Dear TAs,
In our October face-to-face session on “Conversations about the Work,” we dug deep and discussed common conversations that come up (particularly during office hours), then we crowdsourced strategies with TAs, Mentors, and Instructors.
Here are three scenarios you may encounter, and strategies to positively and productively engage.
If you get approached after class by a nervous/tearful/frustrated student, with their 72% piece in hand. (With zero tolerance for yelling, intimidating behavior, and student misconduct!)
- Acknowledge that this is important to them, and say that you need time to review the work, rubric, and feedback. Ask them to do the same, and request that they generate 3 specific questions about their work (i.e. not ‘why did I only get a B-?’).
- Take a deep, calm breath.
- Make an appointment (Ideally, 72 hours in the future).
- If you are a TA, connect with the instructor to let them know. They are a great resource! They have these conversations all the time. They support each other going into these conversations as well.
- Prep for your meeting (review the work, rubric, and feedback)
- Go into the meeting feeling grounded.
- During the meeting, hopefully, the student has prepared questions. Asking questions relevant/useful to their work is an extremely valuable skill, I would argue, more important to their writing development than the answers themselves. But, having said that, if they ask a really great question that you don’t know how to answer, it’s ok to say, ‘That’s an excellent question! Tell me more about what you’re thinking.’ Or ‘I don’t know. I’ll think about it, and get back to you.’
- Use active listening and ask follow up questions:
- I hear that […]
- I appreciate […]
- When you said […], did you mean […]?
- You can only mark what is on the page, and not the brilliant idea in the author’s mind.
- After the meeting, check-in with the instructor if needed.
If a student asks for extra feedback (beyond the parameters of the class)
A student asks you to read/give EXTRA feedback on a [short story, screenplay, novel, chapbook, portfolio, crwr application] that isn’t one of the assignments.
First, this is a wonderful moment. This person feels supported by you, and values your opinion of their work. Most likely, though, you’ll have your own writing to write. Here are something strategies to positively lean into this moment:
- Acknowledge the request.
- Thank you so much for asking.
- That means a lot to me.
- I really connect with your work, too.
- How you might say no.
- I can’t because it is a conflict of interest. The policy is that I can’t offer you additional feedback, and not offer the same to all the other students. It may be perceived as favouritism.
- Sorry, I can’t take anything else on until I’ve completed my thesis.
- I’m not taking-on manuscript consultations at the moment (this is a legit side-hustle).
- Give them hope by highlighting other avenues for feedback!
- Another student asked me the same question, is it ok if I connect you with them and you can exchange work? (Help them find a peer/writing group within the class. There’s always someone to approach! Or put a call-out on Canvas).
- Connect them with shut-up and write, or similar meet-up group.
- Publications! A great next step is publishing/working with a professional editor. I think that piece x is really strong, consider sending it out.
If a student is convinced that you don’t get their genius and/or that the assignment is clipping their creative wings.
First, are you like me? Because I make no claim to understand my own creative genius. My genius wakes me up in the middle of the night with ideas like: “Write an Eat, Pray, Love, Fight Club screenplay in the voice of Gabriel Garcia Marquez!” And she fully doesn’t show up to work most days (no matter how much I try to tempt her with small, complicated cakes). [Elizabeth Gilbert on Genius].
Second, assignments are the perfect places to work the craft (especially when one’s genius is fatigued from late nights and sugar crashes). Perhaps, a masterpiece idea has no business in a 500-word assignment aimed at practicing dialogue and subtext. BUT developing these craft skills is crucial preparation for the big work.
It’s also worthwhile to note that some of the world’s most meaningful, beautiful writing has survived the most monstrous oppression and violence.
So… strategies…
- Acknowledge that their work is deeply meaningful to them. This person has a vision. Get excited for them. Suggest that perhaps the best way to get behind their work might be to pull out the rubric, and discuss where they can build their craft skill in the context of the course (which will serve their larger goals).
- Ask them to brainstorm creative ways to meet the requirements of the rubric (i.e. strategies to develop more nuanced, believable characters through a character interview).
- Suggest they write and share a precis. Then be curious. Ask questions, and give them feedback on clarity in the form of ‘From my reading, I didn’t understand [x].’
- If they don’t budge, recognize their autonomy. They made their choice (Not do what’s asked in context of the course. Do whatever they want!). Let the instructor know.