan Spurlock's The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, write a three-paragraph response to ONE of the six

questions below. Make sure to begin with your thesis, which will be your first answer to the question, and then support that
thesis with examples from the film, along with explanations to connect those examples to your thesis. Feel free to use your
own experiences and knowledge as evidence as well. Stephanie and I will grade your responses based on your ability to write
according to the above instructions, as well as your ability to write clear, concise, and correct sentences.
We will also use your answers to spark class discussions, so keep in mind that we are your audience for these responses.
Here are your writing prompts:
1.Do you think there is truth in advertising? Why or why not? How do advertisers walk the tightrope between truth and
falsehood?
2.Sao Paulo, Brazil, has passed a bill outlawing all outdoor advertising. Is this a good idea? Could it work in the U.S.?
Explain!
3.What is neuromarketing? Is it an ethical advertising technique? Why or why not?
4.Should advertising be allowed in public schools? Give at least two reasons to support your view.
5.Is Morgan Spurlock actually satirizing advertising, or is he merely playing into the hands of corporations? Or is it a little of
both? Explain!
6. Write about a specific topic from the documentary that provoked an emotional response or challenged what you believe.
You may want to think about why that part of the film was so persuasive for you.
This discussion post will close at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14.
Additional Info: Rubric Attached

Re: WEEK 11: "Triggered" - Carrie Kellerby (Nov 12, 2015 9:21 AM)
Stephanie,
This is intense. Are you okay? What has happened since--sorry, I'm behind with everything a little bit, and just read this. Is this a
first year English class? How do the kids respond to this? I'm wondering because we read a mild essay on playground violence and
becoming "men" and Deborah Tannen's "How to give orders like a man" and then Solnit's "Men explain things to me" together and it
brought on all kinds of heated debate that I worried was overly emotional for the kinds--same when we did "ethics week." There were
some tears. It sounds like this was ten times more difficult and far less abstract--very in "your face," literally.
Seriously, how did Mr. Martin respond to the readings, etc and most importantly, how are you now?

Re: WEEK 11: "Triggered" - Kirsten Flournoy (Nov 12, 2015 11:32 AM)
Last Edited By Kirsten Flournoy on Nov 12, 2015 11:33 AM

Hi Stephanie,
As Carrie said, this was a very intense experience. How are you feeling now that a little time has gone by? It's good that you
recognized the need for immediate self-care and took a break to recenter and redirect. I too have many thoughts and questions
about this set of assignments and how they were handled in class. Was there a discussion about triggers and sensitive material
before this happened? How did the other students react? As an instructor, how would you have presented these topics and
assignments differently than Mr. Martin to mitigate their effect on students? Has Mr. Martin been responsive to you in a positive
way, like did he hear what you were saying? It's wonderful that you brought your PFMA learning into this and used it as a teaching
tool to educate your professor!
If there is a bright side to this, it's that this happened while you are in the PFMA program and have a supportive community to
process it with and analyze from multiple perspectives as they apply to your own role as teacher.

Re: WEEK 11: "Triggered" - Stephanie Flood (Nov 12, 2015 9:35 PM)
Kirsten, to answer more of your questions, there wasn't a discussion about triggers and sensitive material for any of this. Since
my trigger, my feelings have transitioned from being vulnerable, then hopeful, then wary, then today, I dived into my critical
paper again, and gained a sense of wanting to car for myself, and keep myself safe. Like, as much as I want to keep this teaching
assistantship going, which was a huge passion of mine, I didn't want to keep getting involved. It's like, I'm connecting this with
bad relationships in a way, I just have to leave.
Mr Martin listened to me, but I'm not sure he was hearing me. And, in the end, I've come to realize that as much as I'd once been
100% in love with today's technologies and multimodal approaches in the classroom, I've learned that there are risks with
them. As much as you gain diverse learning options, you can lose human connection, at least from too much video, resulting in
a sense of numbness. If it were up to me, I would have never used those documentaries as teaching material in an ENG101 class.
I might use more positive material that is a response to critical topics. I also might have a more old-fashioned, tactile, and oral
methods, rather than just visuals.
And, I guess that is a bright side that I'm in the PMFA program! This program sort of makes this experience more of a rare,
unexpected pedagogy lesson, and less of a teaching-assistantship-gone-bad story.

Re: WEEK 11: "Triggered" - Stephanie Flood (Nov 12, 2015 9:11 PM)
Last Edited By Stephanie Flood on Nov 12, 2015 9:38 PM

Well, I'm doing better now, and I hope you all don't mind that I share my reflections on this.
It was the weirdest sensation, as I've never been triggered before, that I know of. But, I honestly feel like it was the progression of
media and discussions, and the mentality that was--I had to teach this, and maybe that was a dangerous combination. A part of me
didn't agree with the content at all, but felt like I had to, like I had to pretend to support the documentaries like Killing Me
Softly, Bowling for Columbine, Tough Guise 2, and find educational merit in them, and that turned extreme on me psychologically.
All the while, I was being led into a type of progression where at first, this was about persuasion, until the writing components
simply melted away. It was like being in water that kept getting warmer, until I'm in a class just about male violence, and there's no
sensitive disclosure with it, or rhetorical function, or ENG101 compositional elements. He's just asking for student
opinions. Something felt weird about it, and a part of me just couldn't handle it. I felt manipulated, forced to be involved with
material that made me feel uncomfortable. And, that feeling of feeling trapped, clicked, with the words on the board, and boom,
triggered.
I think the students were okay, the regular participants trying to keep up with the discussion questions.
For me, I struggled a bit.
I struggled with my responsibilities as a teaching assistant, and in this PMFA program. I wanted to resilient, and keep going on
with the show, like it says in that last teacher's log. But today, I submerged myself in my critical paper, and came to realize all that
I've learned in this program, as my initial attitude of multimodal approaches (my critical paper topic) turned a 180 degree angle.
Initially, I wanted to bring myself back to his world, that class, and turn it all upside down, or right-side up, but the need for selfcare won. Like, what I wrote to Tammy in a recent email, I would have probably tried to keep dominant with this if I was younger,
but maybe since I'm 30 now, I just want to be good to myself. Also, I needed to make a choice of what will be best for me, and I
realized, taking care of my well-being, has to be the highest priority. So, well, I did notify the teacher that I'm basically finished my
TA position. And, we'll see how it goes. A part of me wishes that I could have handled this better. But, I feel good about all that I
learned at least. Although, what hangs now, is the fact that I think I really do need to get some therapy when this is all over.

Re: WEEK 11: "Triggered" - Carrie Kellerby (Nov 12, 2015 10:06 PM)

Kirsten,
I love that you made the connection about having this community to help process this. I know that we have all gotten very
absorbed with our teaching and annotations and critical papers, and maybe haven't been as "social" or in dialogue as we were at
the beginning when we were all talking about the same books, etc., but we are a community and a resource for one another--and
that is as it should be. I'm very grateful that you reminded me of that, and of how important that community is always going to
be, even as we drift into other pursuits and responsibilities.
Stephanie, I'm so impressed with how you stepped back and took care of yourself, even as you explicated your position
professionally. I'm in my fifties and I'm just now getting a handle on self-care. So kudos to you for being so smart.
You know, I have to say this has really made me think about these things. Earlier in the week I was kind of beating myself up for
not designing in more of the "multi-model." This experience of yours, Stephanie, has made me realize that there is more to it
than just being "up to date." There's some ethically considerations and whatever we do still has to feel into our learning
objectives and that need to create the natural critical learning environment. The newer media can tap directly into our lizard
brains and create experiences that are hard wired into survival techniques that might bypass carefully considered thought. If I
am going to use other media I am going to need to be very aware of my selections and the myriad of possible interpretations.
Again, I'm impressed with your well-considered actions and am grateful that you seem to be okay. I would also like to express my
gratitude for sharing this experience with us. It was honest and vulnerable--but also a very generous gesture. I feel that you have
shared a very valuable lesson with me.
Thank you.

Re: WEEK 11: "Triggered" - Tammy Lechner (Nov 20, 2015 10:51 PM)
It's very heartening to me to see Kirsten and Carrie responding to this situation on your behalf, Stephanie. And also with
curiosities of their own.
I do wonder if Mr. Martin lost the ball in his game here. By this I mean that perhaps he was responding to pressure for teacher's
to create a dialogic engagement in the classroom ("Get them to talk! Get them to discuss! Get them to connect it to their own
lives!). And by trying too hard to meet the expectation of this goal (pressure) he totally lost track of the objective connecting the
material to concrete learning objectives with rhetoric and composition, the writing process, and the writing product.
So, one thing this situation illustrates to me is the importance of keeping our eye on the CRAFT. No matter what lens we're using
to examine the craft, we should always (as teachers) keep everything directed at illustration of craft with a tie-in to the ultimate
learning objectives of the course.
It really does sound to me like Mr. Martin might've lost track of this not in the writing exercises you share in one of your posts
above, but in the class discussions.