In C.s. Lewis' novel The Horse and His Boy, part of "The Chornicles of Narnia" series, an aristocratic young lady from a country called Calormen is called upon to relate her tale. Lewis describes the lady's audience as listening passionately, "For in Calormen, story-telling is a thing you're taught, just as English boys and girls are taught essay-writing. The difference is that people want to hear the stories, whereas I never heard of anyone who wanted to read the says." How depressingly true this is!
The most difficult part of the writing process is having something to say. Writing is mostly the gathering and structuring of ideas. So the question is, how do we give our students something to say? It's difficult for students to find their voice. However, it is only after gathering enough knowledge to have an opinion, is the student really ready to write. In order to begin answering this question, we need to look into the writing process.
Prewriting helps students sum up what they have to say, which helps them come up with some idea of how to say it. Prewriting can come in many forms-- clustering, outlining, brainstorming, or pair-discussion. Of course, prewriting only works if they have the background knowledge to back up their thoughts. For an opinion or informative essay, this means research; for a narrative, this means close reading of a text. Only then after gathering enough knowledge to have an opinion, is the student really ready to write.
The next step is drafting. The mantra is: "Just get it down on paper. Don't worry about spelling and grammar. We can fix it later." In Anne Lamott's book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, she makes a solid case for the shabby first draft as a necessary part of the creative process. Anne warns against perfectionism, which she dubs "the voice of the oppressor." As a writer myself, I greatly appreciate this part of the process. I am a creative writer at heart and definitely prefer to just get my thoughts on paper. The raw first draft is the bare-bones of my writing, but without it my writing would sound formulaic and too structured to ever keep a reader's attention. So when I see a student starting at a blank page, I whisper "Just get it down on paper. Don't worry about spelling and grammar. We can fix it later. Just tell me what you think."
Next comes revision, which is the most difficult part of the writing process. Revision requires looking at one's own writing to see if the objectives have been met. Has the question been answered? Has the thesis been proven? Is there sufficient proof? In other words, is the paper clear to the reader? Many students are used to writing in a very prescriptive manner- a literature-based question neatly formulated to b answered with three main supports, hence with introduction and conclusion, the standard five-paragraph essay. This mechanized form of writing is neither exciting nor artistic. This type of writing is important, don't get me wrong. According to Andy Waddell, author of "Writing about Writing" in the American Educator, [revision] teaches students how to speak in a formal voice and provides an outline for them to check each other's papers. For example, a student can check the writing by simply asking, "Are there two specific details per body paragraph?" "Are they correctly introduced?"
Many parents are upset with the new Common Core State Standards. I am all for them! The CCSS spell out what we should have been doing all along: using writing to teach subject matter, and use subject matter to teach writing! The state standards require students to "write routinely over extended periods of time (for research, reflection, and revision) as well as shorter periods of time (single sitting or a couple days) for a range of purposes and audiences." This standards doesn't just apply to English, but to all subjects. Furthermore, standards such as "Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of a topic," and "Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone" clearly spell out how we need to teach writing. I have high hopes for the new CCSS and I believe that they will help students become better students in college and more prepared for their careers. If a student can think and put their thoughts on paper in an organized fashion, they will be prepared for the work place. Writing teaches students how to disagree politely and speak in a formal style.
Practicing writing is key. Students can't meet the standards without practice. Students come to class feeling like they don't have the ideas or skill to write. We must demystify the writing process. To do this, I read a short story to the students that is highly engaging and the transformation of the character is so clear that writing the essay is simple. First, I ask for words to describe the character and ask the students to find two quotes that describe him. I have the students mark the quotes in the story and then share with the person next to them. Each pair reads the best quote aloud until we have four or five to choose from.
Next, I ask for descriptions of the character at the end of the story. They repeat the process of finding good evidence form the text. We discuss which words are more effective in describing the character. Once I have their words, we can create a thesis together. Besides telling them we need to mention the author and title at the beginning of their essay, I remind them that every word must come from them. It cannot be copied directly from the story. Then we discuss what our body paragraph is going to be about. (What the character is like in the beginning.) We add in the concrete details and repeat.
When it comes time for them to write their own, I can show them the essay we wrote together. By using their words, I prove to them that they already have enough ideas and skill to meet the new high expectation of CCSS. Andy Waddell says, "Students have enough insight, not just to retell the story, but to speak about what the author accomplished and the effect he or she created." Andy goes on to say that after he has taught them how to write all he can hear is the "scritch-scratch of pen on paper. Their brows are furrowed. [The students] are struggling. Of course they are; they're writing."
So, how do we give our students something to say? We give them a voice by teaching them how to research or closely read a text. We provide a safe setting and instill confidence in their writing by practicing an essay together. We show them that they do in fact have enough skill and insight to write. They do have opinions. We also must remember that it is okay for students to struggle. Writing is in fact "a struggle against silence" (Carlos Fuentes).
