Monday, April 22, 2013
Final Reflections
As I look back over this semester, I am amazed at how much I have grown as a future teacher. Taking Engl 339 and 445 has been a wonderful experience for me. The texts we have read, and the discussions held with such an amazing group of peers, has really opened my eyes to a whole variety of concepts, philosophies, and practices. I have rediscovered my love for writing, and solidified ideas concerning collaboration, assessment, and drafting writing. I have learned ways to teach tough reading subjects such as informational texts and Shakespeare. Discussing all my new ideas would take much more time than any serious college student can allow at this point in the semester. However, I can say without a doubt that I am not the teacher I was a short four months ago. I thank those of you who have taken this journey with me, and I especially thank Dr. Petrone for being the fearless leader for a large group of up and coming English Educators. I hope you all find some value in what you read here and please feel free to comment and continue our discussions about philosophies for teaching reading and writing. I know these philosophies will continue to grow and change as I grow and develop as an educator. I am incredibly excited for the rest of this journey!
Incorporating Young Adult Literature in the Classroom
The final reading concept I would like to discuss is the idea of incorporating Young Adult Literature(YAL) in my classroom. First, we must define YAL. In Teaching Literature to Adolescents, the authors, Richard Beach et. al., "offer three operational definitions" for this term: "what is marketed to teens; what teens read in schools; and what teens actually read" (79). However, what teens read in schools (usually canonical literature) is not necessarily what is being marketed to them, or what they would choose to read themselves. I would like to remedy this issue as much as possible.
Some argue we should incorporate YAL in the classroom, but this is a touchy subject for some people. In class, we discussed some of the stigmas surrounding YAL in today's society. Many adults are concerned with some of the content incorporated in YAL today. These novels have begun to blatantly deal with issues such as sex, homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, etc. Factions of society argue students should not be experiencing such controversial subjects at such an explicit level. However, I would argue that literature in the classroom is the safest place for students to encounter such topics. Through literature, students can experience decisions and discuss options without actually being put in difficult situations. They will have an opportunity to develop their opinions concerning these topics in a constructive environment.
Another reason I'd like to incorporate YAL in my classroom is student engagement. As I've discussed earlier, our schools are suffering from readicide, as described by Kelly Gallagher. One potential solution to this problem is to let students read material they want to read. If students care and are interested in what they are reading, they will be more invested in the work. These texts also portray themes that are clearly relevant to student lives and the changes they are going through. Students can easily connect with these texts, and so they should be used in the classroom.
However, Teaching Literature to Adolescents warns that "recency and relevance aren't all" (89). In other words, "there are surely times when you need to push adolescents past Stephanie Meyer and Cassandra Clare to classic and contemporary classic literature that they might not seek out on their own" (Beach et. al., 89). I agree with this statement, and so I would like to use YAL literature as bridge texts in my classroom. I will pair YAL with canonical texts sharing similar themes and stories. Comparing and contrasting the two texts will make the older text more accessible to students because they will see the connections with modern day concepts shown in the newer text. For example, I recently developed a unit on dystopias pairing Orwell's 1984 with Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. These two texts both tell stories of societies fallen into disarray and poor management. They both have a strong, rebellious protagonist, and both were written by the author to comment on specific issues in society. These are the themes I want to focus on in my unit, and both texts will teach them well. Additionally, students are familiar with The Hunger Games and this will help them understand and relate to Orwell's story as we draw comparisons and examine differences. This is just one example of how I will pair YAL with canonical literature as bridge texts.
Unfortunately, most schools do not own a wide selection of YAL for use in the classroom. As a result, I will have to do my own digging to select and purchase appropriate texts for my class. Teaching Literature to Adolescents offers several suggestions for finding YAL such as checking out award winners, using ALAN, and even asking teenagers themselves. I also intend to read YAL myself in order to know what my students may be experiencing and reading outside of my classroom. This will also help me to continue loving reading on a personal level, an important effort to make for any English teacher. I know some of my choices may seem controversial, but I am willing to fight to use the literature I think will best serve my students, YAL included.
Some argue we should incorporate YAL in the classroom, but this is a touchy subject for some people. In class, we discussed some of the stigmas surrounding YAL in today's society. Many adults are concerned with some of the content incorporated in YAL today. These novels have begun to blatantly deal with issues such as sex, homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, etc. Factions of society argue students should not be experiencing such controversial subjects at such an explicit level. However, I would argue that literature in the classroom is the safest place for students to encounter such topics. Through literature, students can experience decisions and discuss options without actually being put in difficult situations. They will have an opportunity to develop their opinions concerning these topics in a constructive environment.
Another reason I'd like to incorporate YAL in my classroom is student engagement. As I've discussed earlier, our schools are suffering from readicide, as described by Kelly Gallagher. One potential solution to this problem is to let students read material they want to read. If students care and are interested in what they are reading, they will be more invested in the work. These texts also portray themes that are clearly relevant to student lives and the changes they are going through. Students can easily connect with these texts, and so they should be used in the classroom.
However, Teaching Literature to Adolescents warns that "recency and relevance aren't all" (89). In other words, "there are surely times when you need to push adolescents past Stephanie Meyer and Cassandra Clare to classic and contemporary classic literature that they might not seek out on their own" (Beach et. al., 89). I agree with this statement, and so I would like to use YAL literature as bridge texts in my classroom. I will pair YAL with canonical texts sharing similar themes and stories. Comparing and contrasting the two texts will make the older text more accessible to students because they will see the connections with modern day concepts shown in the newer text. For example, I recently developed a unit on dystopias pairing Orwell's 1984 with Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. These two texts both tell stories of societies fallen into disarray and poor management. They both have a strong, rebellious protagonist, and both were written by the author to comment on specific issues in society. These are the themes I want to focus on in my unit, and both texts will teach them well. Additionally, students are familiar with The Hunger Games and this will help them understand and relate to Orwell's story as we draw comparisons and examine differences. This is just one example of how I will pair YAL with canonical literature as bridge texts.
Unfortunately, most schools do not own a wide selection of YAL for use in the classroom. As a result, I will have to do my own digging to select and purchase appropriate texts for my class. Teaching Literature to Adolescents offers several suggestions for finding YAL such as checking out award winners, using ALAN, and even asking teenagers themselves. I also intend to read YAL myself in order to know what my students may be experiencing and reading outside of my classroom. This will also help me to continue loving reading on a personal level, an important effort to make for any English teacher. I know some of my choices may seem controversial, but I am willing to fight to use the literature I think will best serve my students, YAL included.
Teaching Informational Texts
Another reading idea I'd like to explore is the area of informational texts. Admittedly, this bleeds into a writing idea as well (the two tend to go hand in hand), but I will discuss the concept as a whole. This idea is important to me due to the new adoption of the Common Core State Standards in Montana. These standards bring to light a new focus on teaching students to read and write informational texts. Students will encounter these texts throughout their lives, and so reading and writing comprehension in this area is important. When I first discovered this focus in the standards, I was hesitant. Other subjects should be responsible for teaching some of the more technical reading and writing. As a literature lover, I would love to focus on creative literature in my class. However, I will be required to teach both, and so I am thankful to have learned more about how to teach informational texts.
I have actually found my philosophy about informational texts changing over the last few weeks. I recently read the book Get It Done! by James e. Fredricksen, Michael W. Smith, and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. This text discusses theories and practices for reading and writing informational texts. In my mind, the most helpful and influential idea this text had to offer was the concept that informational texts are a way of thinking, not just a form or style of writing. The text claims "...each informational text type requires a different and very particular kind of thought. That is, each kind of informational text structure embodies a specific way of thinking with and through categories" (11). Most importantly, these thought structures are things we do naturally. Once this is pointed out to students, they can learn to use these processes to develop and comprehend informational texts. The types of structured texts they list are as follows:
The rest of the book focuses on activities which help students learn these structures. The text itself is somewhat repetitive, but the practical ideas presented are really useful. Once mastered, each structure builds upon the others to develop the process for creating informational texts. This will "help students think like real readers, writers, historians, scientists, and mathematicians," therefore, "we need to teach these patterns and text structures in the context of our subject matter" (4). Students can then apply this knowledge to reading informational texts, analyzing how these texts were created and why they are structured specific ways. This will help students evaluate the texts they encounter for validity and purpose, making them smarter world readers.
In fact, informational texts are crucial to today's society and learning about current events. In reading a fellow future educator's blog, I was reminded how Kelly Gallagher discusses the astonishing lack of knowledge some students have about current events going on around them. During the 2008 presidential primaries, "only one student could identify John McCain, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, or Rudy Giuliani. Perhaps more unbelievable was that only one of my ninth graders could name the sitting vice president of the United States" (Gallagher 28). This fact is downright scary. Students need to be up to date with societal events. Incorporating informational texts and current events would be a wonderful strategy. Students can read informational texts, analyzing their structures, while gaining knowledge about the events going on around them. Bridging these ideas will help kill two birds with one stone, and save teachers time in an already jam-packed curriculum.
Overall, I have realized that teaching informational texts, and that style of thinking, is very important to my students. Perhaps more importantly, I have realized teaching these texts can be fun, rather than dry and boring. I will certainly keep Get It Done! handy throughout my teaching career to utilize the ideas presented and remind myself the real reasons for teaching informational texts.
I have actually found my philosophy about informational texts changing over the last few weeks. I recently read the book Get It Done! by James e. Fredricksen, Michael W. Smith, and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. This text discusses theories and practices for reading and writing informational texts. In my mind, the most helpful and influential idea this text had to offer was the concept that informational texts are a way of thinking, not just a form or style of writing. The text claims "...each informational text type requires a different and very particular kind of thought. That is, each kind of informational text structure embodies a specific way of thinking with and through categories" (11). Most importantly, these thought structures are things we do naturally. Once this is pointed out to students, they can learn to use these processes to develop and comprehend informational texts. The types of structured texts they list are as follows:
·
Structure of information texts: (12-16).
o Listing
and naming
o Summary/précis
o Description
o Process
description
o Definition
o Comparison-contrast
o Classification
o Cause-effect
o Problem-solution
Teaching Shakespeare
Now that I've addressed the issue of helping students enjoy reading, I can discuss some of the reading ideas I would like to incorporate in my classroom. The first of these is the idea of teaching Shakespeare to high school students. Many readers of any age or ability balk at the idea of reading Shakespeare. His language is difficult, and his stories complex, making much of his work difficult to understand. Shakespeare has a reputation of being a master, but difficult to read, and so students are often afraid to approach his work. Additionally, Shakespeare wrote years ago, and many students don't expect to find any relevance in reading his work today. They expect to be frustrated and bored. Teaching Shakespeare, then, is a tough challenge for any English teacher to face. However, Shakespeare is an essential part of nearly every high school curriculum, and so we must figure out how to meet this challenge head-on and help students engage with Shakespeare's work.
Unfortunately, Shakespeare is not always taught well in the classroom. The traditional teaching style seems to involve reading a page aloud, summarizing/discussing what just happened, and then moving on. This is repeated until the play is finished, then the class will watch a film representation. BORING. I experienced a lot of this teaching style myself. I loved Shakespeare, and persevered, but this method will destroy Shakespeare for most students. However, I realize that not all teachers do Shakespeare this way (thank goodness) and that several ideas exist for making Shakespeare interesting for students.
We explored one such resource under the guidance of Ms. Danette Long this semester. Ms. Long spent a few class periods showing us the wonder of Folgers' Shakespeare Set Free. This program has designed a myriad of lessons focused on teaching Shakespeare to students in a fun, relevant, and engaging manner. We discussed introducing Shakespeare's language through Shakespearean insults and complements. We also played around with the importance of teaching students context and subtext, and the way these effect the meaning and interpretation of a text. Ms. Long guided us through multiple readings of specific passages, practicing close readings and comprehension through acting and directing scenes with our classmates. Finally, nearly every activity focused on putting Shakespeare on its feet, requiring students to get up, move around, and bring the stories to life. This makes Shakespeare infinitely more fun and engaging. We also discussed the importance of highlighting the themes Shakespeare uses which are still relevant in society today (in other words, most of his themes). This will help students realize they have some connection with the characters and stories of these old texts.
Last week, I had the opportunity to try one of Folgers' lessons myself. I taught a Folger lesson for Romeo and Juliet with freshman for my practicum placement class. This particular lesson focused on teaching subtext, and required students to take turns directing their classmates how to read specific lines based on the subtext behind those words. This lesson was fun to teach and went quite well. Students learned the importance of subtext, and important plot points for Act 4, all while engaging with each other and the text in a fun manner. They enjoyed the lesson and found relevance to their own lives; I will call that lesson a success!
These lessons were fun, and certainly an eye-opener for me. I have always been afraid of teaching Shakespeare to my students, knowing several will not like the texts. However, these exercises have shown me that Shakespeare can be taught well. I definitely plan on utilizing the Folgers resource in my future teaching career!
Unfortunately, Shakespeare is not always taught well in the classroom. The traditional teaching style seems to involve reading a page aloud, summarizing/discussing what just happened, and then moving on. This is repeated until the play is finished, then the class will watch a film representation. BORING. I experienced a lot of this teaching style myself. I loved Shakespeare, and persevered, but this method will destroy Shakespeare for most students. However, I realize that not all teachers do Shakespeare this way (thank goodness) and that several ideas exist for making Shakespeare interesting for students.
We explored one such resource under the guidance of Ms. Danette Long this semester. Ms. Long spent a few class periods showing us the wonder of Folgers' Shakespeare Set Free. This program has designed a myriad of lessons focused on teaching Shakespeare to students in a fun, relevant, and engaging manner. We discussed introducing Shakespeare's language through Shakespearean insults and complements. We also played around with the importance of teaching students context and subtext, and the way these effect the meaning and interpretation of a text. Ms. Long guided us through multiple readings of specific passages, practicing close readings and comprehension through acting and directing scenes with our classmates. Finally, nearly every activity focused on putting Shakespeare on its feet, requiring students to get up, move around, and bring the stories to life. This makes Shakespeare infinitely more fun and engaging. We also discussed the importance of highlighting the themes Shakespeare uses which are still relevant in society today (in other words, most of his themes). This will help students realize they have some connection with the characters and stories of these old texts.
Last week, I had the opportunity to try one of Folgers' lessons myself. I taught a Folger lesson for Romeo and Juliet with freshman for my practicum placement class. This particular lesson focused on teaching subtext, and required students to take turns directing their classmates how to read specific lines based on the subtext behind those words. This lesson was fun to teach and went quite well. Students learned the importance of subtext, and important plot points for Act 4, all while engaging with each other and the text in a fun manner. They enjoyed the lesson and found relevance to their own lives; I will call that lesson a success!
These lessons were fun, and certainly an eye-opener for me. I have always been afraid of teaching Shakespeare to my students, knowing several will not like the texts. However, these exercises have shown me that Shakespeare can be taught well. I definitely plan on utilizing the Folgers resource in my future teaching career!
Readicide in the Classroom
Like writing, I have developed several new ideas about teaching reading to secondary English students. However, before I discuss how or what I would like to teach, I must address the biggest problem I will face in teaching high school students English: many of my students will not like reading or writing. Somewhere in their schooling, the novelty and appreciation for language wears off. This phenomenon was best explained to my by Kelly Gallagher in his book entitled Readicide.
Gallagher defines "readicide" as "the systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools" (2). Take note that Gallagher attributes this killing to the practices currently being used in school classrooms. He does not mean to offend here, but explains this statement by saying, "In an earnest attempt to instill reading, teachers and administrators push practices that kill many students' last chance to develop into lifelong readers" (2). Recent assessments have shown student literacy scores dropping over the past few years and significant gaps in reading ability. Reading is dying in our schools!
However, Gallagher does not attribute this readicide solely to the "usual" factors (poverty, language barriers, etc.). He keeps another suspect in mind:
Gallagher defines "readicide" as "the systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools" (2). Take note that Gallagher attributes this killing to the practices currently being used in school classrooms. He does not mean to offend here, but explains this statement by saying, "In an earnest attempt to instill reading, teachers and administrators push practices that kill many students' last chance to develop into lifelong readers" (2). Recent assessments have shown student literacy scores dropping over the past few years and significant gaps in reading ability. Reading is dying in our schools!
However, Gallagher does not attribute this readicide solely to the "usual" factors (poverty, language barriers, etc.). He keeps another suspect in mind:
High-interest reading is being squeezed out in favor of more test preparation practice. Interesting books are disappearing as funding is diverted to purchase "magic pill" reading programs. Sustained silent reading time is being abandoned because it is often seen as "soft" or "nonacademic." For many students, academic reading, though incredibly important, has become their only reading. (4)
This statement illustrates the recent changes made in English education, largely demanded by standardized testing. Teachers, under pressure to have their students perform well, are focusing on testing to the extreme. The classroom spends less time on novels and more time preparing for test materials. Along with this "phony" teaching, teachers have developed a tendency to either over-teach or under-teach a text. Texts are under-taught when teachers try to rush through them in order to tackle the necessary amount of content. However, I am more afraid of over-teaching a text. This method involves analyzing a text page by page, examining every little detail to the point of exhaustion. While these details are certainly important, such extreme analysis disrupts any sort of reading flow. Students cannot get immersed in the story or ideas being presented.
All these factors have attributed to the development of readicide. As an English and literature lover, this fact is hard for me to come to terms with. I want my students to love, or at least appreciate, reading. Fortunately, Gallagher offers some suggestions to help combat readicide in the classroom. These strategies include framing, re-reading, closer readings of small chunks, and teaching students what good readers do. However, I the trick I'd most like to incorporate in my classroom is giving students time for Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). Gallagher promotes this idea in his book as well, and cites several studies illustrating the value of SSR time for students. For example, one study claims "Reading as a leisure activity is the best predictor of comprehension, vocabulary, and reading speed. Kids who do the most recreational reading become the best readers" (42). Gallagher also argues that "SSR is necessary to allow students an opporunity to build their prior knowledge and background" (43). SSR also helps students develop reading as a "recreational habit." Without this time, many students would never experience the power of books to suck the reader in and take them on an adventure. Additionally, this time gives students a chance to read something they like and are interested in reading rather than being forced to read some text they do not care about. The value of SSR cannot be denied. I am worried about fitting such an important activity into 50 minute class periods, but I can guarantee there will be individual reading time in my classroom.
Readicide is a scary concept. I am glad I had the chance to explore this idea and pick up some strategies to help prevent readicide in my classroom. This will be one of my toughest jobs as an educator, but I am determined to succeed.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Writing is a Collaborative Process
In my last couple of posts I discussed the importance of inspiring students to write and stressing the development of the writing process. Tonight I'd like to focus on one key aspect of the writing process which is crucial to all writers: collaboration.
When we think of writers, we often conjure an image of a solitary figure, working out in the woods, writing by themselves. This makes writing seem like a lonely, individual process, which is incorrect for most writers today. No professional writer writes alone. They have a team of people to give them feedback on their ideas, formatting, and mechanics. This idea is subtly reinforced in Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts." No professional writer writes alone; they have help. If the best writers collaborate, why shouldn't other writers do the same?
This idea has been reinforced during my work in the Writing Center this year. I have seen the help and power collaborating can bring to writing. Sometimes it's nice just to bounce your ideas off another person and talk yourself through the multitude of thoughts you are considering incorporating. Sometimes it's helpful to have someone read your paper as an outside reader. Does the paper makes sense? Does it flow well? Where do you need more information or explanation. What causes the reader to pause? These questions can only be answered by letting someone else read your work. Written work is meant for an audience; it only makes sense to make sure the audience understands what you are trying to say. Finally, it's helpful to have someone else read for mechanics. When I've been working on a paper for a long time, I begin to miss the little mistakes, my brain knows what I mean to say and supplies the correct format. As a result, it is beyond helpful to have someone else read the paper over.
The easiest way to collaborate on writing in the classroom is to have writing workshops or groups where students share their work with peers for review. However, to do this, students must first learn how to give constructive feedback on writing. This can be taught through example and practice. When giving feedback, model the type of feedback you would like students to give each other. Practice reading and providing feedback out-loud as a class. Provide students with a sheet of key items to watch for while reading a peer's paper. Once this ability is established, students can share and critique their own writing. This will foster conversations about ideas and writing which will greatly expand their ability.
Students should also be collaborating with you, the teacher. The age-old practice of turning in a final paper and receiving a grade/some feedback just isn't enough. Kittle discusses this idea in Write Beside Them in a section where she discusses the difference between feedback and evaluation. Evaluation is a letter grade at the end of writing. Kittle bluntly states, "I don't want a letter grade on my writing. It won't help me with that piece; it will likely damage my confidence and disrupt my process" (208). Many students have shared this experience, myself included. Students will likely make no change with that final grade or feedback. The paper will be put away, and all comments forgotten. Students need feedback before they turn in that final copy, otherwise the changes will never be made, and the students will not learn. Kittle advocates giving as much feedback as possible during the drafting process, saying, "I read several drafts of each piece from almost every kid in class. I make the time...I want better writers and that is how it happens--with respectful, regular feedback" (215). As a result, teachers must give constructive feedback to students along the way. This will help students recognize the importance of the drafting process. This will also help them turn in a solid, well-developed final product they can be proud of. Then their evaluative feedback will be positive and encouraging, further promoting the power of writing.
Writing should never be done alone. It's just not productive to the system. I will teach my students to collaborate with myself and their peers in order to foster their writing abilities.
When we think of writers, we often conjure an image of a solitary figure, working out in the woods, writing by themselves. This makes writing seem like a lonely, individual process, which is incorrect for most writers today. No professional writer writes alone. They have a team of people to give them feedback on their ideas, formatting, and mechanics. This idea is subtly reinforced in Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts." No professional writer writes alone; they have help. If the best writers collaborate, why shouldn't other writers do the same?
This idea has been reinforced during my work in the Writing Center this year. I have seen the help and power collaborating can bring to writing. Sometimes it's nice just to bounce your ideas off another person and talk yourself through the multitude of thoughts you are considering incorporating. Sometimes it's helpful to have someone read your paper as an outside reader. Does the paper makes sense? Does it flow well? Where do you need more information or explanation. What causes the reader to pause? These questions can only be answered by letting someone else read your work. Written work is meant for an audience; it only makes sense to make sure the audience understands what you are trying to say. Finally, it's helpful to have someone else read for mechanics. When I've been working on a paper for a long time, I begin to miss the little mistakes, my brain knows what I mean to say and supplies the correct format. As a result, it is beyond helpful to have someone else read the paper over.
The easiest way to collaborate on writing in the classroom is to have writing workshops or groups where students share their work with peers for review. However, to do this, students must first learn how to give constructive feedback on writing. This can be taught through example and practice. When giving feedback, model the type of feedback you would like students to give each other. Practice reading and providing feedback out-loud as a class. Provide students with a sheet of key items to watch for while reading a peer's paper. Once this ability is established, students can share and critique their own writing. This will foster conversations about ideas and writing which will greatly expand their ability.
Students should also be collaborating with you, the teacher. The age-old practice of turning in a final paper and receiving a grade/some feedback just isn't enough. Kittle discusses this idea in Write Beside Them in a section where she discusses the difference between feedback and evaluation. Evaluation is a letter grade at the end of writing. Kittle bluntly states, "I don't want a letter grade on my writing. It won't help me with that piece; it will likely damage my confidence and disrupt my process" (208). Many students have shared this experience, myself included. Students will likely make no change with that final grade or feedback. The paper will be put away, and all comments forgotten. Students need feedback before they turn in that final copy, otherwise the changes will never be made, and the students will not learn. Kittle advocates giving as much feedback as possible during the drafting process, saying, "I read several drafts of each piece from almost every kid in class. I make the time...I want better writers and that is how it happens--with respectful, regular feedback" (215). As a result, teachers must give constructive feedback to students along the way. This will help students recognize the importance of the drafting process. This will also help them turn in a solid, well-developed final product they can be proud of. Then their evaluative feedback will be positive and encouraging, further promoting the power of writing.
Writing should never be done alone. It's just not productive to the system. I will teach my students to collaborate with myself and their peers in order to foster their writing abilities.
Inspiring to Write
As I consider my philosophies for teaching writing, I have realized there is one overarching idea I must implement in my classroom before any real writing can take place: students must be inspired to write. In other words, they must discover some story or topic in them waiting to burst forth, and they must want to tell that story through writing. This will certainly be no easy task, and will likely take some time with many students; however inspiring students to write is an essential part in creating a classroom of writers.
This topic has also really reached home for me this year. Somewhere in my schooling, I lost my love for writing. I think this is because I never had the chance to write something fun, for me, or that I cared about. I answered prompt after prompt. I wrote well, but I never cared, and so I never really enjoyed the process. This is key in getting students to write--they must find something they enjoy writing about. This year, I have rediscovered my love for writing. I have had time to write freely, and to explore topics I want to explore. As a result, I want to simulate a similar experience for my students so they too can rediscover (or discover for the first time) the power of writing.
I think one way to inspire this is simply to give the students a lot of opportunities to write, especially in the form of free-writes. Free-writes hold no consequences in the form of grades, points, or even sharing (depending on the situation). Journal free-writes will often be shared with me, the teacher, or with their peers if they choose to do so, but this will not be required. Without penalties, students will be free to write what they want and experiment with form and style without being afraid they will loose points for taking chances. Free-writes also give students the opportunity to explore a variety of ideas before committing to one for a paper. They can explore without consequence. Penny Kittle endorses this idea in Write Beside Them, saying, "This is something most students crave: to write freely, to experiment with their thinking and ideas, to try on voice, or to rant about life. No grades attached: It is a time to speak" (29). This free-writing helps students find their voice as writers. They need to learn that they have something worth saying. Once they have something to say, they have something to write about.
My favorite free-write experience this year has been the Writing Marathon (introduced to me by Dr. Robert Petrone). For these marathons, students split into groups and go out to write. Each group picks a writing location, writes for 10-15 minutes, shares without commenting on each other's work, and then moves on to a new spot. This process is repeated for an hour so depending on time constraints. At the end, the whole class reconvenes and each student shares their favorite written piece from the marathon. The teacher is involved as well, reinforcing the concept of "writing beside them." This was a powerful experience for me. Each location brought out a different memory, or idea to write about. It was an excellent chance to explore the things I had to say, and ways to say them. In the end, I discovered a powerful story I needed to put on paper for my own benefit. I was hooked on writing. I hope that using this activity with my students would inspire students to have a similar experience while having a fun opportunity to go out and write.
Once these free-writes are completed, they can become something more. Free-writes are a great way to have students discover a paper topic. By playing with several options, students can discover what they are really dying to say and then turn that topic into their paper. Kittle uses this technique in her classroom as well. She has students spend time with the free-writes, picking a favorite, and then story-boarding or otherwise developing and editing that beginning idea. I would like to do the same in my classroom. Students write better when they are interested and care about what they are writing. They are more likely to invest their time and effort, a goal every teacher strives for with writing.
Through these methods, I hope to help my students discover their writing voice and a passion, or at least respect for the power of writing. Writing is an essential skill for all students, regardless of their future career aspirations. Helping them foster this ability is one of my key jobs as an English educator, and it will all begin with inspiring students to write.
This topic has also really reached home for me this year. Somewhere in my schooling, I lost my love for writing. I think this is because I never had the chance to write something fun, for me, or that I cared about. I answered prompt after prompt. I wrote well, but I never cared, and so I never really enjoyed the process. This is key in getting students to write--they must find something they enjoy writing about. This year, I have rediscovered my love for writing. I have had time to write freely, and to explore topics I want to explore. As a result, I want to simulate a similar experience for my students so they too can rediscover (or discover for the first time) the power of writing.
I think one way to inspire this is simply to give the students a lot of opportunities to write, especially in the form of free-writes. Free-writes hold no consequences in the form of grades, points, or even sharing (depending on the situation). Journal free-writes will often be shared with me, the teacher, or with their peers if they choose to do so, but this will not be required. Without penalties, students will be free to write what they want and experiment with form and style without being afraid they will loose points for taking chances. Free-writes also give students the opportunity to explore a variety of ideas before committing to one for a paper. They can explore without consequence. Penny Kittle endorses this idea in Write Beside Them, saying, "This is something most students crave: to write freely, to experiment with their thinking and ideas, to try on voice, or to rant about life. No grades attached: It is a time to speak" (29). This free-writing helps students find their voice as writers. They need to learn that they have something worth saying. Once they have something to say, they have something to write about.
My favorite free-write experience this year has been the Writing Marathon (introduced to me by Dr. Robert Petrone). For these marathons, students split into groups and go out to write. Each group picks a writing location, writes for 10-15 minutes, shares without commenting on each other's work, and then moves on to a new spot. This process is repeated for an hour so depending on time constraints. At the end, the whole class reconvenes and each student shares their favorite written piece from the marathon. The teacher is involved as well, reinforcing the concept of "writing beside them." This was a powerful experience for me. Each location brought out a different memory, or idea to write about. It was an excellent chance to explore the things I had to say, and ways to say them. In the end, I discovered a powerful story I needed to put on paper for my own benefit. I was hooked on writing. I hope that using this activity with my students would inspire students to have a similar experience while having a fun opportunity to go out and write.
Once these free-writes are completed, they can become something more. Free-writes are a great way to have students discover a paper topic. By playing with several options, students can discover what they are really dying to say and then turn that topic into their paper. Kittle uses this technique in her classroom as well. She has students spend time with the free-writes, picking a favorite, and then story-boarding or otherwise developing and editing that beginning idea. I would like to do the same in my classroom. Students write better when they are interested and care about what they are writing. They are more likely to invest their time and effort, a goal every teacher strives for with writing.
Through these methods, I hope to help my students discover their writing voice and a passion, or at least respect for the power of writing. Writing is an essential skill for all students, regardless of their future career aspirations. Helping them foster this ability is one of my key jobs as an English educator, and it will all begin with inspiring students to write.
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