THE CEA FORUM - Summer/Fall 2015 - “I’m scared and I like it”: Using Fear to Empower the Freshman Writer - Clare Douglass-Little

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by SANS

“I’m scared and I like it” examines how fear can function as an effective theme in developmental writing courses for novice and nontraditional students, especially those facing resistance or uncertainty about writing. It argues that theme-based instruction builds continuity, links ideas across disciplines, and supports critical thinking by giving students a familiar topical framework. The discussion also addresses risks of teacher-driven theme selection and proposes balancing instructor interests with student agency through flexible assignments and clear modeling.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

“I’m scared and I like it”: Using Fear to Empower the Freshman Writer

Theme-based learning and continuity in composition courses

Balancing instructor and student interests

Why fear works as a versatile, relatable theme

THE CEA FORUM Summer/ Fall 2015 “I’m scared and I like it”: Using Fear to Empower the Freshman Writer Clare Douglass-Little Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Imagine a class of engineers and math majors, many of whom are military veterans, all hoping to fly, design, or repair airplanes. This group has been forced to take a developmental writing course that many of their peers will have placed out of. As a result, making the case that writing has value becomes even MORE challenging for teachers. Many a required composition course has begun with the instructor trying to convince a class of disgruntled business or biology majors that they actually WILL have to write in some stage of their careers. Although attempting to persuade students that they can benefit from the skills gained through a composition course has merit, perhaps the more important gesture comes in acknowledging students’ feelings, even their resistance to writing, and attempting to meet them where they are. One common way to do this involves shaping the course around a basic theme. This approach also adds continuity to a course that, to students, can seem like a confusing mix of mechanics exercises and arbitrary writing prompts. An instructor has countless options when selecting a theme, but, for the particular population with which I work and potentially any diverse group of novice writers, fear has proven to be a particularly effective theme and speaks to the power of themed teaching of composition in general. THE CEA FORUM Summer/ Fall 2015 Susan B. Chaplin and Jill M. Manske discuss the value of the thematic approach in their article “A Theme-Based Approach to Teaching Nonmajors Biology,” in which they define theme-based learning as “the linking of different disciplines or subdisciplines to a central idea so that students identify the ‘big’ or important ideas as a framework for learning”(48) . In a typical college-level writing course, this framework focuses on the effective application of argumentative and analytical strategies. Perhaps Jan Allister, in her essay “Building on Self-Centeredness: Structuring a Composition Course around ‘Family,’” best captures the ideal theme as “a topic for students to consider throughout the term that is at once individual and universal, particular and abstract, that will allow students to write easily out of both personal experience and formal reasoning…something all students would care about and find relevant to their lives”(70) . Further emphasizing the value of theme-driven composition courses, Stephen Wilhoit, in“Critical Thinking and the Thematic Writing Course,” argues that a theme can provide the focus needed for more effective development of critical thinking skills in students (128) . Rather than having to adapt to the shifting topics of each assignment or unit, students working within a consistent theme have more time to strengthen critical thinking as they work within a familiar topical framework for the duration of the course. The theme of fear, inherently relatable even in a diverse student group, can effectively provide this structure so essential for struggling writers. While the concept of a theme-based composition course is in no way a novel idea, it is important to understand how a theme can work and if it should be applied at all. A theme, once chosen, does have the potential to alienate students if the primary goal centers on presenting the instructor’s favorite theme rather than on engaging the instructor AND students. An enthusiastic THE CEA FORUM Summer/ Fall 2015 teacher may drive students away if her enthusiasm stems from a desire to share her obscure literary interests with students by broadening their horizons through, for instance, an in-depth look at Midwest farming practices in the 18th century or an exploration of marriage contracts during the Renaissance period. The instructor’s passion, while always helpful in encouraging student engagement, can only go so far

FAQs

What concern does the document raise about theme selection?

A theme can alienate students if the instructor’s goal becomes primarily sharing a favorite topic rather than engaging both students and instructor. Theme development should balance interests and allow students to make the topic their own within assignment parameters.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by SANS