DearDr.

Hartman,
ImustadmitthatIhavealwayshatedassignmentsthatforcemetoreflect.Iam
notonetoconnectwithmyemotions.However,Iseethevalueofreflecting,andIknow
thisassignmenthashelpedmestartthejourneyofidentifying,understanding,and
developingmywritersidentity.Writinghasalwaysappealedtome,butIhavenever
hadconfidenceinmyskill.Evennow,IdonotthinkIamasgoodofawriterasmy
peers,andcertainlynotskilledenoughtowritecreatively.Thisassignmenthasmademe
wishthatIhadatleastforcedmyselftotryharder,toputforthmoreeffortbecause
maybethatwouldhavebuiltmyconfidence.
AsaneducationstudentIhavehadmanyphilosophyassignments,butIhave
nevertakenthetimetoreallysitandthinkaboutwhatIthinkandwhyIthinkit.This
assignmenthasalreadyforcedmetothinkmoreaboutwhatIthinkbutnotquite
enoughtofigureitoutyet.Iamapprehensiveaboutallthreeofourlargeassignments
thissemester.IdonotfeellikeIhaveathoroughunderstandingofexpectationsand
requirements.Ivealwaysbeenonetoneedveryspecificguidance,feedback,and
reassurance.Honestly,theneedforreassuranceissomethingIwishIcouldchange.
WritingisactuallythemainthingthatmademerealizeIamneedyinthisway.I
constantlyhavetobouncemyideasoffofothersIdontfeeltheyareacceptableuntilI
hearotherwise.
Iamreallyenjoyingthisclasssofar,andIamsoexcitedaboutwhatistocome.
Fromtheassignmentswehavecompletedsofar,itseemsIwillgrowtremendouslyasa
teacher,writer,student,andindividualintheupcomingweeks.IfIhavelearnedthis
muchinthefirstfewweeks,Icanonlyimaginewhatistocome.Itshardformeto
believethatIamexcitedabouttheprocessofhoninginonanddevelopingmy
philosophyofteachingwriting.IhavereallyenjoyedmytimeatGardnerWebbsofar,
andIamreallyhopingIlearnalotinthetimeIhaveremainingattheuniversity.
Thankyouforallyoudo!
KatherineLong

RoughDraft:WritersAutobiography
Readinghasalwaysbeenmylove,butbypureassociation,Ihaveenjoyedwriting.
Thisclasshasalreadyreallyopenedmyeyestothefactthattheresmoretowritingthan
justwhathappensintheclassroomandcreatively,butitisstillhardformetojustify
myselfasawriter.Ithinkthishastodowithallofthenegativeandundeveloped
experiencesIhavehad.AlthoughIhavealwayslovedreading,myloveforwriting
appearedlaterinlife,anditisstillnotaspassionate.

MyFamilySupportive
Myfirstmemoryofwritingislearninghowtospellonsomecontraptionofthe
90s.IwassittingontopofthepicnictableatmyOpashouse.Irememberhimandmy
fathertryingtospellwordswithme,andforsomeoddreason,Ichosetopickuponthe
wordcow.
Growingup,IalwayslivedtwohousesdownfrommyOmaandOpa.Ispentalot
oftimewiththem,andIdesperatelymissmyOpasincehespassed.Theyalways
fosteredmyloveforreadingtheykeptaminilibraryinthegrandkidsroom.Myparents
usedtogroundmefromreadingbecauseIloveditsomuch.Whenmyparentsdivorced,
mydadusedtotrytomakeupfornotbeingtherebytakingmetoBarnesandNobleand
lettingmebuywhateverandhowevermuchofwhatIwanted.Eventothisday,my
motherandstepmotherstilltrytofosterandsupportmyloveofreading(ifthats
possibleforsomeonewholovestoreadasmuchasme).

Elementary,Middle,andHighSchoolMostlyPositive
Myonlyrealmemoriesofreadingandwritinginelementaryarefewandfar
between.Ihadanawfulscienceandmathteacherinfourthgradepairedwitha
wonderfulreadingandhistoryteacher.Wehadareadingcontestthatyeartoseewho
couldreadthemostpagesIwonbyalandslide.Insixthgrade,Ihadamathand
readingteacherthathelpedmewritemyfirstresearchpaper.Inseventhandeighth
grade,IhadtheEnglishteacherthatchangedmylife.Miss
Fincher
washername.I
wentbackandmetwithhermyfirstyearofteaching,andsheisstillasinfluentialasshe
waswhenIwastwelve.Thinkingaboutherbringstearstomyeyes.Shewasstrict.She
washarsh.Andnotmanypeoplethoughtshecared.ButIlovedit.Shepushedus.She
challengedme.Herclasswasnotthecakewalkthatalloftheothershadbeen.Ihadto
try,andshetaughtmesomuch.Iknowthereisalotofdebateaboutwhethergrammar
shouldbeconsideredpartofwritingandcomposition,butIcansaythatheremphasis
ongrammariswhathasmademethewriterIamtoday.Heremphasisongrammaris
alsowhyIloveEnglish.Shemademework.Shemademethinkcritically,andshehad
mewrite,evencreatively.ThisisthefirstclassIcanrememberbeingrequiredtowrite
incompletesentences.Myfavoriteprojectinschool,period,washerpoetrybooklet.We
hadbytowritepoems(whichIstillhatedoingtothisday)andpublishthemina
booklet.LeavingMiss
Fincher
washard,butwhenIhitninthgrade,Ihadanother
wonderfulEnglishteacher,Miss
Bailey
.Miss
Bailey
lovedwhatshedid.Shewasntvery
goodattheactualteachingpart,butwecouldalltellshewaspassionateaboutEnglish.I
skippedmyeleventhgradeyearandarrivedinMrs.
Webbers
classsenioryear.Shefell

asleep
and
snored
inclass,toldusstoriesabouthertimeinEthiopiawhereshe
pretendedtobeEthiopiansandmadeafoolofherself,andshealsoassignedmemyfirst
writingassignmentthattiedinwithLiterature.Thispaperwaslatercriticizedinmy
creativewritingclassincollegebecauseitwasnotwellwritten.

DreadfulUndergraduateCareerMostlyNegatives
Well,myundergradexperiencestartedoutokaywithmyFreshmanComposition
coursewith
Alana.
Shefosteredmywriting,notinanyprogressive,creativeway,butshe
letmewrite.Andweallknowthattobeabetterwriter,wemustwrite.Shedidntteach
memuch,butsheencouragedme.ThemostinfluentialwritingassignmentIdidforher
wasrespondingtoa
painting
.Werespondedtoit,andforsomereason,itstuckwithme.
Anyways,
Alana
invitedmetoworkintheWritingCenterbecauseshethoughtIwasa
goodwriter.Inthefollowingyears,
Alana
endedupsleepingwithmybestfriend(alsoan
employeeandstudent)andtotallydisregardedallprofessionalinterestandadvice.She
wentfromhavinganobjectiveopiniontorelyingonherpersonaldesirestomake
professionaldecisions.Becauseofthis,mymentorbegantocritiquemywriting
(creativeandacademic)asarivalinsteadofamentor,andmybestfriendbeganto
criticizemywritingassomeonewhowasntafriend,butpurelyacritic.Thankfullynew
hiresintheEnglishdepartmentbroughtnewminds.
Dr.

Cohenhour
wasoneofthenewfacesoncampus,andshehadareputationof
beingtoughandunfair.ButDr.
Cohenhour
isoneofthethreeprofessorsthatmadean
impactonmylifesheprobablyhadthebiggestimpactoutofallthree.Theothertwo

professorsareDr.
Clark
andDr.
Trimyer.
Dr.
Clark
teachesEnglishandFrench,andDr.
Trimyer
taughtethics.Theseprofessorstaughtmetothinkformyself.Allthree
challengedmetothinkcriticallyabouteverything,andDr.
Cohenour
andDr.
Clark
mademeshowit.NotonlydidIhavetothinkcritically,butIhadtowriteaboutitina
succinctly.MystepmotherDarlaalsochangedmyoutlookonlifeandthinking.Darla,
Dr.
Clark,
andDr.
Cohenhour
werethefirstpeopleinmylifetoactuallychallengemy
writing:Darlathroughtheeditingandrevisingprocessathome,myprofessorsthrough
theirassignmentsandassessments.
AsanEnglishmajor,IwasrequiredtotakeCreativeWriting.Iwasnervousabout
theclassbecauseIhaveneverconsideredmyselfacreativewriter.Imustsaythe
professordidnothingtohelpthis.SheWhoShallNotBeNamednevergaveconstructive
feedback,andshecriticizedmyworkintheworstway.Ireceivedcommentsaboutmy
poorideas,andIneverwasgiveninformationonhowtofixwhatitwasIwasdoing
wrong.IgotoneAinthatclass,andIwaselated.Itwasonapoemofallthings(poetry
isnotatallwhereIwasexpectingtopleaseher).Overalltheclasswasdiscouraging,so
muchsothatIwouldnotevensubmitanyofmyworkto
TheEmber
.Thisisanannual
publicationoncampusexhibitingtheworkofstudentsandfaculty.Ialwayswantedto
submit,andIthoughtsomeoftheproductsfromtheclasswouldhavereceivedthetime
andworkneededtomakeit.Icouldntbringmyselftoeventryafterthisnegative
experience.

TheOppositeofLonlieness
byMarinaKeegan
MarinaKeegansstoryisabeautifultragedy.Herposthumouslypublishedbook
broughtbackallthedesiresIhadduringundergradtowritecreativenonfiction.Again,
readinginfluencedmywriting.Iwantedtotry.Iwantedtoproducecreativenonfiction.
ButIjustcouldnt.Icouldnotandstillcannotgetoverthenegativethoughtsassociated
withwritingforanythingasidefromassignments.

LifeCurrently
Teachingisgreat.Ilovewritinglessonplansandworkingwithmykids.Working
withwhatIloveeverydayiswonderful.ItiswhatbroughtmetoGardnerWebbIreally
missedbeingastudent.Sofar,myexperiencehasbeenwonderful.IfeellikeIamtruly
learning,andIcannotwaittoseehowmywritingidentitydevelopsoverthetimeIam
withtheuniversity.