I believe that writing should be fun for kids! This is my biggest belief.

Students are going to shut down if they

are not enjoying something they are doing. Some ways you can make writing fun are turning writing lessons or
reviews into games and allowing your students to publish work. I believe in the use of Kagan strategies to make
writing fun. Things such as quiz, quiz, trade and hand up, stand up, pair up can make students enjoy what they
are doing and what they are learning. Kagan strategies also increase student achievement, promote positive
social skills development, decrease discipline referrals, reduce the achievement gap, and improve race relations
(Sanders). Publishing children’s writing pieces is also an excellent way to not only instill confidence but allow
them to have fun. You can create publishing stations for each student and even throw publishing parties when it
is all said and done (Alexander). Students learn best through play, and are engaged the most when they are
excited. The classroom environment should be conducive to exploration and play!

I believe that students should feel safe and heard not only in the classroom, but in writing specifically. Writing
can be a vulnerable time for students. Sharing ideas and writing close to the heart can make some kids
uncomfortable. That’s why I believe that allowing students to share their ideas in a way that will promote
acceptance and love is the most important thing. The classroom norm should be that all ideas are good ideas,
and nobody should be bullied for sharing or being vulnerable. Writing lessons should be a safe space for
students to be heard!

I believe that students should be allowed to choose their own writing topic. Yes, it can fit the category of writing
style, but they should be allowed to have free range after that. This can create excitement and a sense of pride in
students, and they feel motivated to write their stories. Not only that, but it can also make things more fun for
both the students and teachers because it allows a variety of stories to be shared rather than thirty stories about
the same topic. Giving students creative freedom allows them to take control over their learning journey,
something I wholeheartedly believe in.

I believe that mentor texts are crucial to student writing success. A mentor text is any written text that students
and teachers can look towards to build a lesson on in writing. It can be signs, books, posters, comics, or any
written text (Culham). Students need mentor texts, and they need to be proficient readers to become proficient
writers. Mentor texts can inspire students to create, enhance, or copy. A great mentor text makes students want
to write. There are many amazing books that can be used as mentor texts, but non-traditional texts can work
great too-think signs or infographics. Mentor texts can make or break writing time.

I believe that writing should have a designated time in the day. Students should keep writing journals, and at the
same designated time daily students should be allowed to have free writing time. It could fit a lesson, such as
free-write poetry, narratives, biographies, or persuasive essays, but it could also just be time for students to
write about anything to build their love of writing. This routine and time lets students become comfortable with
writing on their own while fostering a love for writing. This time is so crucial for students and it teaches them
that writing is something they can rely on, and something that can make them feel better.

I believe that all students can be good writers. If you use the best practices studied for writing instruction, then
students will learn to write. A lot of children are uneasy about writing and will start off saying they are bad at it,
but no student is a bad writer. Teachers need to meet students where they are at and take them from there.
Through peer editing, responding to text, digital tools, classroom community, and other best practices
(Graham), students can become exceptional writers. Sometimes all students need is a little push in the right
direction, or extra help on certain concepts. Students deserve to be taught to write, and every type of student can
be taught to write.

Finally, I believe that writing is one of the most important concepts you can teach students, and it is becoming
somewhat of a lost art. Everybody needs to learn writing. Not only writing, but handwriting, mentor texts, and
everything in between. They are some of the greatest tools you can equip your students with. If you teach your
students to write, they can flourish with any other topic they are given. We need to ensure that this is still being
taught to students everywhere. I believe in that.
 Works Cited

Alexander, Kwame. The Write Thing: Kwame Alexander Engages Students in Writing Workshop

(and You Can Too!), 1st ed., Shell Education, Huntington Beach, CA, 2019,

Culham, Ruth. The Writing Thief: Using Mentor Texts to Teach the Craft of Writing,

Stenhouse Publishers, Portland, ME, 2014.

Graham, Steve, et al. Best Practices in Writing Instruction, Guilford Press, New York, 2019.

Kindle Edition.

Sanders, Stephanie. “What Are Kagan Strategies?” We Are Teachers, 28 Nov. 2022,

https://www.weareteachers.com/what-are-kagan-strategies/#:~:text=They%20also%20kn