Response: Introduction - Errors & Expectations

"...teacher's preconceptions about errors are frequently at the center of their misconceptions about BW students..." (6)

Error has been a major topic throughout the semester, it is the basis for assessment in many basic writing courses and it is through errors that teachers tend to view the students' learning abilities. Mina Shaugnessy's introduction to "Errors & Expectations" captures the teachers' need to focus on error in students' writing, which leads the teachers to form preconceptions about the students. She notes that she had no other choice but to focus on errors in her book in order to guide teachers to a better understanding of those errors and in turn better help the students. When she discusses understanding the logic behind the students' writings, we see how it is still relevant today in Mike Rose's article "Remediation at a Crossroads". Decades later, there is still a call for teachers to reevaluate their preconceptions of basic writers and remedial education as a whole, especially since students tend to reflect those same ideas on themselves. Students view their learning abilities through the same lens the teachers use, so if the teacher believes that the student is incapable of improving his or her writing, the student will believe it as well. As educators, we need to step back and see the students as a group of people who have so much to offer that cannot be determined by a placement test or writing sample. It can absolutely be overwhelming for a teacher but it is just as overwhelming for the student, that is why it's important for student and teacher to truly work together in tackling the challenges of writing.