One Teacher’s Reaction to I, You and It by James Moffett

I, You and It by James Moffett

(originally printed in College Composition and Communication, Volume 16, No. 5 (December, 1965), 243-48.)

First, when Moffett says that a student “…get some kind of feedback other than red marks,” I couldn’t agree more. In my experience, students who have the opportunity to learn in an environment in which risk-taking is encouraged (and not punished by grades) are able to raise the level of their writing to much higher standards. Mind you, risk-taking is an exceptionally important aspect to learning. But so many times students conform to the format and never really branch out because risks are so often rewarded with low or even failing grades. My views regarding this issue have been shaped by years of reflection as well as by Alfie Kohn’s Punished by Rewards and Ken O’Conner’s How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to Standards. Kohn’s general premise—that rewards can in many ways act as a punisher—give cause to reflect about practices such as putting stars on papers (why did you get a star on your paper when mine was just as good?) or using mass punishment (since Johnny can’t get started, we’re all staying in until he gets something down on paper). From O’Conner’s work, educators are encouraged to think about grading practices that are, in actual fact, illogical. Take the giving of a “zero” on a piece for whatever reason—turned in late, didn’t follow directions exactly, etc. Typical grading systems are based on a scale, such as 60-69=D, 70-79=C, and so on. Using this system, an “F” should be scaled from 50-59. If a student truly did not attempt to write or did not turn something in, they should receive a 50. By awarding a 50, an educator recognizes that the student did at least do something (even if it was just thinking), and the grade will not permanently damage the entire grading period. In other words, the student can still pass, and the grade has greater potential to reflect learning, not just whether or not the student finished. Feedback for students’ writing, then, should come in multiple forms, including conferencing with peers and teacher or adults, written feedback and opportunities to share drafts in any stage. Students then feel free to take risks, dig deeper in their thinking and soar in their writing.

Moffett goes on to say something with which I disagree completely. He states, that he is “leery of asking the student to read about writing.” Moffett explains that “trial and error best develop judgment and taste, and that explanations of good style, technique and rhetoric create more problems than they solve.” I believe it is essential for students to read, discuss and thoroughly study well-written pieces. Similarly, reading about the thought processes good writers use to produce their work certainly has benefited all levels of writers. Just as a quick example, I am reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. I am learning about writing in two ways: first, studying word choice, flow, and structure from a superb writer will give me pause about my own word choice; second, I will benefit from her own reflections about writing in terms of the process she uses when she writes.