Mayra Vences-Maldonado

Professor Robyn Seglem

TCH 237

21 October 2020

The Writing Teacher’s Companion: Book Summary

As educators, it is important to think about our attitudes, the attitudes of our students and

the classroom environment when it comes to writing. Ralph Fletcher highlights steps that help

accomplish just that. He offers that students write every day, that they are provided a supportive

writing environment, and that modeling is instilled. By focusing on our goals towards our

students, and ensuring that their goals are also met, writing can become a powerful tool for

learning.

Moreover, Fletcher praises student choice throughout the book. He emphasizes student

choice in writing and revising to emphasize trial and error and that not everything is worth

publishing; some things are strictly for learning purposes. Most of all, Fletcher wants to get

across to the readers of this book that writing is not linear! We as teachers should not expect

perfection off of the first draft. After getting your ideas down on the first draft the student should

focus on the elements of the paper, the revision process, and the purpose.

For instance, in chapters ten through eighteen, Fletch covers the importance of

ongoingness, the crucial choices in writing, metaphors of writing, importance of encouraging

young writers, writing conferences and their purpose, workshops, inspirations, and the topic of

audience and main focus. These topics of importance and purpose are significant because they

are all things that make up a good writer. Writing is important in all aspects of life, it is not just a

skill.
 Work Cited

Fletcher, Ralph J. The Writing Teacher's Companion: Embracing Choice, Voice, Purpose &
Play. Scholastic, 2017.