Surprising Introduction to ENGL110: Instructor's Unique Teaching Style - Essay Sample

Introduction

Similar to the majority of the other courses that I had attended prior to the first English class, I had expected the instructor to just introduce themselves, maybe provide an overview or learning objective preview of the course before waiting for the next class to get into the gist of introducing the subject. On the contrary, the instructor went a step ahead to introduce the fundamental areas of the subject, thus using a single class to summarize what I would expect of the course. In ENGL1100, along with the objectives provided by both CSCC and the English department, our instructor stated that we would be working towards three specific goals: becoming better writers, becoming better readers, and becoming better thinkers. A variety of assignments were provided to accomplish these objectives.

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While any individual or English student can be a writer, only a select few end up being accomplished writers in the different genres or capacities across the disciplines. From a personal perspective, I believed that writing revolved around the ability of one to come up with a story and explicitly present it on paper in a way that captivates readers. While the idea of writing is indeed true to my earlier thoughts, the course has shed light on the entire creative processes that lead to the development of Pulitzer and award-winning literary pieces (Rodesiler et al.).

As an amateur, I only handle or engaged topics that I was familiar with and that I could comprehend. In this regard, I was able to easily create and present content on the go. With time though, even I could see the blandness and lack of oomph in my creative pieces. As time progressed and the classes attended religiously, I began attempting assignments on unfamiliar topics. I was now talking longer periods of time doing my research on the topics and even more hours composing and drafting the projects, unlike what I did during the onset of the course. Initially, I would select those topics that I was familiar with then do minimal research since I was already familiar with the content. The presentation of the information was also easier since the flow of ideas was almost coincidental.

Upon the attempt of my first unchartered topic, however, I found it especially challenging to create or derive content from the required readings from the assignments. Nonetheless, I persisted and continued improving, taking more time, and incorporating impromptu readings of the topics in my leisure time. Gradually, one gets to learn that the content is not created at the exact time that one is working or typing away on their computer. Instead, ideas and content flow when you are engaged in a different activity. Personally, I realized that the ideas would pop up when I was engaged in a relaxing activity. Other times it would even take me up to a day later to understand a particular topic or a concept from an unfamiliar author.

Through the next classes, I learned and acquired more skills that enabled me to communicate my skills on a completely new level. Some of my readers who had sampled my earlier work even attested to the improvement and difference in composition as well as style of writing. In my assignments, the professor pointed out the improvements while at the same time offering help on where and how to improve. By the time I was handing in my sixth assignment, between other personal projects, I could now comfortably connect my mind to more eloquent compositions. Conciseness, grammar, and engagement were now evident in my papers as I could discern between writing styles with regard to academic and creative writing. In this regard, both my personal creative projects and my assignments were testaments to the benefits of ENGL 1100.

The course also led me to appreciate the significance of better reading and its correlation to writing. For this particular context, the course imparted me with the essential reading skills requisite of higher learning settings. The main idea behind reading, therefore, was for academic purposes. The first lessons included the identification of the purpose of reading before undertaking tasks. According to our instructor, clear reading goals can significantly increase the efficiency of an individual. In an academic setting, for example, it is important to distinguish the different types of reading in order to easily comprehend and understand the required readings for assignments.

In this context skimming, scanning and detailed reading and note-taking are some of the topics covered. Skimming involves speedy coverage of text or literary work for the purposes of getting general meaning. To fulfill skimming, one is required to let their eyes skip over sentences and paragraphs that contain detailed information. The basic idea of skimming is the identification of the general idea or the central points of the text. Scanning, on the other hand, revolves around passing visual swiftly over a section of text while trying to identify a particular keyword or phrase.

Detailed reading and note-taking, unlike the first two skills, require more time and effort. Moreover, Yusuf et al. assert that detailed reading usually follows scanning and skimming, since one uses the former methods to identify specific topics or areas before undertaking detailed reading on the relevant sections of the texts intended for cover (47). In mastering all of these reading skills, our instructor illustrated using comparative examples within the class by pointing out different improvements between individual students emphasizing the significance of reading skills to the class and writing as a discipline.

While the relevance of reading and writing skills are more than obvious to ENGL 1100, most people, including myself, had overlooked the importance of critical thinking during my first class of the subject. As I progressed with my study of the course, however, I came to understand the relevance of critical thinking as a building block to becoming both a better reader and a better writer (Rodesiler et al.). Through critical thinking, one is able to look at the various perspectives of the content of their readings in the process visualizing the authors' intended message. In the same way, as an author, it allows one to consider the intended audience before delving into content creation.

Subsequently, a person learns that writing takes time since one has to contemplate the different and contexts as well as methods of relaying the message of what they write. Critical thinking thus is the entire process of contemplation of the right words, the correct writing style, and all the other elements that contribute to the entire creative process and the resulting literary product (Cottrell). With regards to reading, it allows a reader to consider all the possible interpretations of texts before arriving at the intended message delivered by the literature.

Conclusion

Conclusively, ENGL1100 is a great and essential beginner course for majors in both literature, art, and even technical disciplines. The skills acquired from the class improve the overall mastery of the English language, thus enabling students to better understand their disciplines, especially since the majority are covered in the language. The course, through its specific objectives of creating better writers, readers, and better thinkers, contributes to a fulfilling higher learning experience.

Works Cited

Cottrell, Stella. Critical thinking skills: Effective analysis, argument and reflection. Macmillan International Higher Education, 2017.

Rodesiler, Luke, and Brian Kelley. "Continuous Becoming: Moving toward Mastery: Developing as a Writer, Growing as a Teacher: Dual Purposes for Participating Online." English Journal 106.3 (2017): 100.

YUSUF, QISMULLAH, et al. "Skimming and scanning techniques to assist EFL students in understanding English reading texts." IRJE (Indonesian Research Journal in Education) (2017): 43-57.