Improving Student Writing – Challenges and Expectations
The best writing is rewriting. – EB White
Two Challenges
- What students need in order to develop and improve as writers
- How teachers and administrators must support and sustain effective writing instruction
Learning to write requires frequent, supportive practice.
I think the word supportive is the key word here. Students may write till their hand falls off, but one does not magically become Shakespeare without instruction. Instruction comes in all forms, but as teachers we need to not only provide the time and space for students to write, but also guidance. James Moffat said earlier in the chapter that one of the stages of writing includes “consultation with others.”
So what does supportive mean? Does it mean being their cheerleader and cheering them on until they reach the word count or sustained writing time limit? Does it mean providing examples of student work or other work to analyze and discuss what good writing looks like? Does it mean providing timely and constructive feedback throughout the writing process and not just at the end? I would argue that it means all of the aforementioned and more!
An interesting line: Spelling errors may give way to blunders in word choice, syntax, and rhetorical strategy. The author wants to change the perspective on this though – this is a sign of growth. I struggle to see how errors leading to bigger errors is a sign of growth. I would think that improving in an area or having a few spelling errors is a small price to pay for clear and great writing.
Paul's Postings 
I agree with you, I also struggle to see how increased errors is a sign of growth. Maybe it is like when kids start growing and they regress physically. Those who were especially athletic suddenly find themselves awkward and clumsy? That didn’t make much sense to me either. I spoke to something similar to students requiring instruction in my post. I highlighted the part of chapter 1 that spoke about how we need to find students where they are and then support them there, then offer feedback that helps them grow. Students don’t learn without any instruction.
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Paul,
Our ideas align well with one another. We need a multifaceted approach to teaching writing. We need it all. Throw the kitchen sink at it. Whatever it takes to get better writers.
I’m sure that you see huge range of writing abilities as a history teacher. I’m glad to see that you care so much about student writing. Many history teachers bust out the red pen and go to town on student essays or they just use multiple choice exams. Almost all of my history professors at Stanislaus State coached students through the writing for their course. I often felt like they gave more writing instruction than english professors. I appreciate that you’re doing the same for your students.
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Paul,
I also find myself questioning how I can best support my student writers. I agree with all of your definitions and then some. However, it’s always a struggle for me to find balance within the supports. Do I praise students for reaching a word count and getting thoughts to paper… yet then they miss the mark when it comes to the prompt? Do I provide an exemplar piece… yet then they feel inclined to mimic the original author’s approach rather than finding their own? Timely feedback is also a beast in itself—especially when our students are producing so much writing, and we already have quite a bit of grading on our plate. This is something I continue to work on, and I imagine I always will.
I also found the section regarding errors interesting, yet my focus landed on the line “Error marks the place where education begins”. I read this perspective as students who sit within their comfort zone are likely to master syntax, rhetorical strategies, mechanics, etc, however the scope of their abilities is fairly limited. To grow as a writer, they much stretch their abilities to zones unfamiliar to them, and therefore take risks with writing along the way. I agree that total regression isn’t a goal (and I wouldn’t categorize that as growth either), but if my students attempt to use more complex sentence structure, or expand their vocabulary into words once unknown, or play with a new literary device, and then they stumble in their efforts, I still view that as a step in the right direction. The existence of errors shows they are growing. Now we just need to help them to understand those errors so they are empowered to correct them on the next attempt.
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Paul,
Thank you for mentioning that we need to support our students in many different ways. It takes a multifaceted approach to help students to learn and grow. “Learning requires frequent, supportive practice” is such a strong and important statement. You pointed also out the importance of instruction in writing. Teachers too often forget this. Support, instruction, and practice are the name of the writing game, but we often forget one or more of these. Thanks for the insightful post!
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