Writing About Trauma and Not Using A Rubric To Do It -- Kati
Writing About Trauma and Not Using A Rubric To Do It 
Interrogating trauma through the use of literature can be helpful for students because it helps them connect to a character who may be going through something similar to what they have gone through. Texts serve two purposes: “…transport readers to new spaces…” and “…provide affirmation to the readers by showing reflections of their identity and experience…” (Taylor, 2019). Books can often be a place of refuge for students and take them out of their own lives and give them experiences beyond the classroom and their homes.
Can a book really save your life?
13 Reasons Why:
In the book, Hannah, a high school girl, grapples with all of the interactions she had with people in her school including her best friend and her rapist. When Netflix came out with a series adaptation of the book, it received a lot of backlash from the public because they claimed that it glorified suicide and was a bad example to the impressionable minds of the kids that watch the show. Since the series was based on a novel, it covered more than just suicide. The novel touches on topics like substance abuse, sexual assault, as well as suicide (O'Donnell, 2019).
Through careful consideration of this specific instance and book, some students would be able to see themselves in Hannah or another character in the book. Though it is a controversial book, students may be able to connect with this story in a different way than they would connect to a different story, “allowing them to recognize aspects of their own plight in the lives of characters…” (Taylor, 2019).
Using texts that bring up emotional issues or traumas can also aide teachers in incorporating Social-Emotional Learning. Through using the texts, students begin to see the feelings that the characters have which can, in turn, help students understand their own feelings. Once they understand their own feelings and identify them, the students can learn how to talk about their feelings and approach them more effectively and in a healthier way. Texts that incorporate important, or controversial, issues help to allow teachers to create “safe spaces for students to feel comfortable in sharing aspects of themselves…” (Taylor, 2019). 
Do Rubrics help or hinder the writing process?
Everyone in this class has written at least one paper in their school career. Most times, there is a rubric so that students know what is expected of them. How would a student’s writing change if there wasn’t an expectation of how the writing should look?
While waiting on the phone with an airline, Maja Wilson contemplated how the automated voice system on the phone and the automation of giving children grades based on one rubric correlate. “But a rubric wasn’t so different from the voice still intoning politely into my ear; it pretended to have something to say, but it was ultimately incapable of genuine, specific, ultimately helpful responses” (Wilson, 2007).
In this specific example, Wilson saw an increase in creativity in her students’ writing during their time writing their personal narratives, a project with which we are all familiar. She was able to give helpful, constructive feedback to her students about their writing without using a predetermined set of phrases or sentences.
- Why was the writing and feedback process so different without the use of a rubric?
During this process, her students were able to write freely without feeling the need to conform to a specific set of rules for “good writing.” This allows students to look at their writing and acknowledge which areas may need more details or how to rearrange their stories to tell them how they want them to sound. In association with this question, Wilson questions, “Do we want them writing for the rubric, or do we want them to write for themselves and for us and for all those who hunger for human experience melded with language?”
- What does a rubric provide for students? Why are the rubrics the way they are?
After much thought, I have come to the conclusion that rubrics provide students with base instruction and leave little to no room for interpretation. They give blanket statements of how a piece of writing should look and often times do not take into account the various background that children come from and how that may affect their writing. Rubrics help society to standardize the way people speak and tell stories, but language is something that is everchanging, and “Increased pressure to standardize our reactions to words violates their nature” (Wilson, 2007).
Questions to consider:
- Do you think books like 13 Reasons Why should be examined in the classroom as a tool to engage in the interrogation of trauma? How could it be helpful? How could it be harmful?
- What book would you suggest your class read to look into the life of someone who has gone through a different experience than your students, or that some of your students have been through?
- How could you create an alternate rubric to use when grading writing assignments that are written by your students? What alternate mode assessment could you have for your students to know what the expectations are?
- How can rubrics help a student in their writing process? How could a rubric hinder a student’s writing process?
Citations:
O'Donnell, B. (2019, May 9). 13 Reasons Why and Its Effect on My Mental Health. Retrieved from https://25yearslatersite.com/2019/05/10/13-reasons-why-and-its-effect-on-my- mental-health/.
Taylor, K. M. (2019). Rewriting John Henry: Using Texts to Interrogate Personal Trauma. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 62(4), 463-465.
Wilson, M. (2007). Why I won't be using rubrics to respond to students' writing. English Journal, 62-66.
I really like how this is put together!! Addressing the question How can rubrics help a student in their writing process? How could a rubric hinder a student’s writing process? There are some students who having a rubric is essential when it comes to writing because they want to know exactly what is expected of them. But to other students having a rubric can severely hurt their writing process because they are not focused on just writing and answering the main question. They will be focusing on making sure they are getting everything on the rubric. On the other hand there are some students who not having a rubric will affect their writing process because they wont know what is expected of them, therefore not being able to write to the fullest of their capabilities because of not knowing what is expected of them. I am the student who likes having a rubric because I need to know exactly what I need to write about in order to get my points or grade.
ReplyDeleteMackenzee, I agree, some students need a check list to make sure everything the teacher wants is completed or to be lead in a way of understanding what the assignment is requiring. Others want freedom and not to be tied down to a strategic list of requirements, it stunts their creativity. I am both. I need a check list to feel okay and to know what I am doing and other times, I just want to write with no right or wrong answer.
DeleteMakenzee, I agree with you that some students need rubrics in order to understand what they are being asked for, but I think this is what causes students to miss out on points for assignments. The teacher who makes the rubric has an idea of what they are looking for , and if you they don't receive a response that matches it, then students will lose points. I think having a rubric or a checklist for what is included in the assignment, but not necessarily having a point-scale rubric when grading would be something that was helpful. I was also the student that wanted rubric and wanted to know exactly what needed to be included, but I think that is where I sometimes fell short as well, I knew what needed to be written about and I did it in as few words as possible to make sure I got all the points. I think when students are able to have freedom to write about things that they can have control over, the writing will turn out better and they will learn more along the way.
DeleteI like your blog, Kati! I wanted to touch on the "Thirteen Reasons Why" question, I read "Thirteen Reasons Why" when I was in school. I understand the potential benefits talking about a book like that can bring into the classroom, and you listed some powerful ones, but I think it's important to talk about the negative repercussions of this too. When a teacher uses a controversial text such as this one, they can't be afraid to discuss the controversial topics that go with it. It can be dangerous for students to recognize too much of how they're feeling in the feelings of a character like Hannah. Hannah committed suicide, and there are only a couple of people in the book who actually show remorse or loss at her absence. When a student reads the book and finds extremely similar feelings to their own and they see that it is possible that they won't be missed, it can drive them over the edge. By avoiding talking about these controversial topics and leaving students to their thoughts, teachers are doing those students a disservice and leaving them in a dangerous place. Another responsibility that teachers have when they choose these texts is to really pay attention to what their students are telling them -- verbally and non-verbally. Sometimes, students like Hannah won't let you know at all how they're feeling because they don't think you can help them.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I think texts covering controversial topics like "Thirteen Reasons Why" are a good thing to use in the classroom, for all the reasons Kati listed. However, before it should be used, the teacher has to be ready for the kind of responsibility that comes with that text. I know for a fact that some teachers aren't ready for this and I believe that some teachers are. I don't mean to scare anyone who reads this away from using these books, but it is vitally important that every teacher understands these things.
Brandt, thank you for your extremely thoughtful response! I completely agree with your point about it having negative repercussions on the students and on the classroom culture. I think that if I were to use anything like this, obviously it would be with older students and I would preface it with a discussion about how mental health can affect people in different ways and that suicide is a difficult topic to talk about. I think it is important that students know that they have teachers who they can talk to about this kind of problem that they may be experiencing or know someone who may be experiencing it. This kind of book can cause tension in a classroom and could lead to hard conversations, and I think you are absolutely right that as a teacher we have to be ready to talk about these topics if they are in a book that we have students read.
Delete^^^ -Kati J-W
DeleteI would suggest "All American Boy" by Brendan Kiely. This book talks about a Black boy that encounters police brutality and is wrongfully accused of stealing because he is Black. The book tells the story from his point of view and a white boy who seen the brutality happen up close. This is a good book for a class read to look into the life of someone who has gone through a different experience than some of my students in my classroom. And a way to share what some of my students have been through. This sheds light on the disconnect between both views and communities of social issues that need to be fixed. Also, if a student finds themselves in this book, they will feel more connected and intrigued to read about their experience in a book. Having these types of book allowed in my classroom, allows my students to know that they can feel comfortable sharing this part of themselves.
ReplyDeleteHow can rubrics help a student in their writing process? How could a rubric hinder a student’s writing process?
ReplyDeleteA rubric can do two things and that is motivate and get someone going on writing and it can also prevent them from thinking outside of the box. The motivation is great especially if someone is struggling to find something to write about it will spark ideas. However, it can hinder someone to fully communicate their ideas throughout the paper. Word count and page limits are some of the most common forms of hindering someone they may feel like their idea will take up too much of the paper and limit it.