National Day on Writing is October 20th. This is the perfect excuse to start improving students’ writing skills. The latter half of the year is the best time of year to start writing. This is the time of year when most people tend to reflect on the past, future goals, and relationships. What better way to dive into the writing experience than to write down one’s reflections? People like writing about their experiences, and young people love writing about themselves even more. Use this three –step approach to help overcome writing obstacles in the classroom.
Dispel the “Wrong and Right” Myth
It is remarkable how many people believe there is wrong or right writing. All English teachers are familiar with the scene of a sad-faced student walking up to their desk asking them if they have written something “wrong”. Good writing instructors tell their students to get that type of thinking of their heads. Writing is a process. It improves over time through revision. This idea of writing being wrong or right frustrates tons of aspiring writers and prevents them from exploring writing opportunities. Writers must use correct grammar and structure, but ultimately writing is about expression. The main goal is to get ideas out on paper and do it effectively.
Assign Blog Diaries
The first thing a writing teacher can do to dispel the “Right or Wrong” Myth is to assign a writing blog. Since students love writing about themselves, blogs are a great way to get them in the habit of writing. Teachers should make this assignment about the experience of writing and not about grammar, structure, or mechanics. This will get students use to the rigor of writing while making it easier to transition into more serious writing later. Teachers can make the blog a small portion of the class grade while students write weekly in their blog, preferably on the weekends. While students are blogging, classmates will comment on their writings. Additionally, educators should make sure to create specific rules for the number of times students have to post and make comments to other students’ blogs. Instructors will also need to present the rules of online etiquette and constructive criticism. No student should become the victim of bullying due to writing expressions.
Teach the Writing Process
After dispelling the “Right or Wrong” Myth and getting them use to writing, instructors can then begin teaching the writing process. The writing process consists of a prewriting stage, a drafting stage, a revision stage, an editing stage, and a presentation stage. The writing process is important because it shows students just how to write instead of focusing on whether or not they are doing it “right or “wrong. Start showing students prewriting by having them write a brainstorm list and outlining their ideas. Once they have their ideas outlined, they can begin drafting a structured composition. After drafting a composition, students should revise their papers and conduct a peer review. This part is very important as the peer interaction will motivate them and expose them to alternative perspectives. This also allows them to seamlessly transition into the editing and presentation stage. Through the writing process, students can become effective writers.
Since the National Day on Writing is October 20th, this can be a great reason to use this three-step approach to rally students and get them involved in writing. Be creative. Dispel writing myths, use social media, and introduce the writing process to help students become good writers.
