The process of accepting responsibilty

Lad Tobin's Reading Students, Reading Ourselves: Revising the Teacher's Role in the Writing Class is a honest thought provoking process essay that examines his role and the role of writing teachers in influencing the outcome of the students writing as part or the writing, reading and revision process. He says, "my discomfort grew as I began to see how much her whole argument echoed my own ideas."  Of course, Nickki, the student did well in his class as a writer even though she struggle in other classes.  Lad's self reflection is important as he suggest the need to develop reader theory that accounts for the teacher unavoidable influence on the writers outcome.  His honesty went even further as he acknowledged his biased reading of student work that he didn't find appealing.  Moreover, the admission of the impact of unconscious gender bias is profound.  In the end, I think teachers would do well to read and reflect on the process on a regular basis as a refresher that may help sharpen our eyes and our awareness of our bias so that we might get closer to that realm of objective readers and limit the strong influence we have on a writer's work.