Argument

Ninth grade was the first time I wrote an argumentative essay. My teacher was careful to call it a persuasive essay though, probably to prevent students from writing an actual argument between two or more people. With this essay we were told to choose a controversial issue, take a side on the issue, and use examples from dependable sources to support our argument. We were also told not use words such as: maybe, sometimes, and could because these weaken our argument. At this point, I realized that in writing there is not a wrong answer as long as you can effectively support what you are saying. I loved it!

Since junior high, I have had the chance to write many more argumentative essays. Each of my English teachers might have called it something a bit different, but looking back now I realize that I was always just writing an argument. With each passing essay, deciding my main points, choosing a side, writing a thesis, and supporting my argument with good sources became easier and easier. I also learned that the most effective argument is a well written, well supported one.

Along with writing these argumentative essays, I was also taught how to evaluate and analyze an argument. This is something that is completely necessary in everyone’s everyday life. In my English classes we were assigned to read novels, essays, articles, and even poems and told to analyze their argument to determine what the author was trying to say. In doing these argument analysis assignments our eyes were opened to the fact that argument is everywhere!

In my first semester of college I took a public speaking course. Here again I faced argument. Our second speech assignment was to write and give a persuasive/argumentative speech. With this assignment I learned about additional elements of argument, Aristotle’s appeals. Learning about logos, pathos and ethos helped me to decide how best to persuade my audience to my views by appealing to their sense of emotion, logic and ethics.

In my 1010 and 2010 English classes we examined the arguments people make in television adds, in propaganda, and of course in literature. This again showed how prevalent argument is. In 2010 one of our final assignments was to write a Rogerian argument. My topic was on the BODY WORLDS exhibit. In this essay I never took a side. I never had a clear, concise thesis stating what my views were. I therefore could not have a conclusion that strongly restated my main stance in closing. Writing this essay was somewhat difficult and just plain weird. It made sense to write it this way in order to give balance to both sides of the issue without being confrontational, but it also went against my argument learning up to that point.

I love writing argumentative essays. I think all of my teachers taught how to write argumentative essays really well, maybe this makes up for cruising through MLA with our eyes closed. I think the most valuable thing I have learned is that almost everything is done for a specific predetermined reason. I have learned that every piece of writing, every commercial, every speech, every song is saying something.

Looking forward to being mean

I don’t ever remember learning about argumentative essays. My high school didn’t offer AP classes of any kind, so I don’t think I had that option.

After doing some independent research and, of course, asking a few people for help, I have finally figured out what “Rogerian” and “Toulmin” mean. I am NOT the “vicious” Toulmin type of writer. I really don’t like tearing people down for any reason. Rogerian is more my style. I know that isn’t always very popular, but I have found it to be a very useful tool.

I’ve spent a great deal of time working to create teams to support the needs of my children. Most of the time, all of the people involved were happy to be there, and creating consensus and cooperation was easy. Other times, we had to work for a very long time to find some common ground. I like being able to see the big picture, to understand what it is that people really want. I like being able to help other people see it as well.

I would imagine I might have a few opportunities to write argumentative papers in my career as an elementary school educator. I actually look forward to it, since I haven’t had the chance before.

I think I use the Rogerian style of “argument” when I work as tutor. Sometimes I have to figure out what my tutees are saying, and why they are saying it. Then I need to find a “nice” way to say something they don’t want to hear: “This paper really needs a lot of work.” Even though I may feel like using the Toulmin style of arguing, I don’t think I could get my message across that way. I have to let the writers know I understand what they are trying to say, and then say what I need to. I often feel like I am looking for common ground when I work with them.

My OTHER job is another story. I share my Art Teacher responsibilities with another woman, and right now things are not going so well for her. She is not getting along with the principal, and I find myself in the middle. That is not my idea of “common ground.” It is more like “Ground Zero.” She’s so stressed right now she is even mad at me.

When would someone use Toulmin style? Since I don’t have experience writing argumentative papers, and I missed the discussion in class, I can’t really imagine using them. Dr. Rogers hinted that we might use argumentative styles of writing as we compose our bibliographic essays. Maybe I’ll get my “big chance” after all.

The Art of War.......(I mean, Argument)

I never learned to write an argumentative paper. I wasn't even aware that such a thing existed until we started talking about it in class the other day. Whenever they wanted me to write a paper (they being the collective group of teachers who've been a part of my life) they'd say something like, "Write a paper based on the Treaty of Versailles and how it affected WWII." The closest thing that I can think of was in 2010 when we briefly touched on Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. However, even then we only called it a "speech" or "persuasive paper" and really didn't talk about the argument part.

That being said, I love a good argument. I enjoy debate (as long as it doesn't get vicious or personal) and I love the idea that my words are building a bridge in someone else's mind, a path to my way of thinking, while exposing the flaws in their own theories. But just so you don't get the wrong idea about me, I think of an argument as a means to an end. It's difficult to construct a good argument, and takes much to much brainpower and/or self control to effectively argue every day.

So, how does one write a good argument? There are a few things that I've gleaned from my own personal experience and people along the way. One of these people was General Sun Tzu, born in 544BC. He once said, "The art of war [or argument] teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him."

First, take a stance. You might laugh and say this is a stupid step, but how often do you read a paper where the author just rambles on and dances around any form of written commitment? That's a constant problem at the Davis Campus Writing Center. When I say take a stance, I really do mean TAKE A STANCE!! Arguments are not for sissies. In regards to commitment, Sun Tzu said, "An army prepared to defend its beloved homeland from capture, or an army cornered and fighting for its life, when compared to an army fighting without due cause, will find its soldiers’ commitment to a fight to be five times that of the enemy."

Second, develop your stance. Learn about your position, whether it's the ridiculous lack of night life in Utah, or advocating prayer in schools. It can even be something as simple as trying to convince overconcerned parents that watching Paranormal Activity will not corrupt you. Learn everything you can about the issue, any and all details that might sway your opponent one way or the other. According to General Tzu, "What enables the wise sovereign to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond ordinary men, is foreknowledge.

Third, play devil's advocate. Think of every possible way that your argument could be flawed. Pick it completely to pieces. During this step, you may discover that your position is very weak, and that it is necessary to return to step one. If so, please do. Weak arguments are pathetic at best. After all, Tzu said, "Invincibility lies in the defense."

Fourth, think about the other person's argument. Prepare to shred it in the metaphorical blender of your airtight argument. Don't just think of only a few examples because that "probably will be enough." Do you want to win your argument or not? Tzu said, "The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand."

Fifth, think about your audience. Decide what type of appeals will sway them most, be it facts, logic, and statistics, or emotions and feelings. Consider whether to be respectful (because they are in a position of authority) or imperceptibly condescending (because they are your inferiors). If they are the type that believes in their opinion so completely that they won't even deign to argue with you, it might be a lost cause. In that case, go back to step one and reconsider your own position, and the purpose of your argument. Remember, if someone will argue with you, they're not as sure of their position as they seem. General Tzu said, "Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.

Sixth, practice statements. Plan ways to present the favorable evidence in the most positive of lights. Say them in front of a mirror, if needed. The goal is to appear unrehearsed, because people generally like being manipulated. Practice responding to the attacks against your own position in a natural and fluid manner. In Sun Tzu's opinion, "Without constant practice, the officers will be nervous and undecided when mustering for battle; without constant practice, the general will be wavering and irresolute when the crisis is at hand."

Seventh, prepare for battle. You're going in there to win that argument, be it that debate tournament, or just the issue with Mom wearing 80s clothing in public. Don't loose your calm. Ever. Anger is an emotion that clouds your judgement and makes it harder to remember your plans. You're ready. Tzu taught us that “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”

Remember...

"Such is the art of warfare."

Argument ? Not from me.

Argument? Really? No, I haven't had to write an "argumentative" paper in college. Persuasive, yes. I guess you can say that's the same thing. I don't think it is. Not in 1010, 2010, or any of the upper division courses did I have to make an argument for something. It was mostly "interpretation" papers then it was all tech writing stuff. This is where the big difference between English majors comes in. My emphasis is in tech writing, so I never had to take those classes that would make you have to do those kinds of papers. For those of you who don't know what tech writers learn, lets just say it may seem boring to you creative writers. Also, we are not trying to give our opinion; we write what we are told to write. I may seem like we are just slaves, but at least we'll have jobs in the future. There, I said it. Now I'll talk about how I've looked at my student's argumentative papers.

Most of my student's argumentative papers are filled with "I feel." Is this OK? I think it just depends on the paper. I usually tell students to use "I know" when they are trying to make a much more bolder personal statement in their paper, not usually an argumentative paper though. But I tell them to use "I know" wisely. Don't say "I know" if you really don't know all the details of a certain subject. I tell students to use "I know" if it's about a personal experience or if they can truly say they know how the experience that they are reading about feels like. I get a lot of papers that show students trying to make an argument by using their personal experience to try and justify their argument. This is usually a bad move because for the most part, their stories have nothing to do with their argument. Most of my students fail to bring really any kind of evidence in their argument papers. Most just rely on their stories. Maybe they just think that adding a personal touch to an argument will give them more credibility. And who can blame them for thinking like that. Politicians use sad stories of struggling families or how their dad used to be a coal miner, etc. Using a personal story may work in politics or even in the court room (sadly), but it usually fails in an academic essay.

Maybe I should have learned how to write an argumentative paper in high school. I didn't really go to my classes. LOL! I was a bad student. Would I like to learn how write a better argumentative paper now. I guess. I'm just not that enthusiastic about it. I enjoy the writing that I do. People must think I'm not too thrilled to be an English major when they read this, but I honestly don't care what they think. I love professional writing. It's organized and I like that. Not saying that argumentative writing or even creative writing is bad. It's just not my thing. I don't believe I will be writing hardly any argumentative papers in my future.

Have you seen two Vikings?

Midterms went all right for me. Nothing was to out of the ordinary or super hard. I had a seven page paper, a five page paper, and two presentations. One of the presentations was on Led Zeppelin, so it was not really like homework at all. It was fun to learn the entire history of Zep. The papers were not that bad either. I had ideas, and I wrote them down.

As for the slacker prompt I think I will discuss the results of the soapbox derby that Jon mentioned in his blog. The derby went down on Friday night. It was about ten o’clock when it all started. There were probably around fifteen carts. Some were well built. Others were piece of plywood nailed together hastily. There was a couch with a dolly under it with a scooter on the front for steering. I looked at my friends’ cart and had thoughts of maybe needing to say goodbye to them. Everyone was gathered around, waiting for the event to start. The course for the race was a steep, long, and curvy hill. I did not think the carts would make it down. The race started off with fireworks. It was not long until we saw the carts flying down the hill. Then, right in front of us, a cart flipped. It was the cart that had a horse head on the front. They also had a flamethrower coming out of the horse’s mouth. Weapons were not permitted. And, ironically, this was the cause of the warhorse’s crash. They were hit by a flour bomb. Another cart had put together a bunch of sacks of flour and were throwing them at other carts. Derek’s brother was hit by one of these bombs, and it caused him to crash. Tanner was not happy. Unfortunately the flour bombers were never found.

After all the carts had past we ran to the bottom to see who won. While running down, I saw a cart completely decimated. This sight brought a smile to my face. The carnage I knew would come. The smile was wiped off my face when I saw it was my friend Ryan. Ryan, who had previously broken his leg long boarding this summer, was in pain. I stopped to see if he was ok. He looked up at me and shook his head. Clint, his race mate, and I had to carry Ryan to a car, which took him to the hospital. I then proceeded to the bottom again to find out the results. I never found out who won; everyone had seemed to come in fifth place. The racers thought it went down great, and decided to go for another run. Trucks were brought in to take the racers and their carts back up. The second run was not as eventful, for the carts that were destined to crash already had. Everything settled down, and we started walking back to the house. One of the carts seemed to decide to take a third run, and was coming down fast.

That was pretty much the race. I never found out who won. Ryan broke his leg and ankle. It was the other leg, so now he has broken both legs in one year on two different occasions. So, for everyone out their reading this, I hope to see you next year at the fourth annual soapbox derby.

Argument paper? What's that?

Perhaps I just never paid attention in high school, but i was never officially taught how to write an argument paper. Perhaps i didn't pay attention in any of my college classes, but, other than last monday, i have never been taught how to write an argument paper. So, either I am a fool with an extremely short attention span (which is entirely possible, perhaps even probable), or I haven't been taught how to write effective arguments formally.
I think I am a somewhat argumentative person naturally. I don't mean that i get riled up and start yelling at people if their opinions don't match mine. I mean that i like to pick apart topics and presentations. If there is something wrong with a movie, a book, or a piece of music, and there usually is, i will find it. Then i will proceed to tear it apart calmly and quietly. OK. I'm really not that vicious. However, i do enjoy picking out the logical fallacies in an argument. What I'm getting at here, is that i am naturally inclined to write argument papers. Even though I haven't had any formal training, i have been able to create some pretty persuasive papers.

I really do wish that i had listened more closely to my high school AP lit teacher. When i think back,I'm sure that she taught us all how to write argument papers. It wouldn't have been possible to pass that class, and get a five on the AP exam without knowing something about essay writing. A third possibility has presented itself here. 1)I didn't pay attention in high school, 2)I never did receive formal training regarding argument papers, or, the new proposition, 3) I have a case of early Alzheimer's, and i forgot everything i knew about writing argument papers.

In any case, i do wish i had a little more experience with writing not only argument papers, but all kinds of essays. As much as i have always loved literature, my foray into the writing world is a fairly recent affair. I still feel confused and uncertain about a great many things. I despair that i will never really understand all the rules that MLA, APA, and various other writing styles present. I suppose the only thing to do is continue on! What better way to learn the particulars of writing than to teach those particulars to others?

Number Three

I am not sure who posted a blog about their ninth grade English teacher, Ms. Robinson, but I am shocked. Why, you may ask. Because my ninth grade English teacher, Ms. Robinson, was also the wonderful being who introduced me to writing arguments. Perhaps if your last name is Robinson, you are destined to introduce such topics, I don't know.
Our assignment was to pick a side and argue it in a persuasive essay. I believe this was all in preparation for the UBSCT test. Robinson was an excellent teacher, and she had a very detailed and precise outline for effective persuasive essays. She talked about the formulation of a thesis statement, of topic sentences, and she even mentioned touching on the opposite side towards the end of your essay.
I still recall the prompt that we were to pick a side and argue. It asked what the hungry student should eat, and the two sides were either in recommending a candy bar or an apple.
I obviously chose to cheer on the apple. I began with an introduction that described life's simple pleasures, such as a bath with bubbles, snuggling up in your chair with a book and a blanket, and of course, chocolate. But I proceeded to explain why the apple was the better choice for a hungry student. My main points were the avoidance of a sugar crash and the apple's energy-giving qualities, the health issues of apple vs. chocolate, and... I forgot my last one.
To be honest, I am shocked that I remember as much as I do about learning persuasive writing. Ms. Robinson was definitely the greatest English teacher I have ever had. And if you were to ask anyone who went to Snowcrest Jr. High School, even if they did not like her, they would have to admit that she taught them the most beneficial knowledge about writing and literature.
I would now like to describe Ms. Robinson. She was a much older lady, just skin and bones and the highest, most ridiculous laugh you will ever hear. She cracked herself up daily, and while it made some people's day, most students were just scared of her. Robinson was strict, and it was effective. She was never necessarily rude or cruel, but she expected her students to work hard in her class, and it was evident in her abundance of work and her very detailed critiques of your papers. Since Robinson, I have never received as much feedback on my work. Actually, I miss it. Robinson made her students feel valued. We were her life. She considered every single line in every single paper from every single student.
I miss Ms. Robinson.
And I am grateful to have learned about this vital writing technique from such a wonderful Jr. High teacher.

It is true that I am stressed,

However, midterms came and went like a breeze on my face. My professors seem to neglect professorly assumptions and stigmas. Not one of my professors is going to have a final for example. Additionally, not one of my professors assigned any sort of midterm... anything.
As I mentioned earlier, this does not mean that I am not stressed.
While my professors all agree that comprehensive finals are unnecessary, and midterms should not be a time to overload students, my professors all appear to agree on final papers that consist of ten sources and a whole lot of time. So, I am attempting to prepare for those, which is a definite stress. Among my scholarly stresses - that I feel no need to complain about because I know my peers and I are either on the same page, or I am luckier than they in my lack of midterms and tests and finals - I have many other stresses that are becoming increasingly overwhelming.
Mostly, my stress involves the big picture. Each day that I am exposed to these college classes and college students, my brain starts teeming with the endless possibilities that are available to me. And though I often depict this looming future as a crossroads, I am aware that it is not a singular decision that is approaching me, but rather a transformation I will embark upon in my aesthetic journey of discovery. Sometimes I wish that my purpose in life would just burst out of me with no containing it. I long for an inspiration in which, "nothing else makes sense." THE DECISIONS ARE ENDLESS AND WEIGHING ME DOWN!
At the same time, I have this glorious freedom in which I get to choose my future. Why on earth am I complaining about that?
I suppose it is out of fear and out of stress. The word "potential" frightens me. I am feeling a little sluggish and doubtful of my commitment to live passionately. I am scared that I will mosey down a path that does not have an endless supply of overwhelming inspiration, and I will simply continue to dabble into different subjects my whole life.
I want my life filled to the brim with passion. I do acknowledge my thirst. And I do recognize the strength and endurance I will need to quench it. With stress driving me full-speed forward, I will keep my chin up and my mouth shut.

Argument Shmargument

To the best of my knowledge, I was taught to write an argument like…well…an argument. I don’t remember any specific advice given to me from my teachers. They basically just said “choose a topic, pick a side, and run with it.” Sure, I was told to use facts to back up my claims and to acknowledge the opposing argument. But all these seem like they were accumulated over time. I don’t remember having an instructor teach me the elements of argument. I don’t remember any formal training in the subject. I just must be an amazing student and never had to be taught how to write an argument paper because I’m naturally amazing at it! Actually, that’s probably further from the truth than Giligan’s coconut radio.

I think my first argument paper was in my English 1010 class that I took during my senior year of high school. I could be completely wrong though. I could have written one before then, but I have no recollection of it. I do remember that I was really good at writing titles for my papers.
My papers were all okay, but the titles were amazing. I took pride in my titles. I think I ended up pulling a B+ out of the class. I could have done better, but there were a few days when I totally forgot that a paper was due and I had to turn it in late. That came back to bite me! My English 1010 grades are the only blemish on my transcript and now I wish I would have taken it a bit more seriously.

That’s kind of off the subject though. What was the prompt about, oh yeah, argument. So, basically I remember being told that I needed to determine what heated topic I was going to write about, take a side, and go to town. I wish that I had been told not to write about certain subjects though. How many students write about abortion or politics? I think that teachers should make their students write about something original, and if not original, at least something that hasn’t been written to death for the last however many years.

Also, much of my knowledge of arguments has come from my friends. I have a close chum who used to be on the debate team, and he was always arguing and telling me about his latest adventures in the debate circuit. While he never helped me write an argumentative paper, he taught me some important principles that I have been able to apply to my writing.

The thing that has helped me the most when it comes to writing an argumentative paper, and writing in general, has been working in the writing center. Just by listening to other tutors and taking part in the tutoring process, I have learned way more than any of my formal schooling has taught me. When you’re around something that much, you’re bound to get better and improve. I feel that way about writing and the writing center. So, there you go. A blog about how my arguing got its beginning. And yes, I did just begin a sentence with “so,” and “and” in this sentence!

Today...I had a frustrating session

When I hear the words, "your most frustrating session," I am assuming that the worst session I have ever been in should be immediately conjured. But this is not so. I have most certainly had my fair share of not-so-great sessions but definitely nothing that I had to fight through excruciating pain for.
Today was frustrating because I am almost positive that my tutee had plagiarized half of their paper. I tutored an ESL student who was exquisitely kind and definitely had a lot to say about their paper, but the sections that they did write were very evidently of an ESL dialect, "for every all students are being to respecting the school universities." These were the majority of this student's sentences, and I am not saying there is anything wrong with that. What was wrong were the interlaced paragraphs in which the writer's dialect dramatically changed. Paragraphs that read like I had a stick in my mouth were immediately followed by an entire paragraph without a single error.
After reading the first paragraph of near perfect English, I paused, dumbfounded. I then circled the entire paragraph and said, eyebrows raised, "Now...I did not spot a single error in this paragraph..." Because the first page had taken us 30 minutes to get through, it was a dramatic change of pace to briskly read through another portion that contained complex sentence structure and an extremely heightened vocabulary.
"Did you write this?" I asked.
The tutee said yes. He almost beamed with pride.
I was very frustrated.
This is really only an example of me being judgemental. I have no way to prove that the student did not write in broken and confusing English for the initial part of his essay, and then suddenly became an English professor at the end of each paragraph.
Rock and a hard place. I could not stand up and yell, "LIAR!" and if I kept questioning his writing, I would only prove that I was being judgemental.
To add to my frustration, I was supposed to be off work a half hour ago, and I was still jumping back and forth between two separate people writing the same paper, unsure of how to tutor his paper. If our job is to improve the writer, not the paper, plagiarism is the most detrimental thing a student could do. This student was not learning how to improve themselves as a writer. However, because I had asked the student if it was their words, and because he had answered yes, I felt there was little else I could do.
The irony? The paper was about the ethics one should follow in order to be a good student.

Hello, I'd like to have an argument.

My first (remembered) experience with writing arguments was in my AP Literature class when I was in 12th grade. I’m sure I’d had to write argumentative papers before this, but I’m also sure that I never fully understood the concept of an argumentative essay until this class. My teacher, Mrs. Reed, explained to us about thesis sentences and how to use specific examples to back up what we were trying to say about a certain topic. I think this was mostly engrained in my head so well because we practiced it ALL THE TIME! Not only would we have normal papers to do outside of class, but we also had to take the fun “You have one hour to read and analyze this poem/short story and make sense out of it in a well-thought-out essay” tests periodically. Those tests were in preparation for the dreaded and ominous AP test at the end of the year, and I still remember stressing out as the time clicked away and I scratched out line after line in my essays. It was a really useful tool in helping me to organize my ideas in a really fast way, though. This experience also helped me when I had to write papers for any other English class (I had two others my senior year. No, I am not a glutton for punishment…those were actually my preferred classes.) or History class or German class or any other class.
The one thing I noticed a lot with the “one hour” essays was that they all had the exact same structure. I would introduce the title and the author, tell a summary of how I was going to talk about them, give a thesis statement with three specific topics talk about those topics in three separate paragraphs, and give a half-hearted conclusion (half-hearted mostly because by the time I got to the conclusion I had little time and motivation to write left). So every time I had created the well-known and universally beloved 5-paragraph essay! Hooray! I think the one thing that I would have liked to learn more then is how to steer away from just writing the 5-paragraph form of an essay. I’ve noticed that I have had to tear myself away from using that technique time and time again in order to expand my essays or just make them more interesting. I did not mind putting them all in that form (though, now that I think of it, I am pretty sure both my teacher and those who read all the AP essays at the end of the year were probably REALLY bored with that technique…) especially since it was easy and, as I practiced it, it became second nature to me, but I still think that it would have been nice to know that there were other forms of essays floating out there in the universe.
Of course, another thing I learned about argumentative essays was how to procrastinate them until the last possible moment…which I also got really good at really quickly…but I’ll write about that later….like after I clean out all the dust in my keyboard, check my email (and Facebook) and play video games for several hours. Priorities, you know!

Professor Xavier can do it. I can't.

I think my earliest memory of writing argumentative papers comes from Ms. Robinson's ninth grade English. If I recall, we had to do persuasive/argumentative papers on a topic of our choice. I chose the benefits of natural medicine over over-the-counter drugs. I'm not sure where I came across that topic, actually, but it must have been a really good paper because I never saw it again after I turned it in, even though everyone else in my class got it back. Oh well. It's never good to dwell on the past--and it's often especially painful to dwell on past writing.

Over time, I've picked up bits and pieces of writing arguments from various professors, although I can really only remember Ms. Robinson's brief, watered down lesson. Oh, and I remember stuff from my English 2010 class last year. Especially the technique of pulling in and acknowledging the other side's opinions and views, only to systematically discredit and refute in the most brutal, but professional, means possible. I mean, I feel like I'm taking someone's beliefs and squashing them with a big fat stamp that says "FALSE." Or maybe that's just the way I was taught to view it. Either way, I'm glad at least one teacher pointed out that important element in writing argumentative papers--I know that I was subconsciously aware of it before, but it was nice to hear it laid out in actual words.

Yes. Anyway.

So, what's one thing I wish I had learned about writing arguments?

How to read minds.

It would make life so easy. In every class that I have taken that requires the constant construction of papers, my first writing assignment always ends up being the poor guinea pig. Sure, the professor tells you what he or she wants to see in the paper, but no one ever really knows until the stupid thing comes back--often times with a lower grade than expected. Granted, after that first paper, I can usually figure out what the professor is expecting and be better prepared for the next go around. But still it frustrates me immensely! Sometimes, professors might think that they've explained the requirements thoroughly enough to allow their students to do a good job, but oftentimes it ends up a guessing game where the students are required to read minds like a Professor Xavier. Othertimes, I think the professors just want to watch their sudents fail miserably that first time so they can use it as an example while simultaneously laughing their evil cackles behind the students' backs.

But that's just college for you.

All in all, I feel fairly comfortable about writing arugments. However, helping to tutor a student who is writing an argument without imposing my own views and ideas on him or her can be a huge challenge. Hey, I guess that's something else I wish I'd be taught--how to deal with flying evil fairies.

...yeah, now I've lost myself.

Frustration

Feel frustrated at times? Feel free to print this off at any time. It works for me.



The most frustrating tutoring experience that I have had happened two days ago. One day, one of my friends walked into the Writing Center wanting a session. I got up and decided to take him for a session. I could tell from the way that everything was that this session would be one of disaster. During this session, I had experienced a number of problems like I knew I would. Most of these problems came from the fact that he was my friend. It can be very difficult when tutoring a friend. That is why a tutor should always think twice before tutoring a friend.

Not every session goes the way a tutor wants. I allowed myself to tutor a friend, and by doing so, I crossed the line in more than one area. Boundaries are different when you tutor someone that you are acquainted with. For example, this student that I tutored is my friend; he wanted me to edit his paper. I tried explaining to him the goal of the Writing Center, but the information just went in one ear and out the other. The reason why this was so was because he did not see me as a tutor—he saw me as a friend. There were different levels of respect that we had for each other. Since we are friends, the levels of respect were obscure in the Writing Center.

Not tutoring your friends is just a suggestion. On most occasions it is preferred you do not tutor someone you know, but it is not the law. It is more of personal judgment.

Arguments

I honestly cannot remember who taught me how to write an argumentative paper. I do distinctly remember, however, someone teaching me to include the oppositions side in my paper to lend it weight. This is why when picking an argument I always carefully chose one that had two equally valid sides. It is hard to argue for not wearing seat belts while driving, for example.
Yet, I also stayed away from extremely controversial topics like abortion which tend to be colored by things other than logical arguments. One's vision can become too clouded by other issues and then your paper is not really read. People see that you are against whatever that person is writing and immediately discredit your paper. Kind of like Fox News or the Utah State Legislature.
However, I must say that I do prefer a Toulminian style of argument over the Rogerian style. The Rogerian style feels to me like avoidance of the question. I see the point, but it seems that exploring both sides of an issue should lead to an opinion on that issue, not just an exploration of it. Unless of course your assignment is to explore it, like for this class.
Perhaps I have been arguing one side or another for too long to make the Rogerian style seem valid. I am used to being chastised for being too wishy-washy (Dr. Rogers is in part responsible for this). This means that the Rogerian style feels too weak.
I am also used to not only making judgements on social issues, but literary issues as well. Therefore I am used to arguing about things like the reason for Jean Toomer's Cane containing visual representations of arcs or why Cormac McCarthy uses a blend of humor and violence (see Bakhtin for this). Because Dr. Rogers hammered this style into my head for a semester of Academic College Writing, I now do this all of the time. This is also why I don't do the Rogerian method. Also we were publically humiliated if we did not do this. This makes one key to not screw up. I also learned way too much about crazy people in England (see Graham Swift's Waterland for this).
I think that I write arguments now without much thought. This is why the paper for this class is going to be such of a challenge. It goes against everything I've been taught for my entire English career (as I jokingly label it). This is going to be the biggest challenge. I will have to unthink everything I know and write something new.
I think the challenge is not writing an argumentative paper, but not writing an argumentative paper. Does anyone else feel me on this?
Anyway I have like fifty more words to reach five hundred, so I'll leave with the idea that I have been very lucky in my schooling that I was taught how to write an argument without remembering the source. Either that or every English teacher I've ever had is the source. In any case, I can now write one so automatically that not arguing becomes the new challenge. This is my dilemma.
Okay, now I've said my five hundred words so...I'm going to work on writing those papers.

Bragging Rights

Midterms were easy compared to the rest of my life. I had one take-home midterm and one 5-question essay test. I truly enjoyed both of them. Right. But I’ve had enough of sitting around and moping. I want to think about things other than imploding families and death from H1N1. So…you get to read about my children.

My oldest is the best big brother I know. He has a “responsible” attitude, and takes his job as the oldest very seriously. Okay, so he’s a little bossy. Even so, I know I can depend on him to keep our family members clothed and fed while I’m busy being a student. I’ve always been grateful he was born first.

My second son is the first one with autism. He was amazing: he started talking when he was just two months old. He cooed, “I love you” to his grandparents and us on a regular basis. He knew what he was saying. By the time he was 12 months old he could sing recognizable songs. Then something went wrong, and he lost all of his speech by the time he was two and a half. He even had trouble understanding what we were saying to him. He had to start over, and this time it took a lot longer. With the help of God and some wonderful special education teachers, my son is now finishing up high school and headed for the grand adventure of adult life.

My third son is interesting. He started off that way. When I saw that first ultrasound and discovered I was having another boy, I wondered what could possibly be different and interesting about having another male child in the family. I started getting the idea when he was born weighing almost 11 pounds. He didn’t stop there. In fact, he never did stop running. He ran in circles, with a huge smile on his face. He ran everywhere, all the time. He scared his nursery class teachers. He was a blast! There were times when he struggled, when his unique brand of autism sprouted violent or anti-social behavior. He still has no friends at all. Even so, he has an interesting perspective on life and is fun to have around. I wouldn’t trade him in for anyone.

An ultrasound tech told me my fourth child was a girl. After three boys, though, I was skeptical. I told everyone I wouldn’t believe it until I changed that first diaper. She actually did turn out to be a girl. She had tons of dark brown hair, and wide, gorgeous blue eyes. She still does. My daughter spends her time befriending the friendless and creating wondrous art creations. She is the peacemaker that our busy family needed.

My youngest son also struggles with autism. His is the “worst.” He was very slow at learning to say words. For the first couple of years he spoke in nonsense words with perfect intonation and voice inflection. He didn’t seem to notice that we used different sounds in our speech; he just heard the “music” part of language. With the help of patient teachers and speech therapists he is doing well today. I can’t believe my youngest boy is in 8^th grade!

My baby ended up being a girl. We had quite a struggle getting her here: she was born with a collapsed lung and severe gastro-esophageal reflux. She almost died in the NICU. She had surgery to correct the reflux when she was four. No one would suspect any problems now, though – she is a tall, healthy, smart 11-year-old. She is an artist and a musician like her sister.

Okay, I just passed the 600-word mark. I guess I’ll have to save the rest for the next slacker blog.

Writing Arguments

How were you taught to write arguments? By a teacher? A peer? How did it happen? What do you wish you'd been taught about writing arguments that, perhaps, you weren't?

Mid-terms

As mid-term rolled around, it brought with it a second wave of tests for us science majors. To my immense relief and shock this semester is almost over. I can’t believe how quickly it has passed. As I look forward to the fast approaching end of semester, I can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by all that remains unfinished. The bibliographic essay for example, is just one of those little pains I have yet to alleviate. After finding five sources so far, I still feel panicked by the fact that this is as far as I have gotten. It doesn’t help that in order to find one fact or idea that can be used in this essay, it is necessary to search through about fifty pages of crap beforehand.

As I face the five or so weeks ahead I realize that the hardest thing I will deal with is not the tests and finals themselves, rather it will be keeping myself in the proper school and study mind-set. This is not an easy thing to do especially with the holidays drawing near. I guess the best way to stay grounded in this aspect is to remember that only half of the semester points are accounted for, meaning the fate of my grade in any one of my classes is not yet determined. A lot could change in a month’s time if I am not careful. Yikes!

Looking at the optimistic side of things, WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT FIVE WEEKS OF THE SEMESTER LEFT! If we can get through a few more tests, a few more essays and a few more long study sessions, we will have a whole month to do whatever we please! For me, this long-awaited break cannot come soon enough. As I leave for Christmas Break, I plan on leaving school and everything to do with it far behind and just relaxing.