Isn’t it funny how we learn through the process of listening- listening to others. The people we listen to can be scholars, professors, friends- anyone. The fact is, we rely on someone else’s knowledge to develop our own. Where we find this knowledge though is often debated, but it is up to the person themselves. Discoveries can come from anywhere, but it is our mission as students to find the why. We ask the question, “Why is this discovery necessary, and what does it do to help me?”. As students, our job is to fine tune our knowledge and implement it in a way that is necessary to our own and others learning processes. We are constantly learning everyday, especially within an academic setting. As long as we gain knowledge from reliable sources, we will make new discoveries. English 203 has taught me that sometimes I need to be dependent on the knowledge of others in order to grow as a student.
The process of listening is important everywhere, but in English 203 I especially found it vital within class discussion and group work. Every single class we counted off in numbers to find our assigned group for that day. In the beginning of the school year, I did not even know what this group work setting would begin to reveal to me. I got to interact with my classmates in a hands on setting, but what I didn’t know is that their perspectives on topics would help me in the long run. I found that through my classmates I was able to understand the readings more, I found new blog post topics, and they even helped to proofread and give me ideas for my papers. Their understanding of a variety of topics perpetuated new interpretations for me. They often made me think in a way I would not have thought before, forcing me to grow as a learner. It was interesting to see how five people could read the same passage, but come to 100 different conclusions as to what that passage meant. If I had not been introduced to what my classmates thought it meant, I would be convinced that only my way was correct. Through the process of relying on their knowledge, I was guided to break the boundary I had created for myself. Ultimately, I became more open minded as a learner and this helped me to find new things.
The process of relying on others interpretation occurred almost everyday, but I can think of one specific example. One day, were were reading a section of R: ef (gesture) entitled “Logic” by Percival Everett. I first read this section of poems and was utterly confused. I never was a “logic” person after all, and felt that the interdisciplinary between logic and English was slim to none. How could the two relate? I thought Everett was just trying to make my mind go into a frenzy again. This frustration ensued within me through made me bitter, I thought that perhaps I wasn’t smart enough to understand it. Yet, through the guidance of others, I really did begin to understand. I even offered some of my own discoveries which connected with others, and helped them to find a conclusion. My group and I spoke about these series of poems freely, and I for one discovered that I was totally missing the mark on what these poems were about. This group of classmates was kind of like a safe zone, we all just shouted out ideas until we found the “good stuff”. Each person came up with their own theory as to what the poems were about. which then in turn brought up new thoughts and routes to conversation. Toby’s theory mentioned that perhaps the poem X is just a variable that could represent other things, where Lael discussed how logic just a general component to find even more things. Every idea was unique, but together we found ways to connect them all. I was dependent upon my group members observations to find true understanding myself.
Like any class, English 203 has a variety of assignments. They are listed off on the syllabus, and they are often a student’s greatest fear. I came into this class thinking that it would be like any other. I thought that the assignments were to be done independently, and that these assignments would determine our overall grade for the course. I was right to a certain extent, but this class was different. I quickly realized that my classmates could help me too. As a class we were often encouraged to use our classmates in order to succeed. Like for example in the blogging assignment, we were guided to thoughtfully respond to other people’s posts. The public setup of the blog also allowed us to read each other’s posts. In doing so, I came up with new topics I wanted to then discuss. I was also coaxed to begin referencing my classmates in my own blog posts. It became automatic that during class I would write down some of the things my group member’s would say as quotes. If I liked something they said in class I would write it down in order to expand on it later. Their thoughts became scholarly for me, I recognized them as intelligent individuals sitting right before me. My classmates became more vital to my learning process. They introduced profound ideas that would assist me in my own writing.
Another type of referencing that was implemented in English 203 was through the process of research. As a class, we were encouraged to find sources that would enhance our understanding of the given materials. While reading a series of novels throughout the course, I often found that Professor Beth McCoy would start the class with a word up on the board. She would ask, “what does this word mean?” or “how is this word used?”. This would prompt the class to use the process of research to find the definition of said word, and relate it to course content. Usually, this given word would help to guide our class discussion that day- and gear our conversation towards a productive destination. I also found myself using research while reading the novel I Am Not Sidney Poiter by Percival Everett. I will never forget the day I first picked up the novel, and immediately thought “Who even is Sidney Poiter?”. Having a brief background of who Sidney Poiter is is essential to be able to accurately understand the characters. This is because the whole novel compares Not Sidney to the actual Sidney Poiter. In order to figure out the connections between both people, the class did research on who Sidney Poiter was. Of course, there is no better way to see who Sidney is, than to watch the man in action. Therefore, we watched a variety of films where Sidney Poiter was the star. We could find a lot about the man through the characters he chose to play and how he played them. I relied on the films to create a distinction between Sidney and Not Sidney. This connection was necessary in order to comprehend the novel to its fullest extent.
As students, we are always taught to admire the various works of scholars before us. I always thought that scholars needed to be people who went to prestigious universities, or people that came up with groundbreaking formulas, or people that spent their whole lives working to change history. What I never recognized though, is that small scholars exist too and that these intellectuals can be anyone from anywhere. They can be just as ordinary as you and me. I found scholars within the students of my English 203 class, because they broke boundaries for me. They helped me to find what I was really looking for, and pushed my growth as a student. This class showed me that we need to trust each other’s knowledge in order to make new discoveries in the long run. Yet I also found that relying on a variety or works and research helps to enhance these new discoveries. It provides the backbone of proof that is essential when moving forward. Group discussion forces individuals to make connections between one another, especially within the field of literature.