Sunday, December 02, 2007
Sports Themes in Composition: An Interview with Dr. Scott Warnock
Dr. Scott Warnock teaches composition at Drexel University. When I put out a call for instructors who have taught composition with sports themes, he answered. Fortunately, he has been kind enough to answer questions about this specific approach to teaching composition.
What first interested you in teaching a sports-themed composition course?
One of the keys to a successful writing class—especially a first-year writing class—is to help students find writing topics that are interesting and relevant to them. Of course, many students are interested in sports. I thought that focusing a writing class on sports would create the kind of engagement that would allow students to improve their writing; they would be able to work on assignment topics of interest to them, and thus they would be more invested in their written work in the course.
How did your students and colleagues initially react to the idea?
Interesting question. I initially proposed this idea when I was in the PhD program at Temple. People were enthusiastic because they understood what I was trying to accomplish. I first actually taught a sports-themed course at Penn State Lehigh Valley. Again, colleagues were supportive. I say this question is “interesting” because I have experienced higher ed’s unfriendliness toward sports. While my colleagues at both institutions were helpful and enthusiastic about the course, I’ve had a different response from others. It’s pretty clear just by looking at me that I’m a “jock.” This has actually been a point of mild bias in higher ed. I remember as an undergrad I strolled in to the English department office to apply for an honors thesis. Someone in the office looked at me—I had a buzz haircut and I was carrying a pair of cleats—smiled condescendingly and said, “You know, you have to have pretty good grades for that.” I’ve run into a number of similar situations throughout my career—it’s as if some people don’t take me seriously at first because I look like I can throw a football. The reason I bring this up is that I think the class I devised received support because I had great colleagues who were open-minded about the importance of audience, purpose, and relevance. Also, I made it clear that I wasn’t framing a class around a bunch of kids with their feet up on the desk reading the USA Today sports pages. Still, I think that if you are going to create a sports-themed class, you should be ready for some resistance from those who think sports is below academic inquiry.
What methods do you use in your own work, training, and self-reflection to parallel your teaching with coaching?
The first line of my teaching philosophy statement says that I compare my teaching with coaching. That’s the overarching teaching metaphor for me: Coaching. I think the model of “coach” is exactly what I strive for as a teacher (and parent). I believe in close engagement with my students. I believe that you must build mutual trust. I believe that what’s best for students is not always what they want to do, and your job is motivate them to accomplish such tasks. I believe in a lot of positive feedback. I believe in practice. I also believe that the people I work with must come to our relationship ready to work and that they must bring a sense of engagement if we are to work together successfully. (Incidentally, I’m reading a book right now titled Coach, edited by Andrew Blauner.)
Has this approach changed your relationship with student-athletes and non-athletes in your classes?
Sometimes I think my coaching mentality—which I overtly state on the first day of class—allows me to connect with athletes a little more effectively than I might otherwise. However, I also think that the approach has helped me with non-athletes. To me, “coaching” as a teacher is not sports-centered; instead, it’s centered on working closely with your students, caring about their progress, and encouraging them at every step of the way. Is there a risk that some students might not like that metaphor? I suppose so. However, I think students generally appreciate the “coaching” I provide for them during a term.
What has most surprised you about teaching a sports-themed class?
That’s easy. When I taught the course at Penn State—wouldn’t you know it?—all of the students were non-sports people! It was an honors seminar filled with these very bright skeptics who weren’t part of their schools’ athletic culture. In a way, that actually worked well, because the course was designed as a critique of sports. We used Eitzen’s Sport in Contemporary Society, which contains some challenging readings about critical approaches to sports. I had envisioned the course as working because I could channel students’ love of sports into their writing, and I hadn’t thought I would have a room full of people who view Super Bowl Sunday as a night to get a good seat at a restaurant.
Do you see a future in sports-themed composition classes, or do you think they will remain a niche?
Sports are a big deal in our society, and I think—and many have been far more articulate and thoughtful than I could possibly be here about this topic—that they provide a useful window into a variety of cultural issues: gender, class, race, competition, big business, tradition, camaraderie, health, celebrity, human achievement, etc. I think we can use the vehicle of sports to help students write about deep issues in a way that fires their interest.
What do you think teaching a sports-related composition class can offer a newer instructor or adjunct?
I think in a composition course that it’s important to connect with your students. A sports-themed course could get students excited from day one, and that can make the job of helping these students do that highly tricky thing—improve their writing—much easier, especially for a new teacher.