Mentor-Teaching in the English Classroom

269 Pages·2015·0.98 MB·English

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English Dissertations Department of English
6-18-2009
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Timothy R. Blue
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Blue, Timothy R., "Mentor-Teaching in the English Classroom." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2009.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1059575
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of English at ScholarWorks @
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MENTOR-TEACHING IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

by

TIMOTHY R. BLUE

Under the Direction of Elizabeth Burmester

ABSTRACT
This dissertation is a rhetorical analysis of the theories and practices surrounding student-
centered mentor-teaching. I examine textual representations of the teacher/student relationship
as well as theories and practices involved in the discursive formation of teacher/student
relationships, examining the intersection (or lack thereof) between the ways we as researchers
talk about teacher/student relationship formation and the way(s) such relationships form in the
“real world” of the English classroom.
This institutional critique of teacher/student relationships draws on the works of ancient
rhetorical scholars like Quintillian and Socrates, and on the post-1980 scholarship of Robert
Connors, Lad Tobin, bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Parker J. Palmer, Mike Rose, Wendy Bishop,
Louise Rosenblatt, Jeffrey Berman, and Peter Elbow. These scholars have all provided helpful
models for me as I have framed my own beliefs about the value of expressive writing, the
usefulness of writing conferences, the need for teacher vulnerability as a model for students’
expressive writing, the appropriateness of various relational settings beyond the classroom, and
the ways grading/responding to student writing can either promote or inhibit a trusting
student/teacher bond.
While all of these scholars have contributed to my own beliefs and ideas, I am merely
identifying and classifying pedagogical movements; rather, I am synthesizing these movements’
theories and practices in order to formulate an overall critique of the strengths and weaknesses of
the various approaches. I also draw heavily upon the theoretical underpinnings of
psychoanalysis, feminism, reader-response criticism, and composition studies to weave together
a synthesized working model of mutually beneficial teacher/student relationships as they pertain
to the high school and college English classrooms.
Ultimately, I suggest my own contributions to the existing scholarship that will call for a
mixture of both bolder pedagogical approaches and greater relational caution, depending upon
the concept and the student(s) involved. I conclude with suggestions for utilizing teacher
research to formulate new theories and practices for mentor-teaching in the English classroom.

INDEX WORDS: Composition pedagogy, Literature pedagogy, Reader response, Expressivism,
Personal writing, Student-centered teaching, Teacher-student relationships,
Mentor-teaching, Mentor, Mentoring
MENTOR-TEACHING IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

by

TIMOTHY R. BLUE

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
in the College of Arts and Sciences
Georgia State University

2009
Copyright by
Timothy Ronald Blue
2009
MENTOR-TEACHING IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

by

TIMOTHY R. BLUE

Committee Chair: Elizabeth Burmester
Committee: Marti Singer
Nancy Chase
Jeffrey Berman

Electronic Version Approved:

Office of Graduate Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
Georgia State University
August 2009
iv
DEDICATION
This dissertation is dedicated to my students, without whom I would not have the
unending drive to come up with new and more effective ways of relating to other individuals
through my teaching. At its core, teaching is a human-to-human endeavor, and my teaching is
motivated above all else by the relationships this career allows me, even encourages me, to
pursue. My own life was changed by the spiritual applicability of the literature I read my junior
year at Wake Forest University in a class called Faith and Imagination under the tutelage of Dr.
Ralph Wood. While I am deeply grateful to Dr. Wood for teaching this class, my own teaching
is driven by a wish that borders on anger that no teacher ever helped me make these connections
before that time. I feel that I missed out on so many great learning opportunities in high school
and college English classes because none of those teachers pushed me to see the deep
intersections between the lessons of literature and my own reality. As such, my dissertation and
my entire career are dedicated to helping students see these connections for their own lives,
hopefully earlier than I did.
Additionally, I am dedicating this dissertation to God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Spirit. In my view, the Trinitarian view of God demonstrates that God is, in effect, a
living relationship amongst three parts. Thus, if we are created in His image, we are created for
relationships. I believe that He put the passion inside of me for seeing lives changed through
relational teaching, and without his calling in my life, I would never have had the drive to finish
this degree or to press on with this demanding but rewarding career.
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Above all others, I am grateful to my family. I thank my wife, Ann Blue, for the endless
hours of sacrifice she has made in making this degree a reality for me. Whether it was my
physical absence at the library, my mental absence because I was thinking about some concept
and how to integrate it into my research, my emotional absence when I was overwhelmed and
drained to the point of near exhaustion, or any other form or absence I can’t identify, she has
been as patient as Job and as encouraging a wife as I could ask for. Thank you, my love! I also
want to thank my daughter, Ellie Ruth, who was born during my PhD pursuit and who also
sacrificed time with her daddy while he was working on this project. I adore you, and I hope you
will have many mentor-teachers in your life!
Secondly, I want to thank my committee members, Beth Burmester, Marti Singer, Nancy
Chase, and Jeff Berman, who have provided guidance and wisdom along the way in so many
ways. You are all models of various aspects of mentor-teaching to me, and I guarantee you that I
will carry on the torch of outstanding teaching you have passed off to me. I hope our
interactions have only just begun!
Finally, I want to thank my parents, who have made this dream a reality through their
funding. Thank you for valuing education and for believing in me despite all the twists and turns
I have taken in figuring out just how to live out my desires for higher education. I hope I can
provide the same encouragement and support for my children as you have for me.
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: THE NEED FOR MENTOR-TEACHERS 1
A New Term: Mentor-Teacher 9
Ancient Models of Mentor-Teaching 12
Modern Examples of Mentor-Teaching 19
The Unique Mentor-Teaching Opportunities of the English Classroom 25
Methods and Methodology 31
Outline of Chapters and Conclusions 39
CHAPTER 2: MENTOR-TEACHERS IN THE COMP CLASSROOM 42
Four Key Benefits of Student-Centered Writing Pedagogy 50
Students’ Voices: Calling for Mentors 59
The Mentor-Teaching Influences of Lad Tobin and Wendy Bishop 62
Composition Assignments: Moving from Theory to Practice 75
Letter Writing between Teachers and Students 81
Mentor-Teaching and Therapeutic Writing Assignments 89
Stories of Composition’s Meaning in Students’ Lives 96
CHAPTER 3: MENTOR-TEACHING IN THE LITERATURE CLASSROOM 107
A Return to Louise Rosenblatt and Reader-Response Criticism 114
Letting Students’ Questions Lead the Way: The Literature Workshop 128
Canonical Literature and Mentor-Teaching 140
Mentor-Teaching and Classroom Discussions about Literature 142
Mentor-Teaching and Writing about Literature 149
vii
Conclusions: Literature’s Value for Mentor-Teachers 155
CHAPTER 4: PERSONAS AND PRACTICES OF THE MENTOR-TEACHER 161
Teaching Personas: Learning from Books and Movies 161
Self-Revelations and Mentor-Teaching 177
Conferencing and Mentor-Teaching 185
Evaluation, Grading, and Mentor-Teaching 195
Despite Our Best Intentions 204
CHAPTER 5: A CALL TO ACTION 207
Teacher Research: The Ideal Scholarly Approach for Mentor-Teaching 207
Where Is Teacher Research Most Useful? 211
Conclusions from My Own Teacher-Research on Mentor-Teaching 213
Students’ Views on Mentors’ Roles 215
Students’ Views on What Makes a Class Meaningful 219
The Real-Life Impact of Mentor-Teaching 227
What Students Are Telling Us, If We Will Only Listen 231
WORKS CITED 238
APPENDIX A: WRITING ASSIGNMENT IDEAS 254
APPENDIX B: STORY WRITING AND RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT 257