UNH Archive: Trip 3 (2/4/12)

1. Read through small brown box sent from Murray family friends--90% of it are his columns...but there are a few other little gems in there.

2. Murray Teaching Evals

Ongoing:

ENGL 521-522/621-622: News Writing

ENGL 703-704 Writing Non-Fiction

Fall 1975 ENGL 817: Seminar In Teaching Writing General Impression: Did not seem to go particularly well.

• Lousy discussion leader; Most of the discussions were not productive or that helpful to a writer/teacher;
• Even at this date, I have no very clear idea of where I stand (grades); I haven't been evaluated yet; Don't know, they're under a clock of sorts.
• This course never really seemed to get organized--it seemed to drift from on week to the next.
• It has been helpful. I feel I could not effectively teach writing.
• Small group conferences are part of the course; Conferences were held once a week in a small group format
• He knows the material, has an excellent background, is communicative, helpful.
• Not directive enough, at least for me.
• This was not a good course, but he's a good teacher.
• criticisms were constructive although often vague; solutions were suggested in general rather than specific terms
• (recommend to friend?): Yes. Absolutely, Unquestionably. Enthusiastically.
• Dominates discussions;
• This instructor is a believer in the student finding his own solutions, with his professional guidance where it is needed and in whatever way it is needed--but not in the giving of assignments or directives.
• This is the best seminar I have attended. I regard the teacher as exceptionally gifted and I feel it has been a privilege to work under his instruction.

Spring 1980 ENGL 817: Seminar in Teaching of Writing (Dick Tappan!)

General Impression: This course went very well (perhaps because it was quite small? Or a different kind of student enrolled?)

• Sometimes I was not sure if he was being direct enough with me about my writing.
• Also, the process (underlined in original)of writing is an aspect of student work which I feel more interested in...
• Teacher was involved in the course and interested in helping students pursue goals which are meaningful to them.
• (what have you learned?): To see myself as having potential as a writer--to believe in my ability to write; the importance of a community of writers; what "voice" is; I've learned that I can (underlined in original) write; I have learned about conferencing, supporting, encouraging students...about voice, audience, and the writing process.
• only change--a bit more awareness of current research but never equal time to process and sharing of work
• No ivory tower resident, this man!
• meeting in small group in home environment (with or without cookies!)
• (MM: Few students are pointing to weaknesses, even when prompted to)
• This was the most enjoyable class I have had as a graduate student.

Spring 1983 ENGL 817: Seminar in Teaching Writing General Impression: This course went very well.

• His wife is a great cook.
• very supportive and willing to take time with each student
• (what did you learn?) That I would really rather teach writing than anything else; That by teaching writing I teach just about everything else; how poets and novelists write; I have learned to be more observant and respecting of my students, to be less controlling--to let them show me what they know and can do; I also have a greater confidence not only in my writing but in my instincts about writing; I have learned more about the process of writing than in all the years I've been here...it has given me more enthusiasm about my work than I've ever had; this course has changed entirely my perception of writing and my approach to the teaching of writing; much about student-centered teaching
• Don Murray really does give control of the learning process to the student and yet he maintains high standards
• Murray is a wonderful bear of a teacher--he manages to be authoritative, instructive, and sensitive--he cares about not only the harried student but about the emerging text. I'm certain I've never had a more effective writing teacher nor a more instructive or honest teaching teacher.
• The need for teachers to be patient with their students...and simultaneously -- to be very demanding and to impose deadlines--and to stick to them.
• I liked having the class at Don's house. It encouraged an atmosphere that really encouraged openness, discussion, and constructive criticism.
• Don is a rare and endangered species of teacher
• Weaknesses: haven't found them yet
• The class environment fosters a willingness to take risks;
• There are no easy formulas to fall back on-one must rely on oneself, draw from oneself. This is because this is the style of the instructor.
• The door is always open.

Spring 1985

ENGL 817: Seminar in Teaching Writing General Impression: The course went very well.

What have you learned?

• How to collaborate. That I enjoy drawing. That I am lonely.
• I also learned a bit about teaching grade schoolers and others students outside my immediate area.
• Connections between a writing process and painting, drawing, film-making, creating problems, composing music, Chinese calligraphy, and scientific investigation.

What was effective/needs work?

• Off-Campus environment
• Free give-and-take of ideas among class members
• Complete lack of competitiveness
• There was just enough structure to provide a framework for direction (weekly papers and main project) and the rest was left up to individual students.

Instructor Strengths/Weaknesses:

• Maybe Murray's greatest strength, I think, is his ability to wish Godspeed to his students, to turn them loose, spur them to accomplishments they didn't know they could achieve.
• He believes (underline in original)--thats a strength;He participates in the writing; He makes me demand more of myself than I realized I could give.
• This is the eighth time (counting undergraduate and graduate level courses) I have filled out this form for Don Murray's classes. I think that says more about his teaching than any "evaluation" I can give. He is the best, and, for me, most productive (in my own work) teachers I have ever had.
• He is a writer who teaches, and teaches well. What more can be said? He is an inspiration.
• The instructor's teaching style was non-authoritarian and non-directive.
• There is no contradiction between what he advocates and what he does.
• Talks far too much, sometimes monopolizes whole class
• Minnie-Mae's cooking
• Don is a master and was masterly enough to join the group, subvert his authority and, to a large extent, let us get on with it. Perhaps we could have had some more focused discussions and thrashed about some of the main conflicts in creativity/writing pedagogy. But I'm not sure.
• Murray ought to be teaching a colloquium for all graduate students about how to get published. Informal student surveys say Murray, Schweickart and McBride are the only three in this department who are willing to share this information.

Fall 1986 ENGL 826: Rhetoric and Composition Theory General Impression: This course went pretty well.

What have you learned?

• since each participant worked on an individual writing project which he/she shared with the class...
• One of the most exciting experiences of my graduate work
• I've learned a great deal about research methodology (x 3,4,5)

What was effective/needs work?

• The writing community established in the seminar was unique and special

Instructor Strengths/Weaknesses:

• You can tell he's consciously trying to make each student feel important and feel as if they have something to say
• I believe Don has great potential and the university should seriously consider hiring him on full-time.
• shared his own work-in-progress
• he says repeatedly that he "learns" from students and I saw this repeatedly in practice
• His only weakness, I think, is to sometimes become too comfortable with himself and to allow himself to not be pushed into thinking about things from other people's perspectives. Don was straightforward about his prejudices (as far as views on reading and writing, what deserves to be read & written), but sometimes I think these prejudices kept him from being equally receptive to all of his students writing. But at the same time, when confronted with this, I think he was willing to give more.
• Don's strengths are too numerous to touch on them all here but here are a few: 1) He's able to provide an encouraging atmosphere to write in (both in and out of class), 2) he's rarely at a loss for words--and doesn't "beat around the bush," 3) More of than not, he's right! 4) He's always willing to share his own writing struggles with his classes. Some of his weaknesses might be: 1) he's rarely at a loss for words--and doesn't "beat around the bush," 2) More of than not, he's right! 3) He's always willing to share his own writing struggles with his classes.
• He allows students a lot of freedom. This can be both a strength and a weakness. It is a strength in that it enables them to fully explore what they are working on, but it is difficult for those who require more structure.
• The only "weakness" is perhaps the tendency to "get out of the way" of the writer too much--sometimes an intrusion is necessary...

Summer 1986 ENGL 817: Seminar in Teaching Writing (44 students filled out evaluations!) General Impression:

What have you learned?

What was effective/needs work?

Instructor Strengths/Weaknesses:

Summer 1987 ENGL 811: Narrative Form: Writing for Teachers (19 filled out evals)

General Impression: Class went very well.

What have you learned?

• I have learned to have confidence in myself as a writer...Very importantly, I realized that others felt as fragile as I about their writing.
• Every class made me feel like writing.
• From the perspective of a teacher, I have been given the opportunity to view life from my student's eyes. In their shoes for awhile a greater understanding of needs and appreciation for the individual talent emerges.
• about how to help students write a short story
• How to do narrative, structure a story

What was effective/needs work?

Instructor Strengths/Weaknesses:

• The strength of his teaching lies in his encouragement.

Spring 1981 ENGL 501: Intro to Prose Writing

Fall 1986 ENGL 401H: Freshmen English

General Impression: Class went well, students liked conferences more than class.

What have you learned?

• I have learned I can't continue to write papers the night before.
• I've learned that putting myself into my writing is more important than making sure my t's are crossed.
• This instructor showed me that the "writer" is not some elite being--it can be anyone.
• I learned that everything does not have to be perfect the first time around.
• I now want to write about my experiences and I am eager to do so. Now my papers are more affective and actually say something instead of just lying there.
• I have learned that what I learned in high school is useless if not detrimental to imaginative writing.
• I have learned how to write for enjoyment, rather than just assignment.
• I have also learned "argument"; how to write a good, strong argument; we were introduced to the form of argument; how to write an argument paper
• I have learned that I want to write.
• ...not to worry about failing because you learn by your mistakes.
• You can teach yourself by writing. Things that you did not think that you knew surface.

What was effective/needs work?

• I think the fact that there were no grades handed out until the final grade has been very helpful.
• We found one topic to write on for almost the entire semester.
• To improve it perhaps some reading material should be introduced. We also spent far too much time on one argument paper.
• The conferences are excellent (x 3,4,5); The conferences are effective but should be longer and the classes should be shorter
• The class is really good only for people who are very serious about writing.

Instructor Strengths/Weaknesses:

• his concern for every student, not only for his/her work, but whether their cold is getting worse or they are going insane.
• I found the conferences very helpful.
• Due to his personality, Murray creates a relaxed atmosphere. That's not to say we don't work, but I don't consider it work. I consider it learning.
• This wasn't just a writing class, it was a thinking class.
• He sought to let us go our own routes--never telling us exactly (underlined in original) what to do, but always allowing us to use our imaginations and our own opinions.
• He gives the student a sense of existence. To most teachers we are just numbers, but to him we are real people. He knows our names, and he is always available.
• He rambles on about himself (x 3,4,5)
• Strengths lie in conferences and one-on-one interaction (x 3,4,5); the conferences were much more helpful than the classes themselves.
• Use of his own writing demonstrated that writing is not something reserved for professionals, but is a process everyone can participate in.
• Murray is not a teacher, he is a writer. He tries, but not successfully. I honestly learned nothing about writing from him. Now, at the end of the semester, I write exactly the same as I did at the beginning. Too many war stories, instructions, and not enough writing practice.