Letting Go of Control
Supporting independence in writing means a slow but steady release of control (or of teaching practices that help us to believe we're in control). It means allowing students to be in different places: writing about different things at different times while using different materials. It means allowing our students to move through the writing process at their own pace and not in syncopation-never an easy thing to do when you have twenty or more active, curious, slap-dash, impulsive students to teach. Nor is it easy to do when you're teaching something as complex as writing.
Nevertheless, the payoff is huge. Teaching your students to think and act like real writers, allows them to take genuine ownership and pride in the writing process.
Beliefs that inadvertently train students to be dependent rather than independent: writers
· Students need to know all of their letters before they can write.
· Students learn to write by filling in blanks with frequently used words.
· Students need to have practice in copying sentences.
· My students lack the ability or experiences to come up with their own writing topics.
· My students need me to spell words or to stretch words so they can hear the phonemes.
· Things run more smoothly when I hand out paper and writing supplies.
· My students wouldn't stay on task if I didn't tell them how many sentences I expect from them.
· Students need to be guided through each stage of the writing process: prewriting, writing, revising, editing and publishing.
· Each piece of writing begins and ends in one writing period.
· It's best if all of my students publish at the same time.
Beliefs that support student independence and engagement:
· Writing concepts can be taught at every developmental stage including drawing, scribbling, and labeling.
· All students can be taught to mine their experiences and interests for successful writing topics.
· Because my students choose their own topics, they frequently plan what they're going to write next.
· I don't spend time passing out materials - they're all stored in a writing center.
· Because writing success is reinforced through conferences, author's chair, mini-lessons, and publication, students willingly revise.
· Students learn to read and write when they approximate spelling (all that practice in phonics!) and then see the correct spelling.
· Writing with my students for the first ten minutes of the writing period is essential modeling.
· After writing with my students, the best use of my time is conferring with students.
· Students frequently work on the same piece over days.
· Individuals publish when they've made a developmentally appropriate breakthrough in their writing.
Where do your beliefs fall? Is there a belief you wish to cross-examine or a new method you would like to try? If so, what are the steps you'll take?
for primary teachers
