This study argues that community college composition instructors need to develop their own body of research and scholarship on theories of writing, one that is not solely dependent upon four-year college theory, but that works as an equal partner in the composition theory debate. The premise that community college students are different from four-year college and university students is the backbone of the study. The author interviewed approximately 100 students at Northern Virginia Community College about their individual writing processes. She also studied the literature and kept a journal of her own teaching experiences during three semesters. In the debate over whether to insist that students learn standard English, both sides make valid points. Her own students felt standard English was necessary if they were to participate in the workplace yet they did not allow the conventions of English to silence their private voices. In addition, the paper argues that the writing handbook can be stifling if adhered to inflexibly but that it can have value when used as a guide, allowing for a dynamic relationship between the text, the class, and the teacher. The author uses chaos theory to examine educational dilemmas. (Contains 69 references.) (NB)