As somebody who loves to write, much of what is outlined in "Within and Beyond the Writing Process in the Secondary English Classroom" seems intuitive. However, thinking back on my own writing instruction, I am reminded of the teachers who used only the academic approach to writing and the teacher was the only audience. As with literature instruction, teachers need to remember that they once did not possess their current knowledge, and likewise, teachers need to recognize their own process of writing.

One teacher writes, "I rarely practice what I preach to my students." Her statement is important in two ways. One, teachers must remain cognizant of where they have come from and the journey or process that brought them to them their skill level, and two, teachers should be transparent to some extent as a way to allow students to see that not everybody, including the teacher, using the same process even though they may arrive at the same place.

This leads to what I feel is very important in facilitating writing development: environment, expectations, and relationships, and I really appreciated how the text outlined ways to assist students in their development without going directly for red ink. Mechanics are important, but like reading, if you overcorrect without allowing the student to work through and produce, you run the risk of immediately shutting the student down. If you provide a space that is supportive, allow the students to tackle subjects that have meaning for them, and encourage them to write, write, and write some more, then the opportunity for corrective mechanics will come because the student will want their writing to be clear and powerful. It must be a process. Focusing on a polished end product before the student is ever allowed to get their thoughts on paper will stunt the process.

I simply cannot imagine working with students and writing development in any other way then to allow them to explore and build from there while drawing on their passion to develop clear and powerful writing skills.

***The blog below is an outline of a six week course offered to teen writers. It has a lot of great ideas for creative writing and prompts for journal writing. You could also use the six week course and adapt it to meet standards if necessary.

Teen Writers Workshop