Kali Oldacre

Dr. Hartman
Teaching of Writing
19 April 2015
Philosophy of Teaching Writing
Why do I teach? This question comes up frequently when I inform people of my
profession. I teach because I genuinely love students. I believe that every
student has the capacity to learn, and I understand that teaching writing has
allowed me the excellent opportunity to teach the whole person. Writing is this
concept that is not just inherent to teaching English, but is fundamentally human.
When we write, when we engage in meaning making, we are discovering more
about ourselves: who we have been, who we are, and who we are becoming. I
teach in an effort to guide students along in this journey.
How are students best taught the basics of writing? I have come to
appreciate the valuable necessity of process in teaching and constructing good
writing. Teaching students to write is teaching students to be more comfortable
with themselves and more confident in their ideas. I view my role as a facilitator
to guide them in their process. In my classroom this is exhibited by giving my
students the necessary time and space to explore their ideas before they then
begin narrowing down what they will actually use to construct their final product.
While there are certainly times for students to write under time constraints
(preparations for testing, etc.), student writing is often much better when given
the space to explore and discover. The writing process in my classroom consists
of drafting (an exploration of ideas), peer editing and feedback (with very specific
goals in mind), teacher conferencing and encouragement of ideas, and
implementing changes with revision done by individual students.
How does that process appear? With the need for process, I have come to
understand the value of the workshop approach and modeling the tools I wish
students to demonstrate (URBANSKI MODELING 29). Teaching writing is
certainly not a teacher-centered activity but rather my hope is to have a [n]oisy
student-centered writing classroom (Process CP 222). This presents itself in
many different forms and certain components will be more or less successful with
each student. However with many young writers, having the space to explore
their concepts and to test and try their ideas out on me or their classmates before
committing to them, inspires a confidence that is essential to the writing process.
One such location to catalog this process is the DayBook, a writing notebook for
students to catalogue their thoughts. This is a messy space for students to
compose and discover before they must finalize their work. The DayBook
encourages students to take pride and ownership in their words and to enjoy
writing without others looking to assess this work.

How do you teach students to engage in a greater conversation in writing?

In my classroom students are not limited to the page or the screen to compose
their writing. We live in a constantly changing world in which the ways to
communicate are rapidly expanding. Teaching students about digital
composition, as well as the possibilities of multimodal composition is a necessity
in my classroom (SHIPKA). While students must know how to construct an
essay and create an argument, they also must learn to communicate in the world
beyond the classroom. Composition does not take place in isolation. As human
beings we respond to the words, thoughts, ideas, and concepts of others to make
our best possible meanings. Thus, as students grow as writers this concept of
conveying themselves coherently may shift and change. Another element of this
is research in writing. In order to take part in a greater conversation, students
must be aware of that conversation. Teaching research and writing is teaching
students to inquire, evaluate, sift, sort, choose, argue, explain (CP 232).
These skills are necessary in the process of finding your place in a large world,
and learning the confidence to take part in those greater discussions.
Why is writing instruction necessary? I believe in the great capacity of words
to help make meaning. Students in my classroom will make meaning when they
read a great novel, and construct their thoughts about it or to create an argument
about the work. Students in my classroom make meaning as they free write
about whats happening in their world. Students will make meaning as they
comment on other students work and as they write out answers on
assessments. However, students also make meaning when they post a photo
with a comment to Instagram, when they send a text message, when they write a
love letter for the first time, when they send emails to future colleagues, write
down a recipe, send a note to their childs teacher, or create presentations for
their bosses. As teacher-facilitator, I hope to guide students in their process of
meaning making in ways beyond the four walls of my one classroom for an
academic year.