Summary of "English Composition as a Happening" by Charles Deemer

Our current educational system for writing is far to rigid and linear. The current system is false in that it has a teacher figure that is supposedly omniscient and constantly correct. Meanwhile, the "student" is meant to receive knowledge handed down from the teacher without input of their own according to studies by Kitzhaber in Themes, Theories, and Therapy: The Teaching of Writing in College. This is flawed in that it will teach "students" to write in the one specific way the "teacher" wants. In reality, there is no one way to write, nor does any one person have nothing to learn in writing.
Each person has their own unique voice, and the learning experience in writing should be a mutual, shared experience between both the "teacher" and the "students." The "teacher" should not be there only to instill wisdom upon the lesser "student", nor should the "student" blindly accept the the authority of the "teacher." Instead, the "students" should actually learn to think for themselves according to Bertrand Russel.
According to Deemer, the goal of the restructuring of the system should be a classroom where students actually actively participate and discuss, consider the teachers comments, and then decides whether to practice or discard them, and then, truly writes with their heart on things they are passionate about. This atmosphere should be created through a "happening" according to Susan Tong in Against Interpretation. A happening is an event that throws the student into an unknown environ, it should take them out of their element, and it should be spontaneous. The happening would be akin to a proverbial ice breaker, except that, instead of relieving tension to set the mood, it creates it in a new form, everyone is on edge, not because they are afraid to fail, but because they are bursting with passion and writing with their hearts. However, the teacher then must maintain the atmosphere that they are not always correct, and are, at times, inadequate for the job they have, but are doing their best. This system, should create unity from the fragmented rubble of our current system and should inspire creativity over the clones produced by current thinking.