Talking About TYCA: Chair's Blog

New York, here we come!

2007-02-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

The next CCCC convention will be happening shortly in New York City. March 21-24 we will be meeting at the New York Hilton.

While you are making your plans, be sure to attend the sessions and events coordinated and presented by TYCA members. TYCA talks will be held Friday night and the TYCA breakfast will be held on Saturday morning. The searchable Cs program is up and running. Be sure to look for TYCA sessions and friends by looking through the program before you arrive.

See you all soon!

Register today for a TYCA conference

2006-09-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Two-Year College English Association regional conferences are coming soon! As you can see from the list below, there are numerous locations and themes from which to choose. I'll be attending three conferences this year, and I wish I could go to them all. I've met people who are enthusiastic, well informed, teacher-scholars at every conference I have attended. I learn about what is new in the field and how my colleagues are developing inventive responses to changes. I'll see long time friends and make new friends as well. I hope to see you there!

For specific information on registration, location, and speakers go to the TYCA National webpage.

TYCA Pacific Northwest Salem, Oregon
Oct. 13-14, "Mapping Diverse Literacies"

TYCA Northeast Providence, Rhode Island
Oct. 19-21, "The Terrible Twos: Defining and Resisting the Role of Two-Year Colleges in the Academy"

TYCA Midwest St. Charles, Missouri
Oct. 19-21, "Crossing Bridges: Encouraging Transitions and Transformations"

TYCA West Park City, Utah
Oct. 20-21 "New Literacies: Teaching Writing in the 21st Century"

TYCA Southwest Galveston, Texas
Oct. 26-28, "Message in a Bottle - or Berry or Palm or Pod: Composition in the New Millennium"

TYCA Southeast Jacksonville, Florida
Feb. 22-24, "Navigating the Uncharted Waters of Learning"

Diana Hacker TYCA Outstanding Programs in English Awards

2006-09-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

You know excellent programs, and here is a chance to have them recognized.

The Diana Hacker TYCA Outstanding Programs in English awards are presented each March during the TYCA breakfast held at the 4Cs. The awards “honor two-year teachers and their colleges for exemplary programs that enhance students’ language learning, helping them to achieve their college, career, and personal goals.” Programs can be submitted in one of four categories, and you can even submit electronically via the TYCA Awards website.

Applicants must submit a completed submission form, a brief description of their program (60 words or fewer), and a narrative of the program (1,000 words or fewer). Submission materials must be postmarked, faxed, or submitted electronically by November 10, 2006.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain formal recognition, as well as the chance to share your best work by nominating those you know, or your own programs.

We thank publisher Bedford St. Martins, the longtime partner of Diana Hacker, for sponsoring the Diana Hacker TYCA Outstanding Programs Awards.

Guidelines for the Academic Preparation for English Faculty

2006-09-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

The first article in the September TETYC is a reproduction of “Guidelines for the Academic Preparation of English Faculty at Two-Year Colleges.” First released in Spring of 2005, this document outlines the academic preparation necessary to work with students at a two-year college.

The document gives a clear rational for a different kind of preparation than graduate schools may have considered before. Two-year college faculty members are teacher-scholars. Their practice is informed by their scholarship and their classrooms inform their scholarship. This work provides both the opportunity and the requirement for deep work theory and pedagogy.

To highlight the "Guiding Principles" section of the document, “effective community college English teachers exhibit the following characteristics:

They are reflective teachers.

They center their classrooms on the student, not the teacher.

They are flexible, not only in their teaching approaches, but also in the different roles they are asked to play…

Because they respect their students as learners, they treat students with consideration.

They ground their lessons in research and theory, and they are able to teach theoretical concepts through practical applications.

They continue to grow and learn themselves so that they can model for their students ways of reading and writing successfully.”

The complete document provides an excellent outline of expectations for professional life at a community college.

The Fall Quarter Begins!

2006-09-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Fall Quarter started today, and I am reminded why the two-year college is never boring. I have students ranging from age 16 to 60. Quite a few of the younger students have been home schooled and are now coming directly to college, never having been in a class with other students working on the same materials. Other younger students are participating in “running start,” a dual enrollment program.

At the other end of the age range, three of my students did not know they were coming to college until last Friday. They were suddenly laid off, so part of their severance package pays for tuition and books. Although they are in a completely unfamiliar environment, they came prepared to learn all they can.

As usual, there are students with children, students caring for siblings, students working full time jobs, and students who were told to go to school or get a job. There are students who know exactly what their goal is while at my college and have already planned where they want to get into graduate school.

They will all be in class together. It just doesn’t get more interesting.

Freshman Orientation

2006-09-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Since my school is on the quarter system, we will begin classes on Monday, September 18. That means that yesterday and today I have been involved with “Centralia College 101”, our orientation for new students.

Because community colleges frequently have students entering at more than one point in the year, finding a way to help new students feel a part of the campus community has always been problematic. At my campus we have a two day class that runs from 8:30 am to 3:00 each day. The time is spent with a major speaker, workshops and time with a smaller “team.” Faculty can participate in a number of ways, as team leaders or as presenters in workshops, for example. The decision to be involved is always difficult because it means I lose significant planning time, but once again, I am thrilled to be participating.

I am a paired with a continuing student, and together we meet with our “team” of about 15 students at four different points during the two day class. I’ve had a chance to get to know this small group in a way that is different from my classroom interactions. These connections with others in the group seem to be pivotal in helping students feel like they belong on campus, that they have people they know already on the first day, and that they have at least one on campus resource (me) who can help them with questions.

September TETYC Now Available

2006-09-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Teaching English in the Two-Year College, (a fantastic journal I must say) is now winging its way through the mail. Those of you who are members of NCTE and TYCA national already know that your journal arrives four times each year, but did you know that you can also access the journal through the TETYC pages on the NCTE website?

TETYC editor Jeff Sommers shares his passion for two-year college faculty sharing their knowledge with each other in his opening editorial. He writes,” I remain convinced that good teachers open the doors to their classrooms to welcome in other teachers and to share what the have learned….. TETYC has served me as a trusted resource for thinking about and thinking through my teaching, and, for the next five years, I am committed to making sure that it continues to do so for all its readers. I encourage you to open the door to your classroom by contributing to our ongoing conversation. My job is to hold those doors open.”

Submission guidelines are located just inside the front cover on each issue of TETYC, and you can also read them online here.

Restructuring our Professional Identity

2006-09-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

I just finished re-reading Jeff Andelora’s award winning article in TETYC, “The Teacher/Scholar: Reconstructing Our Professional Identity in Two-Year Colleges”. It was originally published in March of 2005, and if you have a subscription you can access it through the TETYC website. Though I thought I knew quite a bit about the history of English faculty at the two-year college, I continue to be informed by Jeff’s article.

I especially appreciate his emphasis of the call for two-year college instructors to be both teachers and scholars. He writes “If we don’t transcend our institutional culture and take part in the discourse of our discipline, there’s little hope of attaining professional parity.” Yes, I have a significant teaching load (15 contact hours per week, about 100 students a quarter), I have committee work (2 standing committees and usually 2 or 3 more short term committees), I have around 20 advisees, I participate in formal assessment and departmental program review,….. you know the drill. What I didn’t understand until recently is that if I do not write about my classroom, my profession, my growth as a scholar, I am, as John Lovas used to say, “invisible.”

Does it take effort? Yes. But the rewards of writing for publication in TETYC, and other relevant journals far outweigh the complications. Even when I write an article which is not accepted, the act of putting my thoughts into the work, of reading the relevant work of other scholars, and of being a writing teacher who writes is worth every bit of time I can find.

Can I write multiple articles each year? Heavens no. I try to write one article for submission each year. That is a good goal for me because I can fit the work into the space I have.

Keep Paying Attention

2006-09-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

According to an article in Inside Higher Ed, the U.S. Department of Education may be planning to make regulatory changes before the final report is even received. The changes are proposed in grants and the accreditation process. This causes me some concern since the final version of the report has not yet been submitted, nor has it been commented on by various stake holders in higher education.

It is too early to know just what these changes are, or might be, but the context of these actions suggests that community colleges need to continue to pay attention.

Regional Conferences Coming Soon

2006-09-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Wow - summer has flown by, and once again it is time to meet with friends and colleagues at the regional TYCA conferences. You can see a full list of conferences at the NCTE page.

The regional conferences will be held throughout October in numerous states: Oregon, Utah, Texas, Missouri, and Rhode Island. The Southeast Region will be meeting in Florida in February.

What can you expect? Speakers from your region will share pedagogy, strategies, and expertise. You can connect with professors who work in community colleges, current graduate students, and professors from transfer colleges who focus on students in their first two years of higher education. An officer from National TYCA will share cross region trends and resources, as well as providing access to NCTE materials relevant to our members. Awards for exemplary work in your region will be presented, and a keynote speaker who will be available to get to know throughout the conference add to the experience.

So plan to go!

First Draft of Higher Education Report Released

2006-06-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Though the release of a draft document is certainly unusual, Chairman Miller decided to release the draft to the public. Surprisingly, the draft will be discussed in a closed session this Wednesday. I’m not sure what the strategy is for this, but the early draft of the report certainly provides a perspective on the commissions overall attitude toward higher education.

There is a link to the draft in an article in Inside Higher Education. Though there is not a clear path for commenting on the document, we need to be aware of how these discussions develop. My brief review of the document certainly sees language that is reminiscent of NCLB, with reliance on a variety of assessment instruments developed by testing companies. WorkKeys is the instrument suggested for assessing two-year college student’s progress. Using a single measure for assessment certainly flies in the face of all that we know about using multiple measure for valid assessment.

Check out NCTE's Grant Resources

2006-06-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

While you are attempting to catch up on your reading, spend time with your families, or keep up with those summer classes, take a gander at the links NCTE has collected for grant applications. Go to http://www.ncte.org/about/grants/comp . You will find a list of grants and links to the details for applying.

A variety of experiences, research possibilities, curriculum development, and classroom enhancement are available for you. An NEH Summer Institute or a source of funding for that research you "always wanted to do but can't get funded locally" is a great professional pick-me-up!

School’s out – or is it?

2006-06-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

My classes just finished on last Friday. We had a joyous graduation ceremony on the lawn in central campus, and we had our largest graduating class, 525. And now the summer stretches before me. The opportunity to recharge a bit is more than welcome, as is the time to catch up on my professional reading and writing. I’ve got syllabi to rework before the fall quarter, too. So the pace has slackened, but as you all know, summer provides a little time for more reflective work.

I’ll be working on an article to submit to TETYC. The draft is together, but I need to polish and rethink the presentation of ideas. Even if it is not accepted, I enjoy the chance to work on an idea in depth, and to find ways to share my classroom / theory convergence with others in two-year colleges.

Send a proposal to your TYCA regional conference

2006-05-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

It is the season to put together proposals for the upcoming TYCA regional conferences in October 2006. Check here, on the NCTE/TYCA web pages for the conference near you. Each of the TYCA regional conferences has a unique set of traditions, but all share one important function – they are the place to meet your peers and to share what is happening in your classrooms. Regional conferences are a wonderful place to add your voice to our conversations about pedagogy, enhancing student success, and developing programs to prepare students for transfer programs and for the work world.

There are also amazing people for you to meet, or to connect with again. I look forward to talking with my TYCA friends because they bring me such joy and renewed enthusiasm for my profession. So come and share. You will be glad you did, and we need to hear what you have to say.

And if you are in the Southeast region, it is not too early to plan for submitting a proposal for the upcoming February 2007 conference.

Sensing a Shift in Attitude

2006-05-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

First off, sorry for the long delay in postings. Along with serving Nationa TYCA, I also have a full course / advising / committee load. I needed to handle the start of the new Spring Quarter and it put me a bit behind.

I was just reaidng an article in Inside Education called "Facing Down the Snob Factor" and I was not surprised by the tone of the article. There are transfer institutions which under value transfer students from community colleges - not news to any of us. What was fascinating, however, was the spririted defense of students who begin at community colleges, and the professors who choose to work in community colleges. It sure is worth a look. After reading the article, take a look below at the discussion - and please do join in.

I take this as a hopeful sign that we may be approaching the point where the knee-jerk reaction to community college students is not "lesser." Numerous people pointed out how community college students transfer students often do as well, if not better, than students who begin their programs at four year school. They also pointed out all the reasons students choose community colleges programs - cost, closeness to home and family, ability to work and attend school, and most importantly, that the courses are valuable and rigorous.

Deadline for Cs Proposals fast approaching!

2006-04-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

The deadline for sending in propoals for the 4Cs in New York next year is coming at us quickly.

Deadlines
Mailed proposals must be postmarked by April 24, 2006.
Online proposals must be complete by midnight (Central time), May 5, 2006.

Be sure to gather your colleagues and propose a panel, or send in an individual proposal.

The proposal forms are available at:
http://www.ncte.org/cccc/announcements/124211.htm

2yr College Writing Centers

2006-04-11T17:07:00.001-07:00

The complete document "

I hope the document can serve as a spur to discussion on your campuses, and give some guidance for those of you who are creating new writing centers.

Proposals for 4Cs in 2007 - New York

2006-04-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Next year the Cs will be meeting in New York, and I’m already looking forward to connecting with people who teach at two-year colleges from all over the nation. In order to facilitate submissions, TYCA national has a program chair, Gwen Gresham.

Those of you who were at TYCA Talks in Chicago had a chance to meet Gwen and pass along your topics for next year’s proposals. If you were unable to join us in Chicago and want to submit a proposal for next year, let me know and I’ll connect you with Gwen. She has a list of people who are interested in presenting, and she will help you put together panels. She will also provide guidance for those who are new to the submission process. Of course, not all proposals are accepted (last year about 34% of the submission were accepted), but Gwen can certainly give feedback on expressing your ideas clearly in the proposal forms.

The call for proposals is available on the Cs website: http://www.ncte.org/cccc/announcements/124211.htm

You can access the online submission at the same site.

Contact the Spellings Commission

2006-04-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

Mary L. Fifield, President of Bunker Hill Community College, spoke with the Secretary of Education’s Commission on the future of Higher Education on Monday, March 20, 2006. The text of her remarks is available on the AACC web page, (you can go directly there by clicking http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Template.cfm?section=GovernmentRelations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=16111 (please forgive my technological ineptitude – I’ll learn to make better links some day…..)

Generally, I think her comments accurately reflected the mission and distinctive character of two-year colleges. However, it would be even better if the Spellings Commission were able to hear comments from many of us. We need to communicate our concerns and the ways community colleges are distinct institutions within higher education.

To add your voice, you can attend one of the regional meetings the commission is holding around the country. The next public hearing of the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 6 and 7.

There is more information at the NCTE Action Alert website http://www.ncte.org/about/issues/action/alerts/124274.htm

Call for Volunteers in the SE region

2006-04-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Sharon Gerald just posted a request for volunteers at the TYCA-SE blog http://compsoutheast.blogspot.com/

If you can assist, be sure to contact her there. As many of you know, a number of schools in the SE region, especially in Mississippi were hit hard by hurricane Katrina last fall. They are up and running, but the devastation has been pronounced, and communities remain in tatters. Any help you might be able to provide would be valuable.

Position Statement on 2yr College Writing Centers

2006-04-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

When the TYCA National Executive Committee met in Chicago on March 25, they discussed a “Position Statement on Two-Year College Writing Centers” which was published in the March TETYC v33.3 (260-263). http://www.ncte.org/pubs/journals/tetyc

The entire issue was focused on Writing Centers in the Two-Year College, and I would encourage everyone to look carefully at the articles by Lerner and Tassoni, along with the “Position Statement.”

The position statement was endorsed by the International Writing Center Association, an NCTE affiliate, in November 2005. The TYCA EC also voted to endorse the document.

Below, I’ll list a few of the major points:

1- The writing center should be as autonomous as possible within the institutional structure….Many writing centers in two—year colleges, rather than being tied to specific areas of the curriculum, serve writers at all levels and in any area of the curriculum across the entire institution. In addition to serving student, many writing centers also serve faculty and the community.

2- The writing center should be provided a physical space appropriate and conducive to the variety of services provided. An autonomous space is recommended whenever possible. Computer technology should be available in the writing center and should support the work of the center. Although the writing center might contain a computer lab, it is not, in itself, a computer lab, and should not be thought of as such.

3- The writing center should not be an editing or proofreading service.

4- The writing center should be given the opportunity, when appropriate, to participate in college program review processes within its own institution.

5- Writing center administrators should be tenure-stream or continuing contract salaried employees, depending on local context. It is preferable that they have faculty status with a minimum of a 50-percent release from their teaching responsibilities per semester to oversee the writing center.

There are 10 more recommendations which can be found in the March TETYC http://www.ncte.org/pubs/journals/tetyc or on the IWCA WebPages: writingcenters.org

TYCA Breakfast

2006-03-25T17:18:00.000-08:00

The TYCA breakfast was a fabulous event.

With aplomb and grace, breakfast chair Jane Wagoner shepherded the event from the planning stages through the presentations of awards. She is the adept at organizing events, and she is always a strong member of any team. TYCA –Midwest provided centerpieces, and members helped with the finishing preparations. They even arrived extra early to help with set up and taking tickets. The breakfast starts at 7:00am, so this is really saying something!

Once again, this was an event not to be missed. There were about 200 people present in the Red Lacquer room at the Palmer House Hilton. We shared an amazing space – think posh, and then add to that image – wonderful conversation and the chance to recognize the winners of the Diana Hacker TYCA Outstanding Program Awards . I will link to the complete list when it is up on the TYCA web pages later this week. We celebrated Howard Tinberg’s work. He just completed his five year term as TETYC editor. Jeff Sommers is the new editor, so be sure to send submissions to him. ( http://www.ncte.org/pubs/journals/tetyc )

Sterling Warner, chair of the TYCA Public Image Committee, had wonderful news. For the first year, the committee did not award a “shame” award. This is usually reserved for especially egregious, incorrect or just plain shameful representations of two-year colleges in the public sphere. We all have our fingers crossed that we will not have a shame award next year, too.

I’ll write more once I’m back home in Washington.

TYCA Research Initiative

2006-03-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

Jody Millward, Leslie Roberts, Patrick Sullivan, and Lois Powers presented TYCA research initiative preliminary data, and it was amazing. To begin, there was a substantial response rate to the survey. Although I was hoping for enough responses for a statistically valid response, TYCA people once again rose well beyond what was necessary. There were more than 330 responses, and there was even representation between urban, suburban and rural colleges.

Why does this matter? It means that the data will give us an accurate “snap shot” of a number of areas where there just has not been data for two-year colleges.

assessment programs and practices
teaching conditions and their link with pedagogy and programs
WAC, WID and writing centers
connections between technical support, technical access and computer assisted pedagogy

The committee will move into the next phase of the initiative, which includes a series of follow up phone interviews with select survey respondents.

Even the little bit that they were able to share confirmed some general ideas I had and completely surprised me in other areas. I am looking forward to the more formal reports and articles that will follow later.

and one more thing....

2006-03-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

The other TYCA document that Frank Madden referenced in the A.1 session is Research and Scholarship in the Two-Year College . It defines our space in the academic landscape as connected powerfully to both pedagogy and to scholarship. It also has a helpful collection of major works written by and about two-year college faculties’ professional lives. It is a must read.

2yr Colleges: Spaces for Change

2006-03-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

The first session I attended to day was an amazing panel made up of former TYCA chairs. Each was asked to elaborate on their sense of where we should be going in the future.

Lynn Troyka emphasized the need for TYCA to connect with graduate students.

Paul Bodmer discussed the need for continued reinvention of our teaching space due to the continuously changing needs of our students.

Georgia Newman focused on the TYCA document, “Guidelines for the Academic Preparation of Two-Year College English Faculty” and the need to develop graudate programs which focus on people’s needs to be generalists for work in at two-year college campuses.

Frank Madden advocated for continued pressure to define our professional lives as teacher-scholars.

Jay Wooten reminded the audience that numerous first generation students are attending two-year colleges, and their needs, especially in the sense of their confidence, require a faculty member to work in different ways. She emphasized what we all know; 1st generation students are just as academically capable, but do not a sense of the “academic” world to guide them.

Ben Wiley reminded us that we have a choice to accept or reject the vision of the two-year college that others project. He reminded us that we do vigorously reject the image of the two-year college student and faculty as “less than” or deficient in any way. Instead, we need to continue to challenge these false images and continue to project our version of the professional world in which we work.

Grading Freshman Comp at Texas Tech

2006-03-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

I just finished rereading the article “A+ A New Way to Grade” that appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education on March 10. I could go on and on about why separating instruction from instructor feedback has pedagogical problems, but one thought kept asserting itself for me. How is this form of writing instruction going to encourage students to continue writing after the course is over? Lindsay Hutton, a Ph.D. student in creative writing who grades students' work in in this system commented on how she felt less responsibility to the students because she is focused on the time factor for her grading.

Scary….. If the graders feel disconnected from the students, how will this help to retain students? How will students see a larger purpose for their writing than just completing a generic assignment? How can students develop their skills and flexibility of expression for multiple uses in their academic, professional and personal lives?

TYCA events at the Cs

2006-02-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

For those of you attending the 4Cs in Chicago, there are several TYCA events you will want to make room for in your schedule.

TYCA Talks will be 6:30-7:30 on Friday night. We’ll be focusing on letting people get to meet others from their regions and across the country. There will be snacks and drinks, so come by for a relaxing chance to visit and network. For those who wish at the end of the hour, there will also be an opportunity to coordinate with others who want to submit proposals for next year’s conference.

The TYCA Breakfast is a “must go” event. Be sure to purchase a ticket on your registration form so that you can join us for a hearty breakfast, great company, and warm recognition for the Diana Hacker TYCA Outstanding Program Award winners. The Fame and Shame award winners are also announced at the breakfast!

And of course, there are numerous sessions that you will want to attend. Just a few are highlighted below. You can also search the entire Cs program online at http://www.ncte.org/program/cccc/

The First Two Years: Space for Change
Session: A.01 on Mar 23, 2006 from 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM
Cluster: 107) Institutional and Professional
Type: Featured Session
Level Emphasis: 2-year
To say that the first two college years, or the first year, is crucial for success, understates the obvious. In spite of that, the tradition in American higher education has been to say that some students are “cut out” for college, and some are not. It is not [ More ]
Participants: Jeffrey Andelora (Chair), Frank Madden (Respondent), Bodmer Paul (Speaker 1), Wiley Ben (Speaker 3), Jay Wootten (Speaker Additional), Lynn Troyka (Speaker Additional)

Assessment, WAC, Teaching Technologies, and Working Conditions” (TYCA Strand)
Session: D.22 on Mar 23, 2006 from 3:15 PM to 4:30 PM
Cluster: 105) Research
Type: Concurrent Session (3 or more presenters)
Level Emphasis: 2-year
Measuring Composition in the Two-Year College Space: National Survey Data on Assessment, WAC, Teaching Technologies, and Working Conditions Supported by a CCCC Research Initiative Grant, TYCA has begun measuring how the two-year college functions as a central space between high school and college, the work force and academia, and [ More ]
Participants: Jody Millward (Chair), Jody Millward (Speaker 1), Leslie Roberts (Speaker 2), Patrick Sullilvan (Speaker 3), Lois Powers (Speaker Additional)

Cyber Teaching in the Center Spaces (TYCA STRAND)
Session: E.43 on Mar 23, 2006 from 4:45 PM to 6:00 PM
Cluster: 106) Information Technologies
Type: Concurrent Session (3 or more presenters)
Level Emphasis: cross-institutional
Presentation Title: "Cyber Teaching in the Center Spaces: Maintaining Course Integrity While Enhancing Student Retention and Learning": College composition Web instructors striving to maintain course integrity, while improving student learning and retention, can help achieve these goals through better preparation and advising of students, course scheduling and the [ More ]
Participants: Jane Wagoner (Chair), Lisa Shoemaker (Speaker 1), Michael Johanyak (Speaker 2), Jane Wagoner (Speaker 3)

TYCA TALKS (TYCA STRAND Friday night 6-7 p.m.)
Session: FSIG.01 on Mar 24, 2006 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Cluster: n/a) Not Applicable
Type: Special Interest Group
Level Emphasis: 2-year
The purpose of this special event is to bring together two-year college faculty and those with shared interests to meet one another, learn of exemplary two-year English programs, form liaisons, and become better informed about the work of the Regional organizations and National TYCA. [ More ]
Participants: Sharon Mitchler (Chair), Gwen Gresham (Session Contact Person)

A Call for Creative Collaborations and Border Crossings: Preparing Faculty to Teach in Two-Year Colleges (TYCA STRAND)
Session: G.29 on Mar 24, 2006 from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM
Cluster: 107) Institutional and Professional
Type: Concurrent Session (3 or more presenters)
Level Emphasis: cross-institutional
(TYCA STRAND) Speakers #1 and 2 "Shifting Sands of Academic Discourse: Mediating and Managing 2-Year, 4-Year Border Crossings": Panelists will discuss how student populations in two-year colleges are different from (not lesser than) students in university settings; how these differences call for teaching strategies that recognize, affirm, and support different [ More ]
Participants: Georgia Newman (Chair), Howard Tinberg (Speaker 1), JoAnn Buck (Speaker 2), Sean Murphy (Speaker 3), Anne Clark Bartlett (Speaker 3)

Pass It On: Baby Boomer Faculty Share Their Experience” (TYCA STRAND)
Session: H.34 on Mar 24, 2006 from 12:15 PM to 1:45 PM
Cluster: 107) Institutional and Professional
Type: Concurrent Session (3 or more presenters)
Level Emphasis: 2-year
(TYCA STRAND) As the Baby Boom generation prepares to retire, many of the nation’s teachers and college faculty will be among their numbers. This situation is particularly acute in two-year colleges because the great expansion and hiring in two-year colleges occurred as baby-boomers were preparing to enter the teaching [ More ]
Participants: Gwen Gresham (Session Contact Person), Mark Reynolds (Speaker 1), Ellen Andrews Knodt (Speaker 3)

Composing in Marginal Spaces: How Non-Traditional Students Respond to Teacher Feedback
Session: J.03 on Mar 24, 2006 from 3:30 PM to 4:45 PM
Cluster: 101) Practices of Teaching Writing
Type: Concurrent Session (3 or more presenters)
Level Emphasis: 2-year
At the 2005 CCCC in San Francisco, Nancy Sommers challenged audience members to perpetuate her work on responding to student writing, and our session will describe the ways in which we have attempted to extend Sommers’ work in the context of community colleges. Each of the [ More ]
Participants: Carolyn Calhoon-Dillahunt (Session Contact Person), Dodie Forrest (Speaker 1), Carolyn Calhoon-Dillahunt (Speaker 1), Ashlee Brand (Speaker 2), Steve Reynolds (Speaker 3)

Led by Theory, Bound by Practice: Building Community from the Center of the Academic Border Town (TYCA STRAND)
Session: J.32 on Mar 24, 2006 from 3:30 PM to 4:45 PM
Cluster: 107) Institutional and Professional
Type: Concurrent Session (3 or more presenters)
Level Emphasis: 2-year
(TYCA STRAND) In Border Talk, Howard Tinberg writes, “To teach at a community college is to be ‘in translation’ or between places. With their mission to provide vocational training and to prepare students for transfer to colleges and universities, community colleges have always had a complex purpose” (vii). [ More ]
Participants: Sonja L. Andrus (Chair), Witt Salley (Chair), Marsha Millikin (Speaker 2), Sonja L. Andrus (Speaker 3)

Preparing to Teach in a Two-Year College (TYCA STRAND)
Session: K.25 on Mar 25, 2006 from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM
Cluster: 107) Institutional and Professional
Type: Concurrent Session (3 or more presenters)
Level Emphasis: 2-year
TYCA STRAND The purpose of this panel is to share information about two-year college teaching with graduate students still preparing to teach and undecided about teaching in a two-year college, new professionals seeking jobs, adjunct teachers seeking a full-time position, and administrators involved in the hiring process. The panel [ More ]
Participants: Gwen Gresham (Chair), Gwen Gresham (Session Contact Person), Camille Ziolek (Speaker 1), Tonya M. Scott (Speaker 2), Gwen Gresham (Speaker 3)

TYCA Strand: Beyond "Adversarial": Community Voices and Student Voices Converge on “Civil Liberties” in the Composition Classroom
Session: M.06 on Mar 25, 2006 from 12:30 PM to 1:45 PM
Cluster: 101) Practices of Teaching Writing
Type: Concurrent Session (3 or more presenters)
Level Emphasis: 2-year
CHAIR "Do the Changing Demographics of Students and the Changing Political Climate Warrant a Change in the Rhetoric of Argument?" The chair will give background information on how our institution, in general, approaches the teaching of argument. She'll give examples of how various instructors develop their curriculua, and some of the [ More ]
Participants: Sandra Schroeder (Session Contact Person), Gordon Koestler (Speaker 1), Sandra Schroeder (Speaker 2)

Sharing Your Ideas with the Profession: Drafting NCTE/CCCC Proposals, Turning Presentations into Articles (TYCA STRAND)
Session: SW.07 on Mar 25, 2006 from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Type: Workshop: Sat. Afternoon
Level Emphasis: 2-year
(TYCA STRAND) The purpose of this workshop is to promote the notion of the Two-Year College Teacher/Scholar. Panelists will provide practical advice and encouragement for two-year college teachers who wish to share their ideas and research through conference presentations and publications. All panelists are published scholars and have experience reviewing [ More ]
Participants: Marilyn Valentino (Chair), Gwen Gresham (Session Contact Person), Marilyn Valentino (Speaker 2), Frank Madden (Speaker 3), Mark Reynolds (Speaker Additional), Lynn Troyka (Speaker Additional), Kip Strasma (Speaker Additional), Howard Tinberg (Speaker Additional)

Theory to Exemplary Practices and Programs from the Two-Year Colleges (TYCA Sponsored)
Session: W.5 on Mar 22, 2006 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Type: Workshop: All-Day Wednesday
Level Emphasis: 2-year
This workshop deals with exemplary programs and practices in the two-year college classroom. Facilitators will discuss reaching out to other colleagues and the community, motivating resistant composition students, active learning through group work and assessment of student work, and making the transition from adjunct to full-time faculty. Participants will return [ More ]
Participants: Jane Wagoner (Chair), Esther DiMarzio (Speaker 1), Marsha Millikin (Speaker 2), Elizabeth A. Butts (Speaker Additional), Sonja L. Andrus (Speaker Additional), Sarah Bowman (Speaker Additional), Karla Brown (Speaker Additional), Sue Peters (Speaker Additional), Linda Barro (Speaker Additional)

Research Report on The Public Image of Two-Year Colleges: Hallmarks of Fame and Shame
Session: WSIG.5 on Mar 22, 2006 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Cluster: n/a) Not Applicable
Type: Special Interest Group
Interest Emphasis: not applicable
Level Emphasis: 2-year
(TYCA STRAND)Public Image of the Two-Year College is a TYCA Committee; 2005 marks its eighth year of proposing a program for the CCCC. The purpose of the program/committee is to discuss the results of on-going research in the media's coverage of two-year college students, faculty, institutions, and programs with the [ More ]
Participants: Sterling Warner (Chair), Sterling Warner (Session Contact Person), Mike Matthews (Speaker 1), Barbara Cooper (Speaker 2), Janet Henderson (Speaker 3), Gwen Gresham (Speaker Additional), Don Holt (Speaker Additional), Bill Swanson (Speaker Additional)

I love my job!

2006-02-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

So just what is it that drew you, reader, to teaching at a two-year college? For me, it was the opportunity to spend time with students who are highly motivated, yet often dramatically different from each other. I started teaching in a community college setting in 1995, and in the years since then I have never had two similar groups of students. The drama of discovery keeps me enthused and on my toes every day in the classroom. These students include the bold, the brazen, and the barely able to keep up.

One of my classes currently includes students who range in age from 16 to 55 years old. Most students came from the local public schools, several students have been home schooled, two are from countries other than the United States, and six others got their K-12 education in other states. There are at least four of my 28 students who speak a language other than English as their first language. In the same group, I have three students who have never left the county in their lives. Several students are working at such an advanced level that I must constantly provide them with additional challenges.

I teach on a quarter system, so I teach three five credit classes to make up my full time load. My other two classes have their own mix of students. What works in one section of a class often needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of another section.

For those who are considering a professional life in the two-year college setting, the TYCA publication “Guidelines for the Academic Preparation of English Faculty at Two-Year Colleges” is a great place to start. You can peruse an online copy at the NCTE website: http://www.ncte.org/groups/tyca/featuredinfo/119956.htm

Saying Hello, 2/12/06

2006-02-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the TYCA chair's blog.

TYCA, the Two-Year College English Association, has members across the United States and Canada. Each of seven regions holds an annual conference, either in October or February, where teacher-scholars can meet for professional development, shared insights, networking and rejuvenation.The purpose of this blog is to share information across the seven regions, to make public the conversations that matter in our professional lives, and to build on our strong sense of community.

I'm Sharon, and I currently serve as the national chair for TYCA. Writing a blog is a new experience for me, but I'm looking forward to the conversations ahead.