Developing Writers: How Teachers Can Instill a Love of Writing in their Students

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Logan Pearsall Smith once said, “Fine writers should split hairs together, and sit side by side, like friendly apes, to pick the fleas from each other’s fur.” All be it an overwhelmingly disgusting image, Smith’s words are true when it comes the art and science of putting pencil to paper. In the classroom, students should be able to be vulnerable, honest, accountable and “real” in their writing so that they may grow to become better writers. It is the responsibility of the teacher to insure a quality learning environment that is conducive to these three factors. Observing the writing process and identifying the experiences within, be them personal, direct or indirect, contribute to how the educator teaches students using best practices.

Using Writer’s Workshop, as articulated by Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi, focuses on the space of the writers in the classroom. One of the key focuses is developing a quality learning lab environment. “You will need a gathering space large enough for your entire class to meet. You will gather here for minilessons and whole class response sessions. (Fletcher & Poralupi, 2001, p. 16) The writing area must be conducive to free interaction with peers and the teacher. Students should have the freedom to explore their space and “nest” into it, so that they may engage in their writing. The learning environment should be encouraging to the writers so that they may have their own space and have a sense of ownership throughout the entire writing process. Earlier practices that do not reflect best practices may have only included the needs of the teacher in the set up of the classroom. Desks were seldom put into clusters to insure peer conferencing and the teacher’s actions would commonly be to manag...

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...e of environment should include routines and expectations, a sense of community and accountability of the teacher to model writing. These practices challenge those of the past by establishing students as writers and encouraging them to develop their writing skills by practicing writing frequently. Students should be allowed to be in an environment that fosters their continued growth as a writer, and encourages them to engage with their peers and instructor, to pull up side by side, and sort through their areas for improvement, change them, and proudly move forward to find new “fleas” to remove, and groom the fur that develops into a fluid bountiful coat that is the product of independent work mixed with the tenacity of all of the people around them.

Works Cited

Fletcher, R., & Poralupi, J. (2001). Writing workshop: The essential guide . Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

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