The American Community College

Today I start teaching English 1A (Freshman Composition and Reading) at a local community college. Here is a post from The Washington Monthly to make my heart glad:

How good are community colleges compared to 4-year universities? A few years ago a group of educational reformers created an annual survey (the NSSE) that measured how well universities implemented research-proven best teaching practices, and then followed that up with a similar survey for community colleges (the CCSSE). Kevin Carey writes in our current issue that the results were surprising:

    On a number of important measures, the [community] colleges on our list outperform their four-year peers. More than two-thirds of the community college students ask questions in class or contribute to class discussions, compared to only half of the four-year students. Student-faculty interaction is also better — the community college students are more likely to get prompt feedback on performance and to interact with their professors during and outside of class. And the level of academic challenge is more than comparable — the community college students were more likely to work harder than they thought they could to meet their professor's expectations.

Wish me luck. We'll be reading the Seymour Hersh profile of Anthony Taguba later in the semester, among many other essays; and we're reading Laila Lalami's novel of migration, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits.

Next term I want to teach Titus Andronicus and show the Juliette Tamor film. Next term.

Comments

[Maloof]

Hope your first day went well. I read Hope this past winter - it was one of my favorite books. Have you ever read Amin Maalouf? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-7993881-1288838?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Amin+Malouf&Go.x=16&Go.y=11&Go=Go

[Stephen Frug]

Good luck!

I've never taught at a community college, but from what I've heard & read, the students are more serious because they are there because they *want* to be there, and are *paying* to be there; in fancy colleges, students are there because it's expected (they may want to, they may not) and their tuition is frequently paid by their parents. I'm curious what your take on this is.

SF

[Leila]

I'm teaching an evening class -the only evening section of 1A at my college. Many students are employed; they are older than the usual 18 year olds; and they do seem very, very motivated. Finishing English 1A means getting the license they need to practice acupuncture in the USA, or finishing their degree in Criminal Justice so they can become a police officer, or completing requirements to get into UC.

I'm motivated to make the course really good because I know they mostly want to go on to four year colleges. I feel a responsibility to prepare them as well as I can. It's going to be a learning process for all of us.

[Leila]

Oh yes, by the way, sorry I skipped answering the first post - yes I have read Amin Maloof, some - like Leo Africanus long ago. I own The Crusades Through Arab Eyes and am intending to read it. Soon, soon.