In Bruce Ballenger's "Reconsiderations: Donald Murray and the Pedagogy of Surprise", I had a rather significant pause at, "The professional writer isn't always the best study subject for theorizing about the composing processes of composition students, most of whom are inexperiences and relatively unmotiviated writers in a required course" (301). The reason I paused here is because a question came into my mind: What if you yourself are an unmotivated writer? What then? Can you possibly teach writing if you are unmotivated yourself? If not, how can you fix this problem?
If it's not already obvious, I'm asking this question because I can't say that I'm a motivated writer. I'm not even sure if I would call myself a "writer" at all. I've taken four different courses on creative writing during my time in college. As an adolescent, I spent a lot of time writing sad (mostly love) poems. I thought maybe taking this courses would inspire me to want to write. They did. But only for class. Even after all of those courses, in which I churned out some pretty decent stuff even, I still have no drive to write outside of the classroom.
So I'm wondering, am I alone in this? It may be important to mention that I have not actually settled on a career in teaching. I will graduate with my BA in English in December, and I am seriously considering returning in a couple of years (when my youngest is closer to school age) for the teaching certification. If, in fact, I do decide to take this path, would I ever be able to successfully teach writing to students if I am not motivated myself?
3 comments:
Hi Breana,
I think its important to keep in mind that very few (or maybe no) writers are motivated 100% of the time. We all go through phases in which our love and desire for writing waxes and those in which in wanes, very much like how married couples continually fall in and out of love with one another. It may well be that writing just isn't something near to your heart, but it might also be that college or some other aspect of your life has obscured the desire to write for you and made it less appealing, so it's good that you'll have time after graduating to test that. It may well be that your experience struggling to find desire to write will in fact make you an even greater English teacher, because it will allow you to connect to many of your students, and perhaps show them how to overcome a lack of desire.
kevin keating
Hello, Breana
NO, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I feel the same way about understanding the difference between writing for pleasure and writing because it is your job. I agree with Kevin, though. Writing is just like marriage: sometimes you secretly wish you have done something different with your life and time, and sometimes you enjoy every minute of it and every experience with your loved one. Some experiences come with a sour-sweet flavor, but who doesn't like sour-sweet candies?
Breanna,
Never has there been a more unmotivated writer than me. Never write. Hate it. Everything I've ever written sucks and will never be read by anyone so what's the use.
Except for the times when I am motivated to write. Then, it's: Write all the time. Love it. Everything I've ever written is brilliant and will be read by all posterity so forge on.
I don't think writing is at all like marriage, unless you are married to a schizophrenic, bi-polar alcholic abuser (not that there's anything wrong with that if you like that kind of thing)who constantly berates you and then tells you how wonderful you are are while punching you in the face and then kissing you on your bloody mouth.
What was the questions again?
~Michelle
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