Initially, I intended to include my chosen axiology in my “Teaching Philosophy” after reading all of Fulkerson’s texts. After reading the first one, “Four Philosophies of Composition”, I decided to write my first ever “Teaching Philosophy” without specifying which axiology I intend to utilize in the creation of my course because I would rather it come about naturally in the way the course design culminates.
Acquiring an understanding of Fulkerson’s axiologies and the way their reception and perceptions shifted throughout his amendments in “Composition Theory in the Eighties: Axiological Consensus and Paradigmatic Diversity” and “Composition at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century” is integral to properly designing the course. Fulkerson emphasizes key pedagogical components and a detailed understanding of the nuances of grading.
That being said, although detailed knowledge of his axioms comes to infinite benefit in the focus and comprehensiveness required in designing a course, assigning one to myself right out of the gate feels much too confined as I merely go about designating readings and tinkering with course mechanics. As it comes time to design my assignment sheets and rubrics I will feel more inclined to house myself in a theory.
Since our initial discussion on Fulkerson, I have felt caught between a rhetorical and expressivist approach. Expressivism is attractive to the same parts of my brain that make me love “un-grading” and “low-stakes” writing assignments, but another has been made to believe that writing is about what you are capable of conveying effectively to your audience.
This internal axiological war boils down to the question if I believe writing is for the writer, or for the reader. I just can’t help believe that the answer is both. As much as every poem I write feels like a secret- the exhilarating rush of sharing them and making a mark on others is what drives me to keep writing them. Writing is for the writer first, but when we go back in to revise it’s as a reader- for a reader.
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