Teaching Writing
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Tips and advice for teaching writing
Do you teach writing? Are you looking for tips, lessons, and strategies to make teaching writing easier and more effective?
Whatever age your students and whatever your exact job title...
...understanding how to help your students develop and grow as writers is important.
Writing helps students:
The third reason on the list is the reason why so many people place a high value on learning to write, and therefore teaching writing, but teachers should never forget that using writing for the other two reasons can help their students develop and grow as writers as well as learn in every subject area as well as demonstrate their knowledge.
Teaching writing is challenging work though and many teachers fear they don't have the knowledge for effective teaching about writing. I have taught writers from primary school through graduate school and teaching writing is fun and rewarding as well as challenging. I want to make teaching writing easier for other teachers. Check out these tips for better teaching!
Whatever age your students and whatever your exact job title...
...understanding how to help your students develop and grow as writers is important.
Writing helps students:
- Learn
- Demonstrate learning
- Communicate with others
The third reason on the list is the reason why so many people place a high value on learning to write, and therefore teaching writing, but teachers should never forget that using writing for the other two reasons can help their students develop and grow as writers as well as learn in every subject area as well as demonstrate their knowledge.
Teaching writing is challenging work though and many teachers fear they don't have the knowledge for effective teaching about writing. I have taught writers from primary school through graduate school and teaching writing is fun and rewarding as well as challenging. I want to make teaching writing easier for other teachers. Check out these tips for better teaching!
My credentials
Perhaps before we go any further I should share my credentials with you so you can better judge how much I know about the subject of teaching writing.- I have more than two decades experience as a professional writer -- writing everything from novels to articles to books
- I have more than two decades experience as a professional editor -- newspapers, magazines, and online publications
- I have more than two decades experience as a writing teacher and coach working from the primary school level to adults
- My current job is helping teachers become better teachers of writing
- My research agenda focuses on how writing teachers can help their students become writers
Important!
Confidence
How confident are you as a writer?
Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of teaching writing is the confidence of the writing teacher in his or her own writing ability -- or rather the teacher's writing self-efficacy. How can you help your students develop and grow as writers if you do not think of yourself as a writer?
What do you think about confidence?
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Are you confident?
Your writing self-efficacy is your confidence in your ability to perform a specific action -- in this case write
How is your writing self-efficacy
Pretty confident
jenniferteacher says:
I'm pretty confident about the level I teach, but I'm always looking to take things up a notch.
Cristina says:
Pretty confident
SereneSea says:
yep
I feel I am pretty confident and very good at translating my thoughts in words.
darciefrench says:
It is super-duper-fine-fantastic :)
Not so much
Alohagems says:
I have just started writing quality lenses in squidoo
LisaAuch says:
I am gaining more confidence, in my writing ability, however sometimes my fingers go way to fast so my spelling and grammar are terrible.
Nightowl_John says:
Yea, not so much. My confidence is sometimes bolstered only to then be slapped back down.
Important!
Reflection
Think about your writing
One important step for writers is to learn to think about their writing. I have found through my research that the writers who develop and grow the most are those who consciously think about their writing. This is not a natural process though and so the teacher must deliberately help the student develop this habit. I use two methods (learn more at the lenses below): metawriting and reflective writing.
At first glance these may appear to be the same thing, but indeed they are not. Reflective writing is looking back over recent writing activities and processes to determine what happened, what went right, and what went wrong. Metawriting can certainly incorporate the same elements as reflective writing but also takes a broader look at writing in general, other writers, and goals/plans for future writing.
At first glance these may appear to be the same thing, but indeed they are not. Reflective writing is looking back over recent writing activities and processes to determine what happened, what went right, and what went wrong. Metawriting can certainly incorporate the same elements as reflective writing but also takes a broader look at writing in general, other writers, and goals/plans for future writing.
Do you think reflection is important?
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Share your view of reflection
Do you think reflection is important to writing development?
Definitely
LisaAuch says:
it is very important to reflect, that is the only way you learn! especially should be encouraged in children, I love the 2 stars and a wish, where the teacher comments on 2 great things (stars) and suggests something for the next time (wish!)
SereneSea says:
Yes- there is always a scope of improvement.
darciefrench says:
The gift of reflection is unique content. (You can quote me on that :)
Not really
Important!
Context
Context is key
Good writing is not one-size-fits-all. It is important to remember when teaching writing that you help make developing writers aware of how context determines the effectiveness of writing. There are two important elements to consider when considering context -- the discourse community where the writing takes place and the genre
Do you agree?
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Where do you line up on context?
How important is context to good writing?
Good writing depends on the context
jenniferteacher says:
I'm constantly trying to get my students to consider their intended audience when writing. To that end, I have them write a piece to read to their classmates or for their parents or just for my eyes.
SereneSea says:
Context and creativity can either make or break .
Good writing doesn't depend on the context
Important!
Process
Process
Teach your students about the writing process but encourage them to develop and individual process that works for them and is flexible enough to work for a variety of writing challenges. Develop a classroom that supports this development by allowing opportunity to brainstorm and develop drafts, receive feedback, and revise. Give students the freedom to harness their creative side and unconscious. Use tools, such as Visualization and Writing in Your Sleep, to begin writing, and tools, such as the Author's Agenda, to support the feedback process. Assignments like Me Museums serve as a great way to bring the class together and get to know each other so they can provide better support and feedback plus offer a great way to begin brainstorming personal writing.
How's your process?
How is your writing process?
Highly evolved
SereneSea says:
I must say it swings back and forth between - Highly evolved and promordial
Primordial
One of my favorite writing assignments
This assignment is incredibly flexible and can be used for elementary-school children as well as adults. It can focus on personal writing or a topic requiring research. It can be as complex and evolved as you want it to be.
Favorite writing prompts
Share some of your favorite writing prompts
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GabrielaFargasch
Jan 23, 2011 @ 9:33 am | delete
- Beautiful subject and beautiful lens!! Sent your link to a few of my friends who are English teachers!
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LisaAuch
Nov 22, 2010 @ 5:28 am | delete
- Working in the English department with 8-14 year old children who could barely read or write...what we used was our outside enviroment, the school sat on acres of woodland, and many a lesson would take us outside to find something to write about...this was how we started to engage an interest in writing, my favourite prompt was encouraging letter writing to their idols, football stars or pop stars or actors, once we had their attention and interest we made leaps and bounds, it was grabbing their interest in the first place which was the hardest. I made it my mission to never give up on any one of the students, even the toughtest ones.
I still use this today, I really will only write what I am interested in, and I prefer it that way.
What a fantastic thought provoking lens, Definately - Blessed By a Passing Angel
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SereneSea Nov 19, 2010 @ 11:46 pm | delete
- If the subject is inspiring, it prompts me to write - my favorites include gardening, nature and home decor.
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Do you want more great writing tips?
The best way to learn and grow as a writing teacher is to take advantage of professional development opportunities offered by the National Writing Project. With more than 200 sites located around the United States there is sure to be a site near you.
Writing Without Teachers
This book can help you put your role in the growth and development of other writers into perspective.
![Writing Without Teachers [WRITING W/O TEACHERS 2/E -OS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VHPmarJsL._SL160_.jpg)
Writing Without Teachers [WRITING W/O TEACHERS 2/E -OS]
Amazon Price: $15.45 (as of 05/27/2012)
Mascle Metawriting
My blog about writing about writing in order to better understand writing as a writer, teacher, and researcher.
Who is Tweeting about writing?
- RT @WeKnowComedy: I'm currently writing a book about my love of dogs and gardening. It's called bitches & hoes.
- Summer safety tips for runners http://t.co/1QpEiGY7 #summer #running #marathon
- Nepal goes to the wire on writing constitution: Kathmandu, which normally swarms with business, honking horns, a... http://t.co/i8AQxeMB
- writing writing writing till i cant write no more .
- RT @MyCrazyJokes: I'm currently writing a book about my love of dogs and gardening. It's called bitches & hoes.
- RT @LiLBiLLSwavey: #WaysToGetSnappedOn when I'm writing big long paragraphs&you reply with a face or one word answer
- RT @ComeAndLaugh: I was writing a book about my love of dogs and gardening. It's called "Bitches and Hoes."
- RT @SammySamms: Too all the followers tht unfollowed meh , mind yuh I'm writing this widd my #MIDDLEFINGER
- @luciaddeluca el writing es del colegio?
- May 27, 1907 – Rachel Carson, American biologist and science writer, was born. She died in 1964. #amwriting #writing #writers #herstory
Tell me what you think of my lens
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Tell me what you think of my advice for writing teachers
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LisaAuch
Nov 22, 2010 @ 5:29 am | delete
- Fabulous! thought provoking and great ideas
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- Sound advice and a food for thought - teachers should incorporate learning creatively with example in addition to preaching.
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darciefrench
Nov 1, 2010 @ 3:44 pm | delete
- This lens has fabulous potential for growth (I realize it's brand new). I love how you pull the reader in, and make it about the reader- which is your goal in teaching writing. Excellent job. Liked, blessed and lensrolled.
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About Me
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I Tweet about writing a lot although not all the time
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Deanna Mascle is a rhetorician by trade and has spent her entire professional life as a writer and teacher of writing. more »
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