Recchio: A Bakhtinian Reading of Student Writing

Recchio says that “our students have a great deal of difficulty recognizing the conflicting, though potentially enriching, claims made on them by the modes of discourse they bring with them into the classroom and by the new modes of discourse they encounter there” (447). Hence, he thinks it is important to “help our students objectify them and weigh the implicit claims of each, placing those claims in relation to explicit claims in the reading” (447). Ultimately, he believes doing this will allow students “to negotiate those claims as they work towards developing a consciously critical point of view on what they read through what they write” (447).  I feel that Recchio’s argument and discussion is definitely a critical point in composition pedagogy. Because our students harbor a wealth of experiences and perspectives, introducing them to critical thinking and reading and academic discourse is a monumental task for composition teachers. How can this best be achieved? In my experience, I feel that juggling the following is necessary: close reading and discussion; sharpening thinking through composition; shaping composition to thinking; and peer review and feedback. I feel that what we gain is more than what we lose in accomplishing this task. Students may find that their personal voice and experience are less prominent in the final product, yet they have gained skills in honing the final product while always finding a space for their personal voice and experience.