The Journey to Becoming Teachers of Writing

Travailing to a Better Teacher of Writing

  As I reflect on the teaching of writing, I am reminded of the magic that unfolds when we empower students to use the pen as a tool for self-expression and communication. I now believe that the teaching of writing is incredibly important. Writing is a skill that helps students to foster creativity and develop critical thinking. Before this course, I only felt confident teaching the genre descriptive writing. Now that I have a vast amount of knowledge on the other genres, expository, persuasive, narrative and poetry, I am certain that I will be successful in teaching these other genres. These genres are the different paths students can take to express themselves. As I prepare myself to return to the classroom, I am elated to guide my students through the steps in becoming exceptional writers. Teaching writing has always been a challenge for me as I found myself repeating the same steps and hardly finding a way of making the teaching process exciting. With the newfound knowledge...

The journey of teaching writing has been nothing short of an epic. As this chapter of the course draws to a close, I find myself at a point of a fresh start, instilled with a deep admiration for the intricate art of fostering the development of my students in the writing. As I reflect, I acknowledge the shortcomings in my prior approach. The selection of topics often adhered to the daily themes, disregarding individual interests that might have ignited the students' creativity. I failed to fully appreciate the significance of revision, a critical component of the writing process, in favour of becoming preoccupied with the editing phase. I neglected to consider the larger context of a fascinating piece of writing because my grading techniques were limited to the surface level, namely spelling and grammar. This course served as a lighthouse, shedding light on the fundamental traits of writing that serve as a foundation of developing a proficient writer. Exploring many forms of writin...

  How Do You Feel About The Teaching Of Writing Now? “Attitude is a small thing that can make a big difference,” Winston Churchill. As I reflect on this course, I must admit that my attitude towards writing was not great. I also lacked the knowledge of how to teach writing in an engaging and enjoyable way for my students. When I started college, I really did not like writing. It felt like a chore, something I found tedious and annoying. This course was a challenge for me because of my existing negative feelings about writing. I was eagerly waiting for it to end. However, as the weeks passed, I began to realize that my negative attitude towards writing could affect my future students. This made me rethink my perspective. I started to see writing as a complex task that requires careful thought and planning. Now, I am motivated to bring more energy to my teaching and inspire my students to enjoy writing as much as I can. I plan to choose writing tasks that are interesting and relevant...

                              In this week's session, we focused on the final type of writing "Poetry" which was conducted by our course lecturer. To commence the session, we were divided into two groups, "Lovers of Poetry" and "Non Lovers of Poetry". In these groups we were asked to share why we love or why we do not love poetry. I classified myself as one who is a lover of poetry and my reason was "I love poetry because it allows writers to express their emotions and experiences through words." We were also asked to share on our experiences but I then realized I have never taught poetry.  We were then engaged in a discussion on the different elements of a poem and how it can be taught to students. These elements include   figures of speech, rhyme scheme, painting vivid imagery and appealing to the senses. Figures of Speech Figures of speech are used to add depth and creativity to the language.  R...

  We delved into the domain of poetry as an exceptional mode of communication during this week's class. The range of sentiments revealed in our discussions encompassed poetry devotees to those who find it less enticing. Certain individuals encountered difficulties comprehending its complexities, which they attributed to either the perceived difficulty of the subject matter or their own overwhelming prior experiences. Conversely, lovers of poetry expressed their enthusiasm, attributing their profound appreciation to the seduction of literary methods and the lively dance of words. The multitude of viewpoints illuminates the diverse connections that individuals develop with the poetic medium. We discovered something interesting as we delved more into writing pedagogy. While many teachers teach poetic devices, reading and understanding poetry is frequently neglected. The poems that emerged from our discourse were "The Flattered Flying Fish and the Sea," which served as the su...

  An environment that is both stimulating and pleasant for each student author is meticulously designed within a differentiated classroom. Establishing such an environment is comparable to fostering the flourishing of a butterfly. In order to stimulate and confront young writers, lessons are crafted with their specific requirements in consideration, employing innovative approaches, resources, and instruments. The emphasis on providing a secure environment for students to explore and test their ideas and abilities is a fundamental element that strongly appeals to me. Errors are perceived as opportunities for continued development rather than setbacks. Teachers can cultivate a feeling of security and independence among their students by allocating sufficient time for them to independently finish assignments. Prominently featured is the notion of self-efficacy, which embodies the sentiment "I Believe in Me!" Regarding the acquisition of writing skills, it exerts a significant im...

Poetry   In this week's session, we focused on poetry. We examined The Flattered Flying Fish and The Sea, which are two poems that students at the primary level should be taught or be familiar with. I can recall reading the Flattered Flying Fish in primary school, b ut the other poem was new to me. We also looked at the structure of the poems and the literacy devices that were used. Additionally, we had to indicate whether we are lovers or non-lovers of poetry.  My stance on poetry was clear, I did not need much to figure it out. The question brought back vivid memories of my hatred for literature during my second form year of high school. I can recall a sense of frustration in understanding the meanings of poems, let alone attempting to understand the literary devices that were used in the poem. At that time, I could not even recollect what these devices were. I vividly recall my teacher discussing various literary devices, such as similes and metaphors but by then, I ...

  On Wednesday, November 22, as we explored the world of poetry, the environment resonated with differing viewpoints of the reasons we either love or dislike this intricate art form. I was drawn to the appreciation section of the virtual Jam Board because I was fascinated by the way poetry weaves emotions through the use of figurative language. The session unfolded with the spontaneous selection of students to recite the poem: "The Sea" & '' The Flattered Flying Fish'' as seen below . The Sea  The sea is a hungry dog, Giant and grey.  He rolls on the beach all day.  With his clashing teeth and shaggy jaws  Hour upon hour he gnaws  The rumbling, tumbling stones,  And 'Bones, bones, bones, bones! '  The giant sea-dog moans,  Licking his greasy paws.  And when the night wind roars  And the moon rocks in the stormy cloud,  He bounds to his feet and snuffs and sniffs,  Shaking his wet sides over the cliffs,  And h...

 In the article " Creating a Climate for Writing ", it provided me with adequate amount of information as a teacher of writing.  It first highlighted how teachers should create an environment for students that is  "comfortable and exciting".  The analogy of the butterfly and child stood out for me at the beginning. It implies that a child has the necessary skills and capacity to become a proficient writer when they are exposed to the world of writing in a caring and encouraging setting. A child can develop creatively with the correct direction and support, just as a butterfly egg does when it is raised in the ideal environment. It emphasizes how crucial it is to give children the resources and assistance they need to grow as writers. As per the article, it helped me to realize that as a teacher, creating an environment of motivation allows my students to: Develop Internal Motivation: when students find that spark within themselves to write, it becomes a game-cha...

  Creating a Climate for Writing        This week we were tasked with reading an article entitled “Creating a Climate for writing.” The article discusses the physical and psychological environment of a classroom that fosters young writers. It highlights how the classroom setting should be safe and exciting for students. The article mentions that young authors should feel secure in taking risks with their ideas and skills during writing exercises and see mistakes as opportunities for improvement. The teacher should give positive feedback and allow ample time for writers to complete assignments at their own pace.   Before reading this article, I was aware that as teachers, we should ensure that the physical and psychological environment fosters learning. However, while going through this article, I found myself questioning whether I created a safe environment during my teaching of writing, if my feedback was constructive and helpful to my students writing. Ad...

  Creating a Climate for Writing For this week session  we were faced with the task of reading an article entitled  ''Creating a Climate for Writing'' .   This blog however aims to distill the essence of an insightful article, emphasizing the crucial elements th at go into establishing a supportive writing environment for aspiring young writers. Reading through the article, the metaphor of a butterfly's development beautifully parallels a child's entry into the world of writing. The article spoke about creating an environment that motivates the writer. For student writers, the environment in a differentiated classroom that is carefully planned to meet each student's needs becomes a comfortable and exciting place. Students are motivated and challenged by every aspect of the physical and psychological surroundings. Moreover  a ctivities are crafted to motivate and intrigue, employing innovating writing techniques, materials, and tools. Furthermore, in such sa...

As an advocate of teaching primary school students to  write well, my teammates and I recently had the  honor of conducting a workshop on the intriguing  genre of persuasive writing for student- teachers. In essence, persuasive writing enables students to thoughtfully and persuasively convey  their thoughts.  Students can use this genre to strengthen their critical thinking skills, express  their opinions, and stand  up for what they believe in. The primary goal is to develop  talented writers who can persuade and  interest their audience  with well-written ideas. The workshop delved into the essential elements of persuasive  writing, emphasizing the importance of a hook, cue words,  supporting evidence, and a compelling call to action just to  name a few. The goal was to guide students-teachers in  shaping writers capable of constructing persuasive pieces with depth  and coherence.  To bring the genre to li...

  The Workshops  Persuasive  This week, we worked in groups to create workshops for different writing genres, and my group was tasked with the persuasive writing genre. Preparing for the workshop proved challenging initially, as we struggled to find accurate information. However, after completing our first draft, the lecturer suggested using a textbook, and it made a significant difference. The textbook provided valuable information, guiding us in creating an informative workshop. Initially, I associated persuasive writing with convincing others. However, while going through the textbook, I encountered a new perspective on persuasion. I learned that persuasion can be achieved through reason, appeal to character, and emotions.  I had not come across these ideas before.  In developing the workshop, we used various activities to promote persuasive writing. We aimed for engagement, wanting students to actively participate and find enjoyment in our workshop. We also ...

  Our workshop this week, in which we delved deeply into expository writing, was an eye-opening experience. Working with other teachers of writing to provide a presentation on this topic has helped me learn more about the genre as a whole. The skill of expository writing, which requires students to rely on research, evidence, and a well-organized structure, is crucial. As a teacher of writing, I have received excellent ideas into how to properly assist my students through the intricate nature of this writing style. Writing with an expository focus may do a number of things, including inform, explain, instruct, and offer analysis. Delving further, I have come how to appreciate the numerous varieties within this genre, including description, extended definition, classification, cause and effect, problem and solution, comparison and contrast, and process. With this information in hand, I am eager to infuse my classroom with exciting activities that correspond with each step of the wri...

  Persuasive Writing Persuasive writing is a type of writing that aims to convince or persuade the reader to adopt a certain point of view. It often uses logical arguments and strong evidence to support its claims. For example - trying to convince your friend to go and see a movie with you.  There are several ways to persuade someone.      Logical Reasoning Present facts, statistics and logical arguments to support your point of view.                                                           Appealing to Emotions  Connect with the readers emotions by using personal stories, vivid language or powerful imagery.                          Providing Evidence                ...