Opening Reflection

The purpose of writing

(I suppose it's not an accident...) 

Molly Listen 

2 minutes before class...cue sounds of papers shuffling, muffled talking, and students on their way to class.

Good morning!
Nice to see you again.
Did you have a good summer?
Yeah. Did you?
Yes! I just went to a play last night with my mom.
Which one? I was buying tickets to see—

Hello class. Please grab a syllabus and review it before our next class meeting. I want to begin our first lecture because we have a lot of material to cover. Please don’t use your cell phone or laptop during class.

Cue visual one…

Hey can I borrow a pencil?
Sure, here you go.

This is a writing class. When composing an essay, don’t jump around from topic to topic too quickly. You need to make sure you have a linear thought process that the reader can easily follow. You must clearly label your thesis statement. Do not leave your essay up to interpretation – be explicit about what you’re trying to communicate. Think of your essay like a shape. No matter who is looking at it, or reading it, should be able to clearly identify the purpose and structure of your design.

Visual One:

Kazimir Malevich: Black Square

But Professor Books, in our everyday lives, the way we encounter and interact with information is not always so concrete and rigid. We are constantly interrupted by texts, emails, phone calls, conversations, and even our own thoughts. Aren't all of these distractions important in their own way?

Cue visual two…

In my opinion, writing is not limited to words written down on a page in a formal classroom setting. Writing is a culmination of everything that we read and interpret each day of our lives. Each distraction or interruption we encounter allows us to interact more thoroughly with our surroundings and ultimately makes life more interesting. I like to think of writing as a multi-dimensional platform for communication, interpretation, and self-expression.

Visual Two:

Jackson Pollock: Jump In

I understand your point. However, it is imperative that your reader can follow your train of thought when reading your work. If you go off on tangents, you’ll forget what you’re talking about and lose sight of your objective. The way we communicate through speech is different than the way we communicate through writing...

Ok. I can see where you’re coming from…

Cue sound one

Please excuse me. I got a text from my daughter, she’s at home sick today.

“Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless” – Thomas A. Edison

Sound one
Cue Visual three…

Now where was I? Oh yes, to address your point from before, you’re correct. Not to say it isn’t important to keep a focused direction for your essays, but I do want to allow for some creativity. It can be difficult to separate the chaos of life and the structure of work and school. But that’s the beauty of writing. It can be a venue for us to organize our thoughts and communicate those thoughts to others. Writing also allows us the creative freedom to manipulate and explore multiple perspectives... Perhaps we should look at our essay assignment not as a single shape, but as multiple shapes interacting and supporting each other to create a unified and cohesive finished product. 

Visual three:

Picasso: The Milliner’s Workshop

Have we reached a compromise?

Yes. Thank you.

Class is dismissed. See you Thursday.

Hey buddy, thanks for letting me borrow your pencil.
Anytime. See you next class!

“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents” –Bob Ross

See, I told you it wasn't an accident ;-)