Writing Down Your Feats of Daring: A College-Prep Writing Class for Adults

By Maureen Hannan

Design Challenge Mission: To create a short writing course that reduces writing anxiety for
college-bound adult learnerswhile improving confidence, fluency, and style.

General Description of Design Initiative

For adult students returning to college, the first year is critical. Early academic success is the jet fuel
for persistence; but all too often first-year writing curriculum drains the energy and buoyancy of
returning adult students. Traditionally, these courses focus on assigning many types of writing
rather than on building up able writers. The needlessly complex emphasis on multiple genres over
fluency is unfortunate, since older adults usually enter these classes needing instruction in
style/mechanics at the sentence and paragraph levels. The approach is also unwise because it
ignores a precious writing asset older returning students possess: a trove of rich life experiences.

I propose a developmental writing class for nontraditional adult learners, designed to bridge the
gap between existing knowledge and typical freshman writing requirements. I aim to
draw upon personal experiences, allowing time and space for reflection prior to writing.
place equal emphasis upon teaching elements of style and building learner confidence.
develop and encourage the emerging writer--by combining the motivating power of
personal writing with the validation of a supportive (in-person and online) peer community.

Context and Importance

For several years in the 1990s I ran a local ABE/GED class. My students were a diverse bunch: single
moms whod dropped out of high school, a construction worker sidelined by injuries, refugee
siblings whose schooling was ended by war, recovering drug abusers figuring out life after rehab, a
homemaker in her 40s rebuilding an identity after divorce, a retired widower who dealt with his
grief and loneliness by pursuing a lifelong dream of going back to college.

They were brave outliers. Their conversations reflected noisy inner struggles with self-doubt,
anxiety, and fear of failure. And the better I got to know them, the more I realized how much of
their fear related to writing. Ill never forget the words of my student Maudie, a 36-year-old mother
of five whod fled a physically abusive marriage: Throw anything at me and Ill figure out how to
survive. But dont ask me to write an essay. Thats when Ill remember I dont belong in school.

Later, I taught composition at a community college. My pupils were freshmen who hadnt passed
their writing placement testsincluding five adult women in their 40s. These women were
embarrassed about having to take remedial English. But as I coached them, I made an interesting
discovery. They welcomed prompts asking only a sentence or two about their lives. Their
contributions injected energy and humor into the class. Bits and pieces of memoir, posted to
Blackboard, allowed opportunities for feedback and opened the door to lengthier assignments.

Analysis
As Ive reflected on these experiences, Ive become convinced that writing instruction for returning
adult students should be designed to be delightful, flexible, personal, and transferable to many
different academic contexts.
The developmental writing course I envision
is thematically unified, and includes challenge(s) that all students can participate in.
meets basic college-readiness objectives for crafting sentences and organizing ideas.
emphasizes writing as a process.
helps the learner articulate and track achievement of individual personal goals.
incorporates meaningful reflection on how experiences have shaped identity.
offers opportunities to incorporate visual ways of composing and thinking.
allows the learner to choose their favorite medium for publication.

Im assuming a library community room setting, during the summer prior to the start of a new
academic year. These adult learners are juggling many responsibilities, so theyll require a blended
learning approach: a mix of weekly evening meetings and self-paced online writing opportunities.
To allow for individualized instruction, maximum class size is set at 12.

Learning Goals
Goal Description Domain Type
Students will gain self-confidence, through regular Affective
opportunities to write in an area of expertise.
Students will be able to identify good sentences. Cognitive Recall/Identification
Students will be able to produce their own strong, Cognitive Application
clear, uncluttered sentences.
Students will be able to apply and experiment with Cognitive Transformation
various techniques for writing strong sentences.
Students will be able to identify and describe Cognitive Recall and
examples of coherent, unified paragraphs. Identification
Students will be able to produce coherent, unified Cognitive Application
paragraphs with beginning topic sentences.
Students will be able to apply and experiment with Cognitive Transformation
different ways of organizing sentences into coherent,
unified paragraphs.
Students will gain appreciation for constructive Affective
feedback within a writing community of peers.

Prior Knowledge
Each of the weekly challenges will draw from and build upon the learners own life experiences.
Students will be challenged to take on the role of investigative journalist of your own life.

Planning and Analysis

The five weeks of instruction will be organized into class meeting activities and asynchronous online
activities. In-class meetings will provide opportunities for presentation, guided practice, and small-
group activities. Asynchronous online assignments will allow for self-pacingas well as providing an
additional feedback medium. A final dinner meeting will celebrate students achievements.

Week Class Meeting Plan Online Activity Plan

1 Introductions/ice-breakers
Do one thing every day that scares
you. Provide context for the Eleanor
Roosevelt quote and discuss how
planning feats of daring relates to
writing and learning.
Give examples of feats of daring (e.g.,
practicing simplicity, learning
meditation, training for a marathon,
transforming diet/nutrition, giving up
alcohol, talking to strangers, raising
money for a charity, getting out of
debt, tackling a bucket list etc.).
o Brainstorm session: What are
some feats of daring that you
might like to attempt in your
own life?
o Travel? Habits? Lifestyle,
political, social, physical, or
spiritual/contemplative
experiments?
2 Identifying the elements of strong
sentences, using a variety of good and
bad sentence. Lecture, demonstration
(using projector) then a whole-class
practice game.
Sensory writing exercises re feat of
daring. Practice with sentence-writing
and small-group feedback.
3 Whole-class discussion of best
sentence choices.
Presentation of lesson on finding your
key ideas in paragraph-writing.
Writing Exercise on viewing
experience through different prisms
(geography, race, gender, politics,
etc.). Discussion.
4 Turn your feat of daring into a
Candyland style game board.
(Example: Talking-to-strangers-land.
How do you go from paragraph
experiments to a story or essay?
5 Peer sharing of personal essays.
The following are to be added to class Slack
group and posted on the classs private
Feats of Daring blog:
Journaling questions: Where do you
want to go? What do you want to
improve or grow in? What habits are
working for you or against you? What
most of your thoughts about? What
needs to be conquered or eliminated?
Students read brief examples online of
how some other authors (e.g., Barbara
Ehrenreich, A.J. Jacobs) have answered
these questions.)
Setting the parameters of your own feat
of daring.
o Focus of the feat: short
paragraph about what it is, along
with the rules youre setting for
yourself.
o How youll organize your five
weeks.
Using prompts to write about the feat
being undertaken.
Revision exercises for building strong
sentences around the challenge feat.
Sharing on Slack discussion board,
posting three best sentences, and giving
feedback on classmates chosen
sentences.
Write and post a paragraph each day
viewing your feat of daring through a
different prism of experience.
Create a topic sentence for each
paragraph that sums up whats most
important about that prism. Pick your
favorite, and post the paragraph with
topic sentence at the beginning.
Going from mapped experience to
narrative. Timed free-writing exercise.
Improving sentences from free-writing.
Taking free-writing exercise and
organizing paragraphs.
Publication of personal essay online.
Adult Learning Theory and Literature Citations
I drew from Knowless and Clardys thinking on self-directed learning, Rogerss theories on teacher-
facilitators, and Mezirows definition of transformative learning:

Knowles and Clardy: SDL as Contract, Inspired Opportunity, and Inner-Directed Journey
(Merriam & Bierema, pp. 61-64)

Self-Directed Learning (SDL): Some General
Tenets
SDL is a six-step process framed by an
instructor-learner contract: setting climate,
diagnosing needs, formulating goals,
identifying resources, choosing/implementing
strategies, and evaluating outcomes (Knowles).
Synergistic SDL is optional and inspired by the
opportunity made available by a third party.
(Clardy)
A consciously competent adult (motivated by
knowledge of whats needed to achieve goals)
does not require external validation to commit
to a learning journey (Knowles).
Writing Down Your Feats of Daring:
Instructional Strategies
WDYFOD is designed to be a small-group
voluntary course. In this setting students and
instructor can work collaboratively to meet
individual goals, selecting from an array of
resources and tools as appropriate.
A community-service course can be an
effective means of reaching adults preparing to
return to school.
WDYFOD asks adults who know writing will be
a crucial part of their college journey to commit
to a brief learning journey, so as to move a step
closer to their higher-ed goals.

Rogers: Facilitating Learning is All About Trust and Relationship-building

(Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, pp. 84-87)

Teacher as Facilitator: Rogerss Guidelines Feats of Daring: Instructional Strategies

Facilitator trusts in the group (and the
individuals who comprise the group) (.
Facilitator elicits/clarifies individuals purposes
Each student is the driving force fueling his
own learning.
Facilitator acts as organizer and resource-
gatherer.
Facilitator is a flexible resource
Facilitator accepts/embraces both intellectual
substance and emotional needs.
Facilitator shares personally from her life.
Facilitator remains alert to strong feelings of
his students and brings them into the open.
Facilitator recognizes/accepts her own
limitationsfostering equality as co-learners.
About 75% of WDYFOD is online, where
students are encouraged to drive discussion.
Instructor provides pre-writing activities.
Students choose their own feats of daringthe
instructor merely coaches.
Instructor provides models/tools in the form of
readings, examples, and tech. resources.
Instructor acts as presenter, advisor, curator,
inquirer, and writing colleague (as needed).
Sequence and pacing allow for emphasis on
cognitive growth and emotional support.
Personal-writing focus lends itself to sharing.
Priority placed on students inner-driven
passionsfacilitator acts as moderator.
Instructor corrects/suggests on style/technique
as a writing colleague.

Mezirow: Nurturing Transformation Learning Means Ushering in New Frames of Reference

(Mezirow, p. 22)
 The Definition of Transformative Learning
Transformative learning may be defined as
learning that transforms problematic frames of
reference to make them more inclusive,
discriminating, reflective, open, and
emotionally able to change.
Feats of Daring: Instructional Strategies
Students document personal
experiences during a planned journey
toward change.
As chroniclers, students can try on
the identity of writer in a safe setting.

Regarding the literature on the first-year college experience for nontraditional students:

Im indebted to an excellent article by Michelle Cleary of DePaul University (2011):

Cleary reviews existing literature and national statistics on the persistence of older,
nontraditional adult students: she argues for individualized writing instruction.
She describes the writing workshop model of DePauls nationally recognized School for New
Learning), where she serves as writing coordinator.

I was also influenced by the two fascinating studies on returning adult students:
Gretchen Starkss 1989 study of 17 returning adult students. Students who persisted valued
writing assignments that asked them to explore their feelings, thoughts and goals and that
helped them develop more self-confidence and awareness of their strengths and
weaknesses (Starks 5,3). Those who did not persist identified writing as a significant barrier
(Starks 3).
Marilyn Sternglasss 1997 longitudinal study of the writing performance of nine CUNY
students. She concluded students develop as writers neither neatly nor linearly. So,
mastery of forms of writing in the first year should not be expected. She argues for early,
explicit coaching in transferable writing strategies.

Literature Cited

Cleary, M.N. (2011). How Antonio graduated on out of here. Journal of Basic Writing, 30(1): 34-63.
Knowles, M. S., Holton, E.F. III, & Swanson, R.A. (2005). The adult learner. Burlington, MA: Elevier.
Merriam, S. B. & Bierema, L.L. (2014). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (2009). Transformation learning theory." In J. Mezirow & E.W. Taylor, & Associates,
Eds. Transformative Learning in Practice, pp. 18-31. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Starks, G. (1989). Perceptions of writing by exceptional cases of adult returning women in a rural
community college: differences between persisters and leavers. Annual Meeting of the
American Educational Research Association. San Francisco, CA.
Sternglass, M. S. (1997). Time to Know Them: A Longitudinal Study of Writing and Learning at the
College Level. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.