Often when we write about our teaching, we discuss what works well in the classroom. Today, however, I want to reveal a consistent problem, a disappointment really, that I have encountered when using documentaries in my basic writing classes at Kingsborough Community College: Too often when I screen documentary films in class, my basic writers fall asleep or otherwise disengage from the viewing experience in some obvious manner. At first glance, this problem might seem pretty mundane. After all, my students lead tiring lives and probably do need a chance to rest. But I don’t want to let my students Read More …