The Write Qualifications

I recently read an article in The Atlantic by Cindy O’Donnell-Allen titled: “The Best Writing Teachers are Writers Themselves.”

The title alone intrigued me. After all, this seemed obvious (and more than a little self-serving). I am a writer and I teach how to write. It seems natural.

But then I thought more about who else is teaching writing to our young people.  Certainly students are being taught the fundamentals of writing in school with teachers who have taken curriculum and education courses in college. These teachers have passed state licensing and certification tests. Certainly these teachers are well equipped to teach writing...or are they?

Writing as a discipline is difficult to teach primarily because it doesn’t fit into any of the traditional school subjects. We use grammar in good writing—but knowing grammar doesn’t automatically make you a strong writer. We use spelling in writing—but being a great speller doesn’t make you a well rounded writer.

Writing is complex and personal. It is not something that can be outlined on the board, memorized, and regurgitated. Writing is a process: and if you aren’t intimately familiar with the process, how can you teach it to beginners?

You see, I love to write. I do. In fact, I love writing just about anything: lists, rhymes, articles, letters, proposals, books, plays, ...anything. I’ve been writing ever since I learned how to hold a pencil. Writing is a significant part of my daily life. And truth be told, my own writing continues to improve with each passing project … because it IS a process and the learning never ends.

It surprised me, then, to read another article in The Quarterly where teachers in a writing seminar were taken aback by the suggestion that they write with their students. As Tim Gillespie of the Oregon Writing Project found out, school teachers and administrators are not always in favor of creating expert writer/teachers.

"Look,'" said one principal, "With all due respect, I'm a little tired of all this creative experience stuff. I don't give a damn if my teachers can write a pretty little poem or story; I want them to know how to teach writing."

Basically, this administrator doesn’t care if the teachers can do the work [write] so long as they can tell children what to do. This is akin to not caring if a math teacher can do algebra as long as he can read the rules out loud from the teacher’s guide.

Clearly, this is not logical.

Schools wouldn’t hire a social studies teacher to teach algebra. They wouldn’t hire a PE teacher to teach physics. Why then do we not demand the same training and proficiency for teachers of writing?

How can a teacher who rarely picks up a pencil to write (no matter how outstanding his/her grammar may be) identify with a student with writer’s block? How can a teacher who has never written for pure joy and pleasure identify with a student’s enthusiasm when their character comes to life in their imagination? How can a teacher who hasn’t struggled to write a thesis give practical tips and suggestions to his students.

Writing needs to be nurtured as much as taught.

The only way to become a proficient teacher of writing is to write yourself—to experience the trial and error, highs and lows...writer’s block and all.

If every teacher who assigned a 10 minute writing prompt to a class of middle-schoolers sat down and wrote alongside her students, she would absolutely be able to identify with the task at hand. She would be able to set the good example—and, yes, sometimes she might miss the mark, but isn’t that an essential learning moment?

Students would see that every writer begins with a rough draft. They would learn what the process of writing looks like. By sharing and writing with students instead of teaching at them, wouldn’t students gain a stronger experience to draw from? 

It is time to take the teaching of writing more seriously and demand the best teachers for this discipline in our schools.

The Oxford Comma

Let’s review the role of a comma in a list.

When you list things in a sentence, use a comma between every item in the list including before the final conjunction that joins the last two items.

It used to be, when I was a child, that no comma was placed before the final conjunction, however the rule has changed.  It is now common place and taught to put the comma there. This is called the Oxford Comma and should be taught as a punctuation rule. 

Top 10 Little Known Careers for Creative Writers

Do you have a student who loves to write but just can’t imagine how she can make a living that utilizes this skill? Well, wonder no more! There are a smorgasbord of careers that the creative writer can pursue to combine their love of the written word with a paying career. And, of course, some of these careers are, well, creative!

10. Greeting Card Writer: Creative Writers come up with those clever rhymes and moving poems that consumers buy regularly.

     

9. Song Writer (Lyricist): Creative Writers partner with musicians to write catchy and meaningful lyrics that people just can’t help but sing along to.

8. Comic Book Writer: Creative Writers make up the   monsters and villains that kids and adults alike love to hate.

7. Travel Guide Writer: Creative Writers travel the world finding great activities and hotels and then use their words to entice us to visit.

6. Blogger: Creative Writers spend their days writing on every topic from gardening to gaming.

5. Advertising Executive: Creative Writers create jingles and commercials that catch the attention of even savvy shoppers.

4. Reviewer (Movie, Book, Restaurant…): Creative Writ- ers sample things and write their opinions in maga- zines, newspapers, and online publications.

3. Publicist: Creative Writers: Creative Writers schedule interviews, appearances, and handle press releases and advertising for their clients.

2. Columnist: Creative Writers use their unique point of view to create weekly articles on  topics that interest them for publications around the world.

1. Literary Agent: Creative Writers read manuscripts for quality work and represent the author in their publish- ing ex perience.

Bring it to Life with Detail!

Often I come across essays where even though a student answers the question presented, it lacks detail and reasoning. 

For example, if I asked what you liked about the beach and you simply said, “sand,” I would walk away a bit bored and wanting to know why. The same is true for your writing. If the prompt provided for an essay poses a question, answer it and tell why. Give details and examples and use descriptive language whenever you can.

“What do you like about the beach?”

“I like the sand best because I have a shell collection and whenever we go to the shore, I look for colorful additions to my set. I also enjoy building sand castles in the wet sand with my little sister.”

Now this is s a full reason and explanation.  It also uses detail and adjectives (descriptive language) to let the reader form a picture and impression of his own.

Always tell more. Tell detail. Tell examples. Tell every last thing until there's nothing left to tell!

Classic vs. Modern Literature

As a student in middle and high school, I was asked to read works by great classic authors. And, yes, I struggled to understand the old English language of William Shakespeare and to decipher the stream of consciousness style of William Faulkner. But I also reveled in the beautiful tone of Charlotte Bronte and the courageousness of Harper Lee. The point is that I was pushed outside my comfort zone to experience authors and subjects that I otherwise never would have picked up for myself.

Today, many classrooms are turning away from classic literature and replacing them with modern works of fiction. In an effort to appeal to their students and their action packed science fiction world of fantasy and adventure, our education system is dumbing down its curriculum. It is passing over time tested classics for reading lists with “teen appeal.”

Since when did our curriculum become dictated by student appeal? With this method of teaching, algebra and calculus would be omitted from many a math schedule. Physics and European history would be passed over for subjects kids prefer like cowboys and indians.

It shouldn’t matter if a student thinks he isn’t interested in 18^th Century England. From reading books of this era, he will learn higher level vocabulary, more complex sentence structures, as well as vivid and descriptive prose. He will learn the historical significance of unique locations and important cultural references. Reading one good classic novel can cross curriculums for English, literature, art, history, and sociology. It can open up an understanding of humanity and how far the world has advanced over time.

But reading classic literature takes time. It cannot be gobbled up in one sitting or digested in between classes. Classic novels often require concentration and deciphering of language and style. They were penned in times when writing was an art form and authors had distinct styles and tones. No two classics are alike – there is not cookie cutter classic novel format.

This is not to say that that modern fiction doesn’t have its place in today’s world. Students are interested in science fiction and the world of possibility. They are interested in relationships that mirror their own lives and struggles. But students who are interested in these things will read them anyway. They do not need to be taught them in school. School should be about broadening the horizons beyond what a student already finds interest in.

In addition, modern fiction doesn’t challenge students in the same way classic novels do. Modern fiction employs lesser vocabulary and sentence structures. They are written for the masses. A good teacher should help students move beyond “the masses” mentality and aim for higher standards.

We’ve all heard the saying that “good readers make good writers.” But this is only true to the degree that the body of work being read is of high value and standard. A student who reads only cereal boxes and comic books will never become the next Hemmingway!  

Contractions

A contraction is a shortened version of two or more words. 

Remember that a contraction is formed by joining two small words into one and using an apostrophe in the place of the missing letter or letters. Remembering this rule will help to place the apostrophe in the correct spot. 

   

is not = take out the o = isn't

I am = take out the a = I'm

she will = take out the wi = she'll

Time to Return to the Fundamentals of Writing?

In the October 2012 edition of The Atlantic, Peg Tyre wrote a telling article entitled “The Writing Revolution” in which she followed a New York public school struggling to keep its doors open in light of disastrous test scores and flailing student success. Nothing seemed to improve the situation. It wasn’t the teachers. It wasn’t the parents. It wasn’t the students. It was the writing curriculum – or lack thereof!

What the school found was that when writing proficiency became the focus in every class from English to science, student success in every subject improved and their test scores along with it.

What is most interesting to note, however, is that the writing curriculum was not simply expanded to include more writing. Instead, students began to be instructed in the strict fundamentals of writing: grammar, parts of speech, punctuation, sentence structure, critical thinking, and outlining.

It appears that in lieu of specific writing instruction, previous curriculum required writing but did not teach how to do it.

How is a student who has never been taught proper grammatical structure to be expected to write a thesis or persuasive essay? How is a student who has never been taught the difference between an adverb and an adjective supposed to write a research paper or short story?

Writing is going to play a role in every student’s future success. Whether the student is college bound or career focused, writing is essential to his growth and success.

We owe it to our children to ensure that we are not simply assigning writing assignments without arming them with the tools and skills for success.

Who can blame a child who feels inadequate or confused for hating to write? They don’t hate to write. They don’t know how to write! We wouldn’t accept that our child hates to play piano before they have had lessons. We wouldn’t accept that our child is a bad ball player when we haven’t told them the rules. So why do we accept that our children are bad writers if we haven’t ensured that they have been taught the rules and fundamentals of the skill?

Your child may not be the next Hemmingway or Longfellow. But without a doubt, he can be competent and successful in the writing realm. He may even enjoy the pride and confidence that comes with sharing his work and communicating his ideas clearly.