I've found that as far as advice that I seek out, I only want to hear it from the best of the best at what they do.
That being said, many people compile the advice of really smart people. I don't mind listening to those people because they've done the work of researching what works and I can always go back and read what the original smart person said.
That makes sense! I love to research writers' routines. I think it's so helpful to know what time they do things and how long they write for, things like that. But I do think that anyone trying to tell a general audience the best way to do things is, in many ways, probably too broad! I really liked the example Callard used in her piece, of Margaret Atwood giving advice, and how most of writing advice is: "practice writing," which should be so obvious it doesn't even need to be said. It made lol.
This is so great. I started reading thinking 'noooo advice is important the whole point for students is to develop their own taste/knowledge base/critical lens to assess that advice and to decide when and how to use it'...and then you said that, of course! :) And part of what makes *you* an expert and a good teacher is that you know the difference between expertise and infallibility--the skill that students are there to learn as well. (Obviously I love thinking about the problem of teaching and teaching writing in particular so please talk to me about this anytime!)
Yes! Thank you mairin!! Callard makes a great distinction between advice, instructions, and coaching. Most of teaching comes down to coaching, she says. But I do think there’s a big difference between teaching college students something over a semester and adults something over eight weeks. Like how much time spent do you have to give someone before it crosses from advice to coaching.
Yes, to not taking advice. I did a workshop once where we were taught how to do the artist’s very specific process for bookmaking. I found I very much didn’t like that process, but I still think about that class because something clicked for me in it when I realized I did NOT want to do things his way and I had my own way that was more fun.
That's amazing! So even though it wasn't your thing, it was still a useful class. It's so true that noticing what you don't like is sometimes just as helpful as noticing what you do!
I've found that as far as advice that I seek out, I only want to hear it from the best of the best at what they do.
That being said, many people compile the advice of really smart people. I don't mind listening to those people because they've done the work of researching what works and I can always go back and read what the original smart person said.
That makes sense! I love to research writers' routines. I think it's so helpful to know what time they do things and how long they write for, things like that. But I do think that anyone trying to tell a general audience the best way to do things is, in many ways, probably too broad! I really liked the example Callard used in her piece, of Margaret Atwood giving advice, and how most of writing advice is: "practice writing," which should be so obvious it doesn't even need to be said. It made lol.
This is so great. I started reading thinking 'noooo advice is important the whole point for students is to develop their own taste/knowledge base/critical lens to assess that advice and to decide when and how to use it'...and then you said that, of course! :) And part of what makes *you* an expert and a good teacher is that you know the difference between expertise and infallibility--the skill that students are there to learn as well. (Obviously I love thinking about the problem of teaching and teaching writing in particular so please talk to me about this anytime!)
Yes! Thank you mairin!! Callard makes a great distinction between advice, instructions, and coaching. Most of teaching comes down to coaching, she says. But I do think there’s a big difference between teaching college students something over a semester and adults something over eight weeks. Like how much time spent do you have to give someone before it crosses from advice to coaching.
Yes, to not taking advice. I did a workshop once where we were taught how to do the artist’s very specific process for bookmaking. I found I very much didn’t like that process, but I still think about that class because something clicked for me in it when I realized I did NOT want to do things his way and I had my own way that was more fun.
That's amazing! So even though it wasn't your thing, it was still a useful class. It's so true that noticing what you don't like is sometimes just as helpful as noticing what you do!