I really enjoyed reading Newkirk's thoughts on expressive writing. While I use writer's notebooks and reader-response journals as places where students can explore their thinkings, question the material and experiment with new understandings, that doesn't always transfer into my formal writing prompts.
Especially in my Advanced Placement class. I am much more concerned with their purpose and thesis and I am not allowing them to continue to explore the issues. Newkirk says that this "view of topicality...restricts them from writing about multiple aspects of a book or a topic" (73). He goes on to write that the "concept of 'focus' or 'topic' is not a natural and uncontested feature of 'good writing'" (73).
But didn't they already explore the issues in their journals and freewritings? Hmmm...so what am I supposed to expect from their formal papers? Isn't this a time for them to make sense of their new insights and questions and to formulate their own understanding?
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I really liked his comments on the fact that he works a lot of informal writing into his class that is not graded or even read by him. I work hard to incorporate this as well. I truly think that while my students value my feeback and opinions, they value it more from their peers. By using writing groups, the kids still have an audience, get feedback, written or verbal and they do the work themselves. It isn't that I don't want to read everything they write, I just don't think that I should be working harder than they are. I also love his thoughts on the volume of writing they must do. The kids should leave school as exhausted or more so than I am at the end of the day!
ReplyDeleteHis thoughts on writing purpose were tough for me to flush out. We talk so much about writing purpose, author's purpose, organization, etc. Blame the OAT, I guess! Interesting thoughts though, and I totally see what he is getting at and how allowing them to bounce around can bring them to a place they never planned to be. I myself write in this way! Just a tricky thing to put into practice in my opinion.
I agree with Jennifer that a focus is necessary in so many pieces of writing. If my husband is writing to a valve manufacturer in India, he probably shouldn't include information about tubing from China. I sometimes wonder if we go to extremes when trying to make a point. Maybe that is what causes teachers to be reluctant to try new methodology. We can't just encourage students to try to brainstorm and follow potential leads for a story, essay, etc., we have to say that it is totally acceptable to birdwalk the reader. I like a good birdwalk as much as the next person, but I think there is a time and a place for almost everything. Think about it. Taking off all one's clothes is totally appropriate before getting into the shower. Not such a great idea in the middle of Progressive Field. A writer's journal is the perfect place to explore and indulge in stream of consciousness, but those same strategies may not be as appropriate in a formal piece of writing. I know this rambles a bit; isn't that what the article advocates?
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a time and a place for certain types of writing. I think Newkirk's strategies to promote writing for reluctant writers are worthy and I was glad to read more about the usefulness of students being able to express themselves the way they know how to. However, sometimes I feel like my students are always writing informally! It has been hard to promote formal essay writing (even with good examples) when my students want nothing more to do than to quickwrite. And how do you argue with that?!
ReplyDeleteI think one of the things I'd like to focus on most for next year is to try to see more growth in my students' formal writing. I'd like to be able to foster their expressive sides as well as to develop their formal voices. I often find myself abandoning more formal writing so as not to deter any writer from his or her potential. I need to find a middle ground.
I also enjoyed reading about expressive writing. If gave me many thoughts to ponder before the new school year begins. I see expressive writing taking place in writer's notebooks, response journals, or in drafts. By the time a child get to final draft-publishing, I think they have had the opportunity to journey through thoughts and are ready to select the direction that they want to go.
ReplyDeleteIn Newkirk's article, I was continuously thinking that the ideas about expressive writing would be great for the writer's notebook. This past school year I used writer's notebooks in my classes more than any other year (just finished my 8th year). My students and I wrote nearly everyday until the end of January when we began research (I also found myself writing less with my students before that time). Then it fizzled out a significant amount due to time/the need to be graded. Our "reglar habit" came to a close (76).
ReplyDeleteI struggled with two things--A. Do I give a prompt or not? B. Grading. It was a relief to see in the reading selection that I had "permission" to not grade everything! I know this, but I haven't been able to follow through yet. So I will be forcing myself to have my students write much more in the future and NOT grade it all! I appreciate what Jennie said about how she grades in her classes. Why do I feel that to be a good teacher I have to kill myself trying to read everything?
Finally, I teach my students about formal and informal writing. There is a time and a place (as LaQuita mentioned above) for various types of writing. My 8th graders seem to understand this well because when they write formal essays they will ask if they can take the easy way out, and my response is "This is formal writing." They groan but write formally.
I'm gradually letting go of my need to grade everything. I've had myself convinced for years that I had to grade (or at least read)everything my students write in order for the work to be meaningful or for them to improve their writing. I now realize that is so egotistical of me to think that I am some type of writing god with all of the right answers. This year, I think I need to approach writing with the attitude that writing is an exploratory act as the article explains. My students and I need to explore the complexities of language together. Of course, all explorations lead somewhere and perhaps that is where the more formal writing comes into play. Can't a formal essay be produced in the middle of an exploration? I remember writing formal essays for my undergraduate and graduate degrees whose topics I'm still exploring and gaining new insights into. A more formal essay doesn't have to be viewed as the final answer--does it?
ReplyDeleteThat's just it Laura. We as Language Arts professionals so many times try to make the formal essay stand alone. Why can't it be an idea or concept that is a work in progress? I also really apprecite your comment..."explore the complexities of language together." I think we could learn too!
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