An interview with

Beth Gehring, a

professor of

composition and

lifelong mentor

September 26, 2011

The Writing Process: A Discourse in Two

Parts

October 9, 2008 Two women sat across from each other at a

local Starbucks, nursing their caffeinated beverage of choice as afternoon light flooded into the café. One, with Russet locks and glasses adorning her face was focused intently on the younger woman sitting across the table, a look of defeat and anger spread across her features. In the past couple of months, Life had taken its toll on young woman: a bad breakup with an ex-boyfriend, being Mom’s built-in babysitter for a much younger brother, and a father with severe drinking issues. Her tears in class was enough for a concerned professor to believe that there was underlying cause for one of her top students to act so defeated at receiving a mere 8/10 on an editorial analysis. So there they sat, the professor listened and the student talked, and a friendship was born…

A Touch of ClassAs they say, honesty is always the best

policy, right? Then I must confess that prior to being in Beth’s class, I spied on her when I began my coursework at Lakeland Community College in 2007. Because my class was after hers, I would wait outside the room, catching snippets of her conversations with students and I must say, her enthusiasm was infectious (still is to this day). Her knowledge of writing and literature was outstanding, and I looked at one of my fellow classmates and we both smiled with mutual understanding: We have to get into this class next semester.

As a result, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Beth’s approach to teaching composition affected my choice to go into education and the love I have for the field now as well as the friendship we have built over the past 3 years.

Oh yeah, she’s got credentials…

Beth Gehring currently holds a:

1) Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing- Ohio University

2) Master of Arts in Teaching (emphasis on Secondary Language Arts)- University of Iowa

Currently ABD in anticipation of the terminal degree of EdD in Instructional Leadership from Argosy University Online, based primarily in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Is it possible?! All of this experience in one person??”

Has taught at—

a) Anamosa High School in Anamosa, Iowa

b) Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, both in Iowa

c) Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio

d) Lake Erie College in Erie, Ohio

e) Kent State University in Kent, Ohio as a consultant for the National Writing Project

The institution she is currently teaching at?

Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa

Did I mention she worked at Borders Bookstore too?

“Journal writing is the voyage to the interior.”- Christina Baldwin

When she was discouraged from taking anymore art classes by the art teacher, Beth was advised that it would be in her better interest to express herself through writing and has not stopped since. “I have kept writing through crises and heartbreaks, experiences of injustice and exaltation […] Practice of the art of journal writing has saved me, brought me in from the precipice several times, served to remind me who I am and from whence I came.”

This idea of journal writing was a new concept to me when I began my friendship with Beth. After our semester in her class was finished, we would still meet on a monthly basis for lunches and catch up. Every time we would, there was always some sort of journal with a thick binding next to her plate and as we would talk, her pen would take notes if I said something funny or noteworthy for future use. This feeling of non-audience focused writing is called “writing to think: writing to yourself—concentrate[ing] on thoughts, feelings, problems, whatever—not on audience” (Neman, 33).

There’s a 1st time for everything ! Her initial challenge as a 1st year

teacher:

-encouraging students to put the pen to the page and “spill the contents of their thinkers.”

What is important:

- “building trust between the students and the teacher starts on the first day and must continue in every stage of the writing process.”

“Without trust, students won’t dig into their thinking for the next connection, the leap of logic, or the irony in the juxtaposition of everyday words and images.”

-Beth learns her students’ names, looks them in the eyes, and shakes their hands to show them they have her respect.

“I acknowledge the complexities of our enterprise and admit that writing is a hard gig, but a good one.”

syl*la*bus: a document which lists these subjects and states how the course will be assessed. “The syllabus sets out the

guidelines for behavior and production during the semester, and each school treats such guidelines in its own particular way.” i.e. Lakeland’s 1120 vs. Lake

Erie’s 1125 (essentially the same)

schedule is tentative and driven by student progress• “—the pace must keep moving,

but every student must have every opportunity to contribute, and that demands flexibility.”

• See Exhibit A of Beth’s syllabus from Wartburg College, EN 112

“If the world were good for nothing else, it is a fine subject for speculation.”- William Hazlitt Beth has enjoyed the freedom to

choose a variety of texts and supplemental materials for her Comp class.

“Since the composition process is the embodiment of critical thinking, content can be any texts or materials that can be analyzed and evaluated.”

Beth opens up every year with a questionnaire that helps diagnose each student’s level of familiarity with critical thinking. a.k.a. The Snoopy Questions

“But the ultimate lesson is just sit down and write. That's all.”- Wole Soyinka

“The plan begins with the desired end result. I know that sounds funny, but if critical thinking skill is the end goal, then instruction and practice in the steps of analysis make up the content of the lesson(s).”

Editorial analysis anyone?

As a student in Beth’s Comp class, I wrote my editorial analyses based off of articles written by none other than The Cobra herself: Maureen Dowd (above) from the New York Times “An Ideal Husband”- July 6,

2008 http://www.nytimes.com/20

08/07/06/opinion/06dowd.html?ref=maureendowd

The ULTIMATE Lesson Plan----kinda

“So what do we do?”“We respond.”

“Respond? Respond how?” “In kind.”- Ocean’s 12

When responding to student work, Beth does it “-with my bullshit detector turned on. I respect each piece as it presents itself. Does it fulfill the assignment? Is it an honest attempt? Does it contain some heat, some unfolding idea, some emerging outstretched finger of connetectivity…or not.”

Beth asserts that assignments must be clear- but even so, that does not mean a clever student cannot go off and take that assignment to a whole new level and develop his or her own new thinking. Such an example could be Calvin

shown here

What has been learned? What Beth has learned over the

years: “That spelling is a lifetime pursuit

and not all that important to composition.” see Exhibit B

That reading and writing are tightly intertwined…students need to read, read, read as much as they need to write, write, write.”

That the only way to learn how to write is to write, every day write something…and keep everything!”

Her reminders for 1st year teachers:

1) “Don’t take yourself too seriously, this is important work, to be sure, but your students are people, who need to be acknowledged for their progress where they meet you.

2) Start where your students are, then you can all go forward (somewhat) together.

3) HAVE FUN!”

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”- John Crosby Given the fact that I have known

Beth Gehring since the fall of 2007, it is safe to say that we have had more than one heart-to-heart about literature and composition. Over plates of sushi or endless cups of coffee, I have learned that Beth makes herself almost ill with accessibility to her students when they need her assistance. By conducting this interview, I have come to understand and appreciate Beth’s continuous efforts to build trusting relationships with her students to help them become the best writers they can be.

If it was one thing that surprised me about this interview, it was Beth’s remark about how spelling is not all that important to composition. I laughed when I first read this because the concept of correctly spelling words has been forced down my throat since I was in elementary school and it is all I have ever known. While there may be differing opinions about this, I begin to think about all of the times I contemplated the correct spelling of a word or accidently left a word misspelled because I was too tired or did not catch it. Maybe it is not all that important, but until I get to that comfort level, I will keep Dictionary.com a mouse-click away.

“Our similarities bring us to a common ground. Our differences allow us to be fascinated by each other.”-

Tom Robbins

Beth and I both have great respect for people’s work and the intent behind it. Obviously there is some reason the individual wrote the piece, and as a tutor, peer-reviewer and future teacher, I must take that into account, even if it does not get an the ideal grade of an “A.” I appreciate student work for what it is: an extension of their thinking expressed in written form with the intent to persuade, inform or explain.

Another similarity between me and Beth is our wish to have students enjoy what they are writing about. This student-centered philosophy includes trying to “get to know our students as individuals and gain a solid perception of the way each of their minds work and of their characteristics turns of thought” (Neman 561).

The one respectable difference between me and Beth is the manner in which we were introduced to writing. Beth’s passion for writing came at a young age, and her fondness for journal writing was something I have always envied. Unlike Beth, I have a much more difficult time “spilling out the contents of my thinker” without spontaneously revising the words internally. However, I believe this act is a necessary one and as a result, I plan to start keeping a journal to record daily thoughts and ideas that come to me in order to help progress my writing in a creative light.

The ongoing dialogue that has taken place between me and Beth has been one of the most invaluable experiences of my life, both as a future educator and as a person. Beth’s vast amount of knowledge and passion for teaching has shown me the true nature of someone who gives themselves wholly to their work and enjoys every moment of it. I have learned that I should not take myself too seriously and that my students are human beings too. They need to know that I understand their frustration and am willing to assist them on their educational journey.

Her statement that reading and writing are intertwined rings true now more than ever. While she was working at Borders, Beth gave me an advanced copy of A Short History of Women: A Novel. I devoured it. For Christmas, she gave me In the Shadow of Freedom. This I devoured as well. Her intellect has been feeding me for years, and I have a very strong feeling that it is not going to stop any time soon.

In the end…

Gehring, Beth. “Hey There!” Message to the author. 9

Sept. 2011. Email.Neman, Beth S. Teaching Students to Write. New

York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Print.

Works Cited