ERIC Number: ED255929
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1985-Mar-22
Pages: 7
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Not Just to Teach But to Profess.
Gibson, Claude L.
Discussion of the contribution of a particular course toward developing teacher competency raises the question: "Just what does one need to know to teach composition?" If a person were to take only one course, it would likely be "Composition for Teachers." In theory lie answers, so a suitable syllabus would include Beth Neman's "Teaching Students to Write," James Kinneavy's "A Theory of Discourse," and Claude Faulkner's "Writing Good Sentences," among others. Students would also be required to write four essays to test their knowledge and foster flexibility. A composition course for teachers can instill a false sense of security because students may exit thinking that they join a world where reason prevails and colleagues share like values. The greatest threat to developing teacher competency is that a number of teachers have ignored most developments in theory and practice. To attain and maintain competency as teachers, there must be an on-going return to the theory and scholarship of the discipline, a use of it to inform their own practice as writers and teachers, and an experiencing of excitement from engagement on the issues. The students will then exit the composition-for-teachers course ready not just to teach but to profess. (DF)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (36th, Minneapolis, MN, March 21-23, 1985).