Teaching writing is difficult! And, not everybody agrees on how to do it. Some say students need a formula, while others say formulas are terrible. The truth is, BOTH are true! Students need a lot of guidance, but formula writing often sounds awkward because students are just trying to plug in information. So, where does that teachers?
DO THIS INSTEAD!
Teach students the framework of a great paper, but teach them to think creatively and logically at the same time. There are constants in writing that can absolutely be taught with specific instruction, such as a thesis statement, hook, topic sentence, etc. On the other hand, there are times when students need to be able to unlock their imagination, critique their tone, and understand logical sequence, etc. These “soft skills” in writing are a bit trickier to teach and usually happen during writing conferences.
I couldn’t find resources to help my students produce great writing, so I created my own. Developing writing workshops was a TON of work upfront, but they allow me to teach so much more efficiently and allow my students to work independently while I conduct conferences and help strugglers. Please feel free to check out my writing programs to see if they are fit for your students!
Leave a Reply