Becoming an Independent Writer

 

Hello Fellow Writers,

Recently I have been thinking about the issue of dependency in teaching and learning contexts and, to talk about this, I need to begin by sharing a story about my own learning experience this year.

At the start of the lockdown - when we weren’t allowed to leave our houses to go for a walk or a run - I, like many others, went searching online for an exercise class I could follow and I, like many MANY others, found the internet sensation Yoga with Adriene. It had been more than 10 years since I took a yoga class, so I really was starting from scratch, but it was exactly what I was looking for – a structured 30 day programme to help me build strength and flexibility and, honestly, to keep me sane during these crazy times.

Right away I resonated with Adriene’s informal style, warm personality, and her catch phrase ‘find what feels good’ – a sentiment similar to what I often say in writing workshops; find your own style as a writer. Those early weeks of yoga felt like a safe and joyous adventure; I was wobbly and nervous, laughing at myself as I repeatedly wondered, am I doing this right? Despite my uncertainty though, I kept going with the programme and also started doing her Foundations of Yoga programme, so I could get the basics right. I could really feel myself stretching both physically and mentally, and I can’t tell you how much I looked forward to doing my class each day…until day 30 that is.

Day 30 was a surprise. In the video, Adriene welcomes you as usual, congratulates you for making it to the end of the programme, and talks about how you have been learning all the tools you need for yoga, and how to find what feels good for you. Then she says its time for you to start taking more ownership of your own practice and takes off her mic.

The sense of loss and discomfort was palpable as I struggled to keep an eye on what she was silently doing in the video, while fretting about whether I should follow my ‘one-legged pigeon’ pose with ‘cow legs’ or ‘downward facing dog’. Really, I hated that class.

Fortunately, there are many other 30-day programmes that Adriene has put together, so I forgave her, put it behind me, and started a new journey. I continued to build strength, stamina, and flexibility. I became more familiar with the poses and was really loving the programme until…the dreaded day 30. Again, the silent class of torture where we are expected to do it alone.

And that is when it struck me.

I had practiced almost every day for two months and done over 60 yoga classes….and I still wasn’t ready to confidently do it alone. Immediately I started to think about how this realisation might apply to mastering academic writing.

In writing centres, something we worry about is the issue of dependency. What I mean by this is, we don’t want you to become dependent upon us. We want you to learn and practices and ultimately become confident, independent writers. This is a valid and important goal for several reasons. Firstly, writing centres seldom have enough staff to meet the demand; if you become dependent on us we’d be able to help even fewer clients, and we already struggle to meet need (you will know this frustration if you’ve ever logged on to make an appointment, only to find that we’re fully booked). Another important reason you need to be able to write alone, is that we can’t always be there to help; tests and exams are a prime example of some of the most high-stakes writing you do, that we simply cannot help you with. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly in my mind, writing is an expression of your identity (more about this in another post); if we do the writing for you, then who’s identity is actually being represented? So, I hope it is clear to you why dependency is a valid concern for us. However, that said, how do we distinguish between the normal learning process and dependency?

I suspect that we (as educators) may be panicking about dependency far too early in the learning process. We worry that if we have seen you five or ten times that you may be becoming dependent on us, and some writing centres even have limits on the number of consultations that you can book in a year. But let us pause for a moment and think about this.

If you are fortunate, you might attend three or four writing workshops in a year at the very most and, perhaps, you have also visited the Writing Lab ten times. At this point, I guarantee we would be getting very nervous about dependency. But now, my own learning experience with yoga has reminded me how long it can take to master a new practice - I did over 60 yoga classes and still didn’t feel confident to do it alone – so worrying about dependency after 10 or 15 writing “classes” is starting to seem very premature. Especially as academic writing is arguable more complex than yoga.

So, what does all this mean?

First and foremost, I think it means that we should never be afraid to ask for guidance – as much as we need and as often as we need. Learning and mastering any new practice is an ongoing process; it can take a very long time, and that is okay!

Secondly, it means that writing centre staff must take responsibility for managing issues of dependency – not though limiting your access to us, but though being careful with our own practices. If you come to a consultation and your consultant edits your work, or tells you what to write, they are enabling your dependency. But, if they talk to you and offer guidance while you edit your work and decide what to write, they are supporting your learning journey.

Thirdly, it calls into question how we understand what it means to be independent. In his excellent TED talk, Atul Gawande explores the value that coaching plays in lifelong learning and the achievement of excellence. As he concludes, maybe we aren’t meant to do it alone?

And, finally, it means that each of us needs to take ownership of our learning journeys; finding programmes to follow, making time to practice, seeking mentorship, and asking for guidance when we need. 

So I wish you all happy writing my friends, and I urge you to reach out for guidance – it doesn’t matter if it is your 2^nd or 22^nd visit to the Writing Lab, we are here to support you on your journey.

Namaste,

Take care,

Natashia