Analyzing a Rhetorical Situation

Throughout my very first undergraduate major there were many articles and chapters from textbooks that I have read and critiqued. Since I am now seeking my second Bachelor’s degree and have recently started  I decided to think about a more recent piece that I was required to read in my Writing and Education class. The piece that I chose was about teachers and how they thrive in individual discourse communities. The piece helps define discourse communities by John Swalyes author of Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Setting. The purpose of the document was to help teachers understand their responsibilities as educators. The following excerpt is a piece of my individual reflection on Swalyes definition of a Discourse Community.

                Teachers are apart of a discourse community, because they are involved in various relationships within the school system which include; co-workers, parents, administrators, and students. Teachers not only take on the role of an educator but also as a counselor, parent, provider, and in some cases a friend. Teachers may also share ideas with one another in both personal and professional settings. By being apart of various communities a teacher’s voice is better heard, therefore his or her ability to communicate with other is especially important and he or she should use any available resource to become and effective teacher and communicator.
          Teachers participate in writing in many different ways. A teacher may prepare presentations for students and administrators. Teachers also write lesson plans that are used to help educate students in the everyday classroom. Teachers also use writing to develop and analyze assessments and other learning materials. Writing is also important to convey meaning to students that may have difficulty understanding other forms of instruction that the teacher or teachers may use.

          The writer uses a very professional tone that is triggered to a specific audience, but is useful for all English majors. The piece helps students and teachers reflect on their individual purpose and helps to give writing meaning again. Swalyes does an excellent job relating his thoughts to the reader and helps them to reflect on their individual writing roles as well as the roles they play in the community.