Get Kids to Write, For Themselves

My lesson sequence was a combination of Penny Kittle’s words of wisdom mixed in with the basic structure of our class, and a little of my own experience sprinkled in to make it feel real. Teaching argumentative writing through letters to the editor and op-eds was inspired by one of Kittle’s quick writes on page 48 as well as the longer activity on page 133. The “Argue Writes” activity made a lot of sense to me, so I began each of my lessons by having students write quick writes in response to evocative op-eds, which also served as mentor texts. I went on to use mentor texts throughout each of the lessons to really help scaffold.

Chapter 8 helped me to mold the story of my lessons, and it’s what inspired me to have the students analyze the op-eds for criteria that make an argument successful. Kittle writes a lot about giving students the opportunity to write what they care about, so that idea was central to my lesson sequence: “We study the form first and begin considering ideas we care enough about to spend hours articulating our views” (Kittle 132). Giving them the choice of topic was important, and helps create more passionate writing. I also included a lot of workshop time (both peer review and student/teacher), because Kittle proved the importance of feedback through each chapter. Writers need to talk through their ideas, and I thought this would be especially relevant in argumentative writing.

For me, the most important task of a writing teacher is to get kids to write for themselves. They need to write to express, to push through, to understand, to question, and to feel the power of their voice. It is our job to be their guide in that process.

I think that my greatest challenge as a new teacher of writing will be finding the time to give each student the guidance and feedback that they need, and doing this is in an environment shifting more towards tests and rankings. One of my challenges right now as a tutor working in a company focused on scores more than real education is finding the balance between what administrators want and what I know the kids need. My plan is to keep doing what I know is right for each kid, and continue to find ways to back up what I’m doing with the research and writing of best practices. My favorite writing activity was the found poem. I was nervous about being in a writing class, and this activity really broke down the walls I had up and made me feel accomplished in my creativity. I would definitely begin the next class with this activity.

Blog Post Assignment 8: Make it Work; it Makes a Difference

Wrapping up Kittle has left me feeling like I need to go back and read through each chapter again, like the text is a mostly used tube of tooth paste and I want to squeeze out every last blob of information. I’ve flipped back through my book, eyeing the pages marked with sticky notes, and planned tutoring sessions around Kittle’s words. I know that I will revisit these pages often as I begin teaching.

The last couple chapters of the book answered some questions, or more honestly utter confusion, about how to respectfully and meaningfully provide both feedback and grades for students’ writing. I could relate to Kittle’s reaction to the “feedback” provided by someone in her writers group, and I’ve often felt intense trepidation before marking a student’s work in that usual, expected way. When I first began tutoring, I was trained to grade essays like that: red ink marking errors, never connecting with or acknowledging what the kids were trying to say. Through the feedback we’ve been giving each other in this class, I’ve learned how effective and valuable real feedback can be. Kittle reinforced that the voice of the writer needs to be heard, not just edited, and that harsh critique of surface things can inhibit the will to keep writing. What really stuck with me were Kittle’s thoughts about more helpful feedback she had received: “Terry gave me an invitation to work through what is troubling me as a writer by first saying she understands the purpose of my piece.”

I thought that the idea of end notes was really interesting, and probably something that I’ll use when I teach. Having students self evaluate their understanding of the unit and also giving them the opportunity to explain their process makes sense to me. Asking kids how they can improve their work, what confused them, and having them analyze their own work helps them to think about their writing in a different way. I also think that I will use portfolios in the same way that Kittle does. Asking the students to go back and look through their semester’s worth of writing to identify specific skills and reflect on those pieces is more meaningful than giving them a grade after each paper is submitted, and having that writing stashed away in the bottom of a locker. Honoring their work in that way shows them that it’s important, and that it matters to you too. “Final portfolio work should be a celebration: They’ve worked hard; it is time to take notice.”