The document discusses concerns with some of the ideas presented in a textbook by Bomer. Specifically, it questions Bomer's suggestion that writing workshops should take up half of class time every day, as most students would get distracted and it may be too much class time spent on one assignment. It also expresses doubts about using students' writing notebook entries as topics for graded essays, as it could result in a wide variety of essay topics that would be difficult for teachers to grade. However, it agrees with some of Bomer's other ideas, such as encouraging different interpretations of novels and grading notebooks based on both volume and quality of entries.

1. Heidi Cowan
DifficultyPaper
As I readthroughBomer’s textbook,Ididhave a few concerns.Inchapter10 he goeson to
describe awriters’notebook.Iama fan of havinga writingnotebookinclass.Ihave to admitthat I
neverreallythoughtof assignmentsoutof it.My highschool teacheruseditas a form of a journal that
he wouldcheckinon. He gradedus onhow manyentrieswe had.If we wrote everydayhe gave us an A,
if we misseda fewhe wouldmarkitdown.Bomerdidopenmy eyesaboutthe journalsbeingaformof
an ideastarterfor essays.He went onto say that a classroomshouldbe setup sothe whole classtime is
writingworkshops.He saidwe shouldencourage writingstamina.Iamnot sure what he meansbyit. To
quote him:“Notjust Fridays.Nottwentyminutesof the class.The whole-classtime (orabouthalf of it,
ina blockschedule) iswritingworkshop”(Bomer176).I assume thatthisis for an essayassignment
because noteveryclassshouldbe aboutwritingandgrowinginthat direction.Inthatcase,I would
agree withhimthat more than one dayis neededtoworkonthe assignment.The whole staminaideais
still botheringme though.Moststudentswouldworkforawhile thenstarttogoof off. Evenif we
constantlytell themtoimprove theirwriting,itprobablywouldnothelpthemfocus orgetbetterat
writing.Ithinkthatwhenwritingforan essay,itisgood to have inclass time forit,but there isa point
where itistoo much inclass.
I reallyenjoyedhisideasonotherassignmentsforthe notebookthough.The ‘types’of anentry
was reallyneat.Iwouldhave neverthoughtaboutthat.Hisideaoncreatingan essaytopicoff of the
ideaswritteninthe bookisawesome,butidealisticIthought.Itwouldbe difficulttograde the papers,
inmy mind,of all whole arrayof subjectsthatwouldgetturnedin.Maybe it isjustbecause I have never
taught before,orseenthisdone andthatis the reasonthat thisfrightensme alittle bit.The gradingof
the individual’s notebookwasgood.AsIstatedearlier,myteachergradedonthe numberof entriesand

2. nothingelse,whereBomergivesagoodrubricfor teachers.He includesvolume,buthe takesinto
account the different‘types’of writingandthoughtfulness.
A minordetail thatI rememberreadingwasthatstudentsshouldbe encouraged tofind
differentwaysof makingsense of anovel,whichIagree.I,myself,have ahardtime understanding
Shakespeare.WhenIcan’tmake muchsense of a scene,I findaclipon YouTube froma BBC production
to see actors playitout. Ina classroomsetting,Ican see thatworking.Atthe beginningof the classor at
the end,as a whole-classactivity,saythata scene mighthave beendifficultandplaythe clipforthe
class.Bomersays that teachersshouldletstudentsactout a scene.Iknow that there are a lotof
studentsinterestedinthe performingartsandthat isawesome butBomersaidthat itshouldbe
encouragedtoletstudentstake otherstudentsouttopractice a scene out.What if that isdisruptingthe
otherstudent?Whatif the secondstudentisnotthat kindof learner?Whatif kidstake advantage of
that and theyall wantto act itout? You can’thave your whole classactinginthe hall way as Bomeris
gettingat.