Contextual Factors: The Rhetorical
Situation
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Genre
◦ What are the conventions of an analytical essay?
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Purpose
◦ Why is understanding the contextual factors of
our teaching environment and students important
to student learning?

Audience
◦ Who is reading this? What cues does the reader
need in order to understand the larger point?
Contextual Factors: Macro
•What
are the “macro” factors that affect student
readiness to learn and your pedagogical choices?
•Community
•Geographic location
•Socio-economic profile
•Racial/ethnic profile
•District
•Leadership stability
•Funding
•School
•Mission statement
•Administrative Structure
•Curriculum
•Relationships between teachers and leadership
Questions to Ask Yourself:
What kind of support do students and
teachers receive from the community,
parents, and administrators?
 What are the main challenges this
district/school faces?
 What are the assets of this
district/school?

Resources for Macro Context
School/student handbook
 Teachers/principal
 Infoworks
 School and district websites
 RIDE website
 Others?

Micro Context, part II

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If you can, choose the ONE class you will
use for the rest of the TCWS.
Characteristics of class members
◦
◦
◦
◦
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Age/grade level
Gender breakdown
Special needs
Culture/language of students
Student skills and prior learning (i.e., what appear
to be their strengths? What do they need to
work on? What have they learned so far this
year?)
Part III. Instructional Implications
◦ How do the macro and micro factors
influence your choices:
◦ Instruction (more direct/explicit instruction
or inquiry learning? More or less
collaborative learning? Etc.)
◦ Curriculum (longer or shorter texts? More
or less use of technology/visuals? Etc.)
◦ Assessment (what types of formative and
summative assessments are needed? What
choices do students need for projects? Etc.)
Writing the Contextual Factors

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Follow the rubric.
It’s an essay.
◦ Introduction.
◦ Thesis Statement.
◦ Clear sections with headers that cue the reader
as to when you are changing topics (i.e. moving
from macro to micro).
 Topic sentences for each paragraph.
 Use appropriate transitions.
◦ Conclusion.
◦ Follow the rubric.
Content
Make sure you give ALL aspects of the
essay reasonably equal weight—they all
count the same on the rubric.
 When possible, put demographic and
quantitative data in charts.
 Don’t just provide data (charts, mission
statements, what classroom looks like,
etc.), analyze it. How does each factor
affect your instruction?
 Follow the rubric. I will.

Last Things…
Use pseudonyms
 Cite your sources using MLA
 Provide a biblio/Works Cited list
 Talk to your peers in the same
school/district. Share data in regard to
macro content.
 See samples posted to Blackboard.
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