Writing Philosophy

Weekly Update

After another week of adding to my writer’s notebook I still don’t consider myself a “writer”. I’m trying to break out of the mindset that my writing is for a class and not for myself. It’s hard to detach from the notion that this writing is for a grade, so it needs to be presented in a certain way. I’m having a hard time just writing. I get stuck in my own head, and my writing doesn’t flow as well as I’d like it to. However, I have definitely noticed that I’m enjoying the process of writing more than I was during the first two weeks. I’m hoping that my stamina will increase and my writer’s block will decrease over time. Here are some excerpts from my writer's notebook.

National Council of Teachers of English: Writing Position Statement

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) revised their position statement on writing in November of 2018. Using research, they outline principles for understanding and teaching writing, as well as provide resources for teachers based on their principles. While I was reading their position statement, I thought about research I’ve previously read about teaching writing. I thought it would be worthwhile to compare what I already know about teaching writing, along with my own personal philosophy, to the position and principles of NCTE. I looked at each of the three parts closely and drew some interesting conclusions.

Part One: What is “Writing”?

I’ve always struggled with crafting a true definition of what I believe writing is. As technology evolves, my idea of what writing is evolves alongside it. Writing happens all day, everyday. We live in a world where we are constantly writing. There were two statements from NCTE that align perfectly with my own view of what writing is:

“Writing is social”

We write to communicate to others. Whether we’re writing to share our own opinion or to discuss academic content, we’re still writing with the end goal for others to read it. Like the NCTE says, “even when a writer writes ‘for themselves’, they are their own audience” (2018).

“Writing happens far beyond the walls of a classroom or school”

We write ALL THE TIME. I can’t think of a single day where I haven’t participated in writing of some kind. We text our friends, tweet, post on facebook, make grocery lists, and so much more. We are constantly writing and responding to the writing of others. It’s so important to show students that writing doesn’t always have to be academic, and show them that they can be writers in every context of their lives.

Part Two: Who Are Writers?

Everyone can be a writer. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, or what type of school you went to. “Everyone has the capacity to write” (NCTE, 2018). While I still struggle with the idea of considering myself a writer, I do understand the notion that everyone CAN be a writer. I’m a firm believer in being honest with my students about my own learning, so I will share with them that it’s not always easy to see yourself as a writer, but if something isn’t easy, it usually means it’s worth it. There were two statements from NCTE that align perfectly with my own view of who a writer is:

“Students learn to write by writing”

Practice makes perfect. That saying is especially true here. The only way for students to improve their writing is to write constantly. I feel strongly that students should be writing every day. I also believe that as a teacher I don’t need to read and grade everything my students write. My students should be writing way more than I could even possibly read and grade.

“Second-language writers’ literacy and linguistic practices should be valued and recognized as assets in the writing classroom and not be viewed as weaknesses and as language interference problems”

This. Is. So. Important. We have go to stop teaching English language learners like they are a burden in our schools. They deserve the same education as everyone else. The skills that multilingual learners can bring into the classroom are incredible. If we can’t appreciate the effort and knowledge it takes to tackle learning to speak, read, and write in another language then we definitely don’t need to be in the classroom. Every student brings their unique background and circumstance into classroom, and they should all be treated with respect.

Part Three: Essential Principles for Teaching Writing

My philosophy for teaching writing has evolved significantly throughout my time in college. I came into college with little knowledge about the writing process and how to teach that to young learners. I really only had a handful of teachers that actually taught me how to write. I used to think writing involved strict revision and response to a prompt. I quickly learned there was so much more to writing than I could ever have imagined. There were two statements from NCTE that align perfectly with my own view of teaching writing:

“They need practice in explaining why they made the choices they did”

We can’t just teach students how to do something. We have to teach them how to be introspective and reflective of why we’re teaching them what we are and how they can apply it outside of school. Students need to be able to explain the choices they’ve made in their writing and explain how those choices have made their writing better or more meaningful.

“Writers grow when they have opportunities to expand upon -and not merely transmit- content knowledge”

Answering straightforward questions doesn’t help students grow. Students need the chance to take in information and explore how that information can expand across the curriculum and into other areas of their lives. We have to give students the chance to dig deeper and truly learn.

NCTE. (2018). Understanding and Teaching Writing: Guiding Principles.