I believe that I have gained a great amount of valuable information and insight into teaching at the Oregon Writing Project. I hope the information I have picked up will lead to a significant change in my teaching style. I do not exaggerate when I describe my classes as remedial or alternative.
Students are poor readers and writers, often with poor attitudes to match.
Additionally, I still consider myself a beginning teacher, because I am not satisfied that I have achieved a level of success in my teaching practices. I become goal oriented, pushing students toward credits they earn, instead of working to strengthen academic skills and to make writing a pleasant experience. The Oregon Writing Project has helped me move from a result-oriented outlook toward teaching writing on a more individualized basis. The proof of my success will be in implementation of these new programs and the ideas I have learned in the OWP workshop. I am anxious to try Ingrid Wendt's poetry ideas and my new Internet tools in particular.