SARAH BAKER’S POSITION ON TEACHING WRITING 1

Position on Teaching Writing

Growth in student writing is arguably the most important and time-consuming endeavor

that all teachers are tasked with producing in a given school year. “By the middle and high

school years, it is necessary for students to possess a level of writing skill that will allow them to

express increasingly complex thoughts and take a critical stance toward information” (Perin,

2013, p. 48). Students have to be prepared to effectively communicate their thoughts both

academically and socially in written form using a variety of platforms, and therefore teachers

have to systematically and explicitly instruct, model, and empower students to subconsciously

employ the non-linear writing process. This task is not just expected of English language arts

teachers; all content area teachers should have the experience, professional development, and

coaching strategies to support students in the development of their writing (“Remodeling the

workshop,” 2016).

When considering why the emphasis on writing is so great, it is important to remember

where the skill will be used in the future: “Writing may be the single overarching academic skill

most closely associated with college success” (Conley, 2008, p. 4). Writing does not stop at the

college level, however. Students will need their writing skills when they subsequently find

themselves in the workplace, whether they choose to be “career writers” or “professionals who

write” (Perin, 2013, p. 58). Because writing is a social process, and its purpose is to create and

communicate, a particular focus must be placed on students learning to collaborate on the stages

of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading, final), just as they will do in

their roles as professionals.

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As students learn to more effectively express themselves and communicate with others

(Bazerman, 2016, p. 11), they have the ability to create change, but this empowerment to be

change-makers cannot come without providing students an abundance of time to hone their craft.

Teachers need to provide time to write, and allow for students to write for a variety of purposes

(​What Works Clearinghouse)​ . Once given the opportunity to write in different contexts for an

array of audiences, students are more likely to use writing less to explain someone else’s

thoughts, and instead use writing as a tool to make connections, discoveries, and perhaps offer

unique contributions to the world. “When writers actually write, they think of things that they did

not have in mind before they began writing” (“Professional knowledge,” 2016).

Regardless of what students write as they are learning, teachers are the first models that

students will emulate as they discover their own styles. It is important that all teachers have

extensive practice with writing themselves, so that there is an elevated sense of self-awareness

surrounding the subconscious processes used. In addition, teachers must also highlight

professional authors as exemplars of the writing process. Modeling and analyzing these mentor

texts with students will help learners experience the stages of writing in a way that offers them

freedom to take risks, and a platform to practice giving and accepting honest feedback. “A

motivated student can be defined as one who values writing and is willing to use it as a

worthwhile activity or means of expression, communication, and elaboration” (Boscolo & Gelati,

2013, p. 287).

Once students identify themselves as partners (instead of, perhaps, just regurgitators of

knowledge) with their peers and teachers in the writing process, they will set goals and meet high

expectations. “All writers are seen as experts in generating ideas and planning the contents and
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structure of written pieces” (Lassonde & Richards, 2013, p. 203). Ultimately, everyone (teachers

and students alike) has the capacity to become better writers (“Professional knowledge,” 2016).

In order to become better, however, students have to be given consistent and specific verbal

feedback throughout the process. A writing assignment should not be seen as an assessment

everytime one is completed in order to keep students engaged, so more often than not, writing

should be viewed formatively instead of summatively.

Teaching writing is all about empowering students to be active and engaged learners,

effective communicators, and change-makers. Teachers are uniquely tasked with helping all

students show growth in this area in a given year, regardless of students’ abilities (whether strong

or needing improvement) when they walk in the room at the beginning of the year. As teachers

show themselves to be both participants and partners in writing, students will be influenced to

engage in the non-linear, collaborative stages of the writing process. After all, if writing is

viewed less as an end-goal and more as an ongoing formative way of expressing oneself, then

students will be more likely to take risks and use their writing to serve a purpose greater than just

simply trying to earn a grade. This is where learning-to-write becomes writing-to-learn; once

achieved, anything is possible!

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References

Bazerman, C. (2016). What do sociocultural studies of writing tell us about learning to write? In

Handbook of Writing Research​ (2nd ed., pp. 11-23). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Boscolo, P., & Gelati, C. (2013). Best practices in teaching planning for writing. In ​Best

Practices in Writing Instruction​ (2nd ed., pp. 284-308). New York, NY: The Guilford

Press.

Conley, D. T. (2008). Rethinking college readiness. ​New Directions for Higher Education​,

144​(Winter), 3-13.

Lassonde, C., & Richards, J. C. (2013). Best practices in teaching planning for writing. In ​Best

Practices in Writing Instruction​ (2nd ed., pp. 193-214). New York, NY: The Guilford

Press.

Perin, D. (2013). Best practices in teaching writing for college and career readiness. In ​Best

Practices in Writing Instruction​ (2nd ed., pp. 48-70). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Professional knowledge for the teaching of writing. (2016, February 28). Retrieved August 31,

2018, from http://www2.ncte.org/statement/teaching-writing/

Remodeling the workshop: Lucy Calkins on writing instruction today [Interview by A. Rebora].

(2016, June 20). Retrieved September 9, 2018, from

https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/06/20/remodeling-the-workshop-lucy-calkins-o

n-writing.html