Erin's+How+Do+We+Compose+Texts

The emphasis on writing for this week's reading selections was timely. I am struggling through essay after essay of what should be final draft writing for my high school junior students. They are, pretty much across the board, terrible. There is a glimmer of hope here and there; however, as a whole, they are pretty dismal. I recall class hour after class hour working bit by bit, step by step. I even made an outline that spelled out exactly how they were to write the essay; from introductory paragraph to preparing for each quote to a compelling conclusion. I am at a loss as to why they handed in such abhorrent slop. Then I read "Wise Eyes" by Mary Ann Smith and Sherry Swain. The lengthy article gave me several things to think about. The class' prompt for the current essay assignment "Who Is Most to Blame for the Mass Hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials" is the same year after year. I wonder if, as the article intimates, that the students don't give a good gosh darn. "We need to give the kids something important to talk about" (Smith 6). I wonder if I would get more thoughtfully written papers if I encouraged them to write about what interested them about Arthur Miller's //The Crucible//, instead of a proscriptive prompt from me. Also, in the review "What is Happening in the Teaching of Writing," I found some helpful insights as well. I heard truth resound when the author wrote of "the importance of devoting more time to writing instruction, recommending that the amount of time that students spend on writing should be at least doubled" (Applebee 20). I think of the seven weeks that we have been in school and I wonder at the fact that we are just now finishing our first persuasive essay. I am just now getting to know my students as writers. I see where more writing practice is needed. What I don't see is when I could have fit it in and how I would have had time to evaluate and provide valuable feedback on this increased amount of writing. It is a question of priority, I would assume. What teachers see as important is what finds its way into the daily plans. I think I need to rethink what is important; I need to just fit it in. This week's readings have given me quite a bit to think about. Now, back to essay grading...

Work Cited:

Applebee, Arthur N., and Judith A. Langer. "What is Happening in the Teaching of Writing?" //English Journal// 98.5 (2009): 18 - 28.

Smith, Mary Ann and Sherry Swain. //Wise Eyes:Prompting for Meaningful Student Writing//. National Writing Project, Fall 2011.