Many students are understandably resentful when they arrive in English W. They may resist instruction. They may have “conspiracy theories” about why they are in the course (CUNY wants their money and so fails them so we can keep them in yet another English course….). However, many students arrive in English W motivated and ready for more. They really, really want to pass this test! However, this sort of motivation can often lead them to see a promise in the “test prep” rhetoric: they believe we have the magic formula for passing and sometimes expect us to give it to them. They may be students who have taken English W once or even multiple times in the past, and they may compare your writing instruction to lessons they’ve learned from other instructors (“My old teacher told me you have to write this way or you won’t pass…”).

The best approach to these and any other attitudes students express is honesty. Telling students frankly that the formula obviously hasn’t worked can often release them from its false promises. Encouraging students toward “double digit” scores by achieving college-level writing rather than formulaic writing also helps them see the context of their work more effectively.

You don’t have to sound like a cheerleader, but motivation is an especially important element in this classroom. Students who have failed this exam more than once often have low confidence in their work. Addressing low confidence often assuages resentment in the classroom.