You are probably wondering why I waited until Week 7 of 15
to start my journey with you. Well, truthfully, it is because as both a teacher
and a student, I have had to truly learn about #TrustingTheProcess. #TrustingTheProcess,
while it may seem easy, is not always as easy as it may seem. Sometimes, it is easier said than done. First,
I want to talk about how as a teacher, I navigate trusting the process,
especially in a virtual environment.
I don’t think I ever imagined my first-semester experience to be in the virtual environment. I thought that when the heat came, COVID-19 would somehow die off, but that is not what happened. However, I am still grateful to even be in graduate school, as I know how truly lucky, I am to have been accepted. Although the journey is not always sunshine and roses, it is worth it. It is worth every learning opportunity not only as a teacher but also as a student. In her amazing book “Eight Essential Questions Teachers Ask,” Deanna Dannels discusses common questions teachers ask. As a TA, one of the biggest questions I had was: “How do I Negotiate Relational Boundaries?” Dannels calls this question a “worry stone question”, or a commonly asked question. As a matter of fact, she dedicated an entire chapter of her book to this very question! This question seems even more important in negotiating the virtual environment. As a teacher, I often am finding myself trading emails with students that are professional yet caring. I want to be a flexible TA, one that cares for students in their professional endeavors but also note that these are some really uncertain times they are going through right now. Like all of us, they are also learning how tYou are probably wondering why I waited until Week 7 of 15 to start my journey with you. Well, trut hfully, it is because as both a teacher and a student, I have had to truly learn about #TrustingTheProcess. #TrustingTheProcess, while it may seem easy, is not always as easy as it may seem. Sometimes, it is easier said than done. First, I want to talk about how as a teacher, I navigate trusting the process, especially in a virtual environment.
I don’t think
I ever imagined my first-semester experience to be in the virtual environment.
I thought that when the heat came, COVID-19 would somehow die off, but that is
not what happened. However, I am still grateful to even be in graduate school, as
I know how truly lucky, I am to have been accepted. Although the journey is not
always sunshine and roses, it is worth it. It is worth every learning
opportunity not only as a teacher but also as a student. In her amazing book “Eight
Essential Questions Teachers Ask,” Deanna Dannels discusses common questions
teachers ask. As a TA, one of the biggest questions I had was: “How do I
Negotiate Relational Boundaries?” Dannels calls this question a “worry stone
question”, or a commonly asked question. As a matter of fact, she dedicated an
entire chapter of her book to this very question! This question seems even more
important in negotiating the virtual environment. As a teacher, I often am
finding myself trading emails with students that are professional yet caring. I
want to be a flexible TA, one that cares for students in their professional
endeavors but also note that these are some really uncertain times they are
going through right now. Like all of us, they are also learning how to
#TrustTheProcess and I understand it is a difficult thing to do. When a student
takes COMM 1010 with me, I want them to know I care about them but am still
going to hold high expectations for them, just like my current and former
professors do, and did, for me. I do try and offer words of wisdom and
encouragement and try to offer as much compassion and grace as possible, which is,
to be honest, something I am trying to work on extending to myself as a graduate
student and also a TA. I want to be sensitive to their experiences while also
being professional. Often times when I exchange emails with students about an issue
that is personal, I always ask myself after if I’ve said the right thing. When
students respond back thanking me for my care, I remember that it is all about
how I need to just #TrustTheProcess, even when I am unsure of how to do that.
Paulo Freir discusses reflexivity and praxis, and as a student and a teacher, I
have had to implement true self-reflection. Case in Point: my journey in
Feminist Criticism.
While I
respect rhetoric with my entire heart and think it is an extremely important
part of the Communication Studies Discipline, it is probably the most
challenging aspect of communication for me on a personal level. However, I am
glad I am deciding to #TrustTheProcess and take this course, as I know it will
only make me a better communicator and writer in the end. So, imagine my own
surprise when I decided to sign up for Feminist Criticism to challenge myself
to step way outside of my comfort zone. The first few weeks of the course were
not that hard. We read, we discussed the readings, and we built a community,
albeit in the virtual environment. I’d say that’s successful. Now, as I imagine
what my final project is going to look like, the course is becoming much more
of a challenge. The thing is, I knew it was going to be this way and still
chose to take it, which I am very glad for. It is good for people to step
outside of their comfort zones and do things to implement trust and growth.
Now, as I
navigate conducting research and making a rhetorical argument regarding my
final project, I’ve experienced lots of doubts this week about my place in
Feminist Criticism. I am an upbeat person, but to say the least about Week 7…it’s
been humbling to be in graduate school. As a student, the work I do is hard. It’s
not easy for me to just come up with a rhetorical argument. As a matter of
fact, the final project is probably one of the most exciting, yet hardest,
things I will need to do this semester. Yesterday, I became extremely
discouraged when I realized I was way in over my head with the artifact I was
choosing to analyze. I was attempting to analyze a speech, but after really
examining it through a rhetorical lens, I soon and quickly realized that just
because the speech was discussing blind women, that did not mean it had
anything to do with feminism. I was pretty close to using something that would
not have served me well to use. After some self-reflection about the **major**
missteps I took in selecting my artifact, I reached out to my fantastic professor
for some guidance. I was worried that it was too late to pick another artifact,
but after self-reflection, I thought I should at least reach out.
Today, I
had a meeting with my professor. She informed me that it was not too late to
change my artifact and that I just needed to situate myself to make a rhetorical
argument. Which, to be honest with you all, I am still figuring out how to do.
She also gave me pieces of very valuable feedback that will serve me well beyond
Feminist Criticism. I always say my brain does not work in a rhetorical fashion,
that I don’t know how to do rhetoric, and that I will not be a rhetorician.
However, when I’m having that inner dialogue with myself and naming the world
as Freir suggests scholars do, I am not #TrustingTheProcess at all. As a matter
of fact, I am pushing back against the process of trust. Dictionary.com defines
“trust” as “[a] firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength
of someone or something” (Dictionary.com). What I vow to do from this day
forward when engaging in dialogue with myself and others about rhetoric is say,
“Maybe I’m not good at this now, but I trust that I will get better.” I will no
longer say I don’t do rhetoric. I will #TrustTheProcess, no matter how many
bumps there are in the road to getting there. The road is not always a straight
shot to an unknown destination. Sometimes on that windy road, there will be
obstacles that one encounters. In my case, my biggest obstacle as a teacher is
negotiating boundaries of professionalism with my ability to sympathize and care
about and with my students. To not only care about them finding their own
process to trust, but to care about their learning in COMM 1010 Virtual
Addition. To establish self-reflexivity and dialogue with them, and to
eventually bring it to praxis. But also, to care about what is happening in my
students’ personal lives that may be preventing them from turning in their best
work. To care as a teacher and not a therapist but to still demonstrate that I care.
Dr. Dannels brings up some amazing techniques for caring about students which I
have implemented into my own practice. For example, one of my students asked me
to provide him with feedback for his paper, but I was not in a position to do
that because the paper was due at 11:59 PM that night. I do not bring up this story to call this
student out for emailing me on a Sunday. I am totally okay with students
emailing me on Sundays. Using Dannels’ language regarding feedback, I gently
informed the student that I was glad he was committed to his learning, but that
I could not provide feedback with such late notice. The student thanked me for
my time and we both moved forward. And also, he did great on his paper! Dannels
taught me a lot when I read her book, and I felt like I got a glimpse into how
to be the most effective teacher from her.
As I rap up
this first out of five blog posts, I know that there will be days where
#TrustingTheProcess is easy and days where it is challenging. The important
thing is, I will not give up until I either master rhetoric to the best of my
abilities, learn that self-disclosure over email is appropriate because it
allows me to share common ground with students and give them appropriate tips
for success in COMM 1010, or trust myself with my research and know that I am
only doing the best I can. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and I look forward
to reading yours!
Sending a Virtual Handshake or Hug,
Kendalo
#TrustTheProcess and I understand it is a difficult thing to do. When a student
takes COMM 1010 with me, I want them to know I care about them but am still
going to hold high expectations for them, just like my current and former
professors do, and did, for me. I do try and offer words of wisdom and
encouragement and try to offer as much compassion and grace as possible, which is,
to be honest, something I am trying to work on extending to myself as a graduate
student and also a TA. I want to be sensitive to their experiences while also
being professional. Often times when I exchange emails with students about an issue
that is personal, I always ask myself after if I’ve said the right thing. When
students respond back thanking me for my care, I remember that it is all about
how I need to just #TrustTheProcess, even when I am unsure of how to do that.
Paulo Freir discusses reflexivity and praxis, and as a student and a teacher, I
have had to implement true self-reflection. Case in Point: my journey in
Feminist Criticism.
While I
respect rhetoric with my entire heart and think it is an extremely important
part of the Communication Studies Discipline, it is probably the most
challenging aspect of communication for me on a personal level. However, I am
glad I am deciding to #TrustTheProcess and take this course, as I know it will
only make me a better communicator and writer in the end. So, imagine my own
surprise when I decided to sign up for Feminist Criticism to challenge myself
to step way outside of my comfort zone. The first few weeks of the course were
not that hard. We read, we discussed the readings, and we built a community,
albeit in the virtual environment. I’d say that’s successful. Now, as I imagine
what my final project is going to look like, the course is becoming much more
of a challenge. The thing is, I knew it was going to be this way and still
chose to take it, which I am very glad for. It is good for people to step
outside of their comfort zones and do things to implement trust and growth.
Now, as I
navigate conducting research and making a rhetorical argument regarding my
final project, I’ve experienced lots of doubts this week about my place in
Feminist Criticism. I am an upbeat person, but to say the least about Week 7…it’s
been humbling to be in graduate school. As a student, the work I do is hard. It’s
not easy for me to just come up with a rhetorical argument. As a matter of
fact, the final project is probably one of the most exciting, yet hardest,
things I will need to do this semester. Yesterday, I became extremely
discouraged when I realized I was way in over my head with the artifact I was
choosing to analyze. I was attempting to analyze a speech, but after really
examining it through a rhetorical lens, I soon and quickly realized that just
because the speech was discussing blind women, that did not mean it had
anything to do with feminism. I was pretty close to using something that would
not have served me well to use. After some self-reflection about the **major**
missteps I took in selecting my artifact, I reached out to my fantastic professor
for some guidance. I was worried that it was too late to pick another artifact,
but after self-reflection, I thought I should at least reach out.
Today, I
had a meeting with my professor. She informed me that it was not too late to
change my artifact and that I just needed to situate myself to make a rhetorical
argument. Which, to be honest with you all, I am still figuring out how to do.
She also gave me pieces of very valuable feedback that will serve me well beyond
Feminist Criticism. I always say my brain does not work in a rhetorical fashion,
that I don’t know how to do rhetoric, and that I will not be a rhetorician.
However, when I’m having that inner dialogue with myself and naming the world
as Freir suggests scholars do, I am not #TrustingTheProcess at all. As a matter
of fact, I am pushing back against the process of trust. Dictionary.com defines
“trust” as “[a] firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength
of someone or something” (Dictionary.com). What I vow to do from this day
forward when engaging in dialogue with myself and others about rhetoric is say,
“Maybe I’m not good at this now, but I trust that I will get better.” I will no
longer say I don’t do rhetoric. I will #TrustTheProcess, no matter how many
bumps there are in the road to getting there. The road is not always a straight
shot to an unknown destination. Sometimes on that windy road, there will be
obstacles that one encounters. In my case, my biggest obstacle as a teacher is
negotiating boundaries of professionalism with my ability to sympathize and care
about and with my students. To not only care about them finding their own
process to trust, but to care about their learning in COMM 1010 Virtual
Addition. To establish self-reflexivity and dialogue with them, and to
eventually bring it to praxis. But also, to care about what is happening in my
students’ personal lives that may be preventing them from turning in their best
work. To care as a teacher and not a therapist but to still demonstrate that I care.
Dr. Dannels brings up some amazing techniques for caring about students which I
have implemented into my own practice. For example, one of my students asked me
to provide him with feedback for his paper, but I was not in a position to do
that because the paper was due at 11:59 PM that night. I do not bring up this story to call this
student out for emailing me on a Sunday. I am totally okay with students
emailing me on Sundays. Using Dannels’ language regarding feedback, I gently
informed the student that I was glad he was committed to his learning, but that
I could not provide feedback with such late notice. The student thanked me for
my time and we both moved forward. And also, he did great on his paper! Dannels
taught me a lot when I read her book, and I felt like I got a glimpse into how
to be the most effective teacher from her.
As I rap up
this first out of five blog posts, I know that there will be days where
#TrustingTheProcess is easy and days where it is challenging. The important
thing is, I will not give up until I either master rhetoric to the best of my
abilities, learn that self-disclosure over email is appropriate because it
allows me to share common ground with students and give them appropriate tips
for success in COMM 1010, or trust myself with my research and know that I am
only doing the best I can. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and I look forward
to reading yours!
Sending a Virtual Handshake or Hug,
Kendal
I completely forgot to post media so here it is!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJbg-FcYLBI