writing

When I first started teaching at CSide High, I felt confident about teaching writing. I had an incredibly great expository writing class during my last year as an undergrad. Mr. Kay, the teacher, gave me insight and confidence in my own writing and in teaching it. That feeling lasted for several years. I remember one of my adv 8th grade classes voted to read Macbeth aloud and I assigned them an essay about it. and it wasn't a disaster. It was cool.

Years passed. The state writing test appeared. Fortunately it was administered in 8th grade and by then I was teaching 7th grade. So after slogging through the district-provided instruction for a year or two, I abandoned teaching the state's formula. The instruction and examples provided were not even up to mediocre standards. It has been a long time since I have set out to teach writing-- not teach to the writing test. Did I make it clear I just avoided both? not with a good conscience, but I did.


But I am about to re-enter the arena. Reading real teachers who write and who write about writing, thinking, real things that really matter, has made me want to give to my students that gift of finding and exercising one's unique voice through good writing.

So I joined the Digital Writing Discussion on ECNing, bought the book, plan to do things.