Read on Twitter
Moving online made me rethink my #CreativeWriting course delivery so I’m sharing what worked in case it’s helpful. Honestly, it’s embarrassing I didn’t see some of this before (but who has time for reflection? amirite?) Share your hot tips too, please. #onlineteaching #teaching
PROCESS OVER PRODUCT: My big insight was grading for Process, not Product. Reward students for trying what you teach—reward experiment itself, not its success. Success can come later. Pandemics delay aha moments. I can’t expect students to integrate as quickly now.
If we reward good writing only, talented students might write great stuff but never actually try/learn what you have on offer. Reward engaging the lesson/learning/process, rather than getting it perfect. Skills will improve if you learn them.
Process over Product means a small task each week which is Complete (full grades) or Incomplete (no grade). It’s quick to grade, & insightful for what they caught onto & where more help is req'd. Some don’t do the work, which accounts for a grades curve (if you need that).
GRADES: Have fewer big assignments. We need more prep time, right? So I’m assigning 2 pieces of writing only. They do other weekly small writing/experiments, not big. Less to grade (and grading regularly for in/complete) means fewer workshops & more prep time.
I give a grade guarantee. If they don’t want to revise work for end-of-term portfolio, they get the same grade. (I explain that usually their grade would drop without revisions—writing is rewriting—but we all need more capacity.) Or, if a revision fails, the grade won’t drop.
In lieu of revisions, I front-load feedback. Students share work in draft form. The weekly exercises they do asynchronously (during 1st half of class) are opportunities to share/socialize. A diff version of editing. They trade ideas during making, not just the finished product.
DEADLINES: I have no absolute deadlines, nor penalties. Students can catch up at any time. Lates miss out on peer feedback, which is enuf loss/penalty. Policing deadlines? I don’t need to determine which story is more valid. It privileges the candid & punishes the private.
I’m v privileged & comfy & still wander the house unproductive. How do I expect more from my students, who are under-employed, w half my life experience (& way less therapy)? I’d rather lead by nurturing & empathy than by dates. And who has time to police & parse reasons?
MAKE ROOM FOR THE SOCIAL: Every week class has social time. They try stuff together in small breakout rooms. Lectures are asynch—posted the week before—so coming to class is for conversations online. Sharing & connection. So, shorter stretches of screen time too.
WELLNESS: I started term talking wellness. We created a wellness program together & posted it. What’s health success look like in this course? What do you/I/we need?
In some smaller classes we do a wellness check in at the start. How was the week? Pick 1 positive from it. It was AMAZINGLY informative. And humbling. It helped me reach out to those struggling, to find places we could work to alleviate issues. Lead with compassion.
I unpacked the course outline, indicating any built-in wellness: fewer assts, front-loading feedback, process vs product. I talked about my capacity too, what I needed, where I was vulnerable. What I would try but what my limitations were. It models wellness as course priority.
I also remind them self-care is part of being a good student. Prioritizing their health—getting outdoors, sleeping & eating well, managing stress—are fundamental to succeeding long term. I talk about my own aha moments learning that firsthand.
This is the 1st term in 13yrs I’ve read books & carved time for writing. (I read & write during term breaks). But doing both regularly greatly helps my mental health. I had more capacity this term cuz I was calmer. Prioritizing health made this the least stressful term ever.
TIME: I give no out-of-class homework except the 2 assignments. I make sure they can accomplish the reading & lesson during our 3hrs of class every week, synched or not. Students say many profs now assign smaller things, but they require more time. Outside class hours. No go.
All my lectures are 20min or less. If you need longer, divide it up. Sure, students can stop & start, but that’s not modeling moderation. It’s also easier on me to do shorter videos.
And: don’t aim for perfection in your recordings. When I goof up on video, I point it out it’s “more live this way”. That models trial over perfection, and process over product for me too.
REFLECTION: Often I spend time in class recapping what we learned, but that’s more passive screen time. Instead, I gave them asynch class time to do reflections. Like a learning diary.
A reflection learning diary asks what they got out of each week/exercise, what they will bring forward, what changes or next steps they’ll make. It helps them notice the learning that is happening, & have a record. The grade is in/complete. A great insight generator for us both.
TRANSPARENCY: I’m transparent, about how I’m doing, about my capacity, about what choices I’m making and why. That’s good modelling too. How can I expect my students to be vulnerable and reach out if I’m not?
One week, my friend died, so I told my students I might be slow getting stuff back. They were super caring—wellness in action—& knowing I had less pressure helped me get my work done in time anyhow. Less pressure works both ways, with transparency.
IN CONCLUSION: That’s my big takeaways this year. In all 3 classes, my students wrote me such kind & praising notes. Nearly every student. They thanked me for being caring, for being flexible, for the wellness checks, for the fun social time, for all the learning too.
END: By privileging the process, I think I taught them a better way of going about making. Making isn’t the end goal, it’s the process. If you love/learn in the process, the effort doesn’t feel so much like work. NOW SHARE YOUR TIPS! Pls & thx.