THE PROCESS OF WRITING

There has been a dramatic shift in the teaching of writing over the past twenty years. In the past, writing was valued primarily as a demonstration of what students had learned.  We now recognize that writing is equally valuable as a method of learning and thinking.  Writing helps students to see and understand their thoughts and to become reflective about the ways they know.  Students can use writing as a way of learning, as a way of discovering and exploring, of finding what they have to say and finding ways to say it.

The role of the writing teacher has changed as well.  In the more traditional approach to teaching writing, the teacher was primarily an evaluator, one who judged the quality of the writing, concentrating on noting errors.  In this new era of writing instruction, the teacher now assumes other roles: fellow writer, reader, coach, editor.  In the past, writing instruction may have meant “assign the paper, collect the paper, grade the paper.”  Currently, we recognize that time must be provided in the classroom to generate ideas, to draft, to share writing with peers.  We recognize that the process of writing (consisting of prewriting, drafting, revision, editing, and publishing) must be honored.  These stages are not rigidly sequential.  Rather, this recursive process varies from writer to writer as he or she uses language to discover and to share meaning. We recognize the importance of developing a variety of writing assignments that evoke critical and creative thinking.  We must provide clear guidelines for each type of writing assignment, rubrics for assessment, and exemplars early in the process so that students will understand the high standards we want them to achieve.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in writing instruction is the recognition that all teachers must be teachers of writing.  Standardized tests, such as the CAPT, emphasize writing across the disciplines. In the high school, students are asked to write for a variety of purposes and a variety of audiences. For example, students may write lab reports, math autobiographies, persuasive essays, literary analysis essays, short stories, personal narratives, research papers, journal entries, and so on.  It is important to help students recognize that, although the process for writing may stay the same, the piece must vary in response to purpose, subject, and audience.  We encourage students to avoid one “formula” for all pieces.  Rather, we nurture the development of personal voice in students by providing them with a variety of organizational and rhetorical strategies from which to choose as they compose. 

Preparation for Writing

Rarely does a polished piece of writing emerge, like Athena from the head of Zeus, without a period of gestation, which may include thinking, talking in small or large groups, writing in various informal genres.  Students need time, both in class and at home, to generate ideas, put their first attempts at writing aside, and then return to them with a fresh perspective.  Rarely can a good piece be started and completed the night before it is due!

Students have different needs during the prewriting stage; some will spend hours getting ready to write; some will dive right in.

Students at Staples High School are asked to write for a variety of audiences and a variety of purposes. They may be assigned a topic, given a range of topic choices, or invited to choose their own topics.   Students need guidance and support during the pre-writing stage, especially when choosing their own topics.

A good choice of topic is something the writer knows and cares about or wants to explore.

A good choice of topic is appropriately limited and requires deep thinking on the part of the writer. Deep thinking may be critical or creative, require personal reflection or research, or a combination of thought processes.

Some prewriting activities may include but are not limited to the following: brainstorming; the think-pair-share model; free writing; writing to think; the use of webs, charts or other graphic organizers; coached writing; review of journal entries, class notes, texts; conferencing with peers or the teacher.

 Drafting

  The first draft, often far from perfect, is an opportunity for exploration and risk taking. Writers begin to make choices about the form that best suits their audience and purpose. Writers consider organization and transitions. Writers search for specific support and details. Writers seek feedback from the teacher in conference and/or feedback from peers.

Staples English teachers’ responses at this stage in the writing process focus on the “big picture.”  What is the student trying to say?  What questions will help the student deepen and extend thinking?  Staples teachers provide time in class for peer conferences and mini-lessons, based on student needs, on such topics as organizational structures or developing a thesis statement.

Revision

 Revision is a creative, building process, highly valued by our department.  Writers rethink, research, redesign, and refine as they re-examine and reflect upon meaning and the best way to communicate to others.

Writers’ choices should be based on making authentic changes to better convey meaning. The question, "What are you trying to say?" motivates revision. Writers have something to say and want to say it as clearly as possible.

Peer writing groups enable students to become increasingly independent as they read their work to themselves and others, listen to the sound of their own writing, and revise until the audience understands the intended purpose.

The writing should be revised to improve clarity, coherence, organization and support.

Staples English teachers praise strengths, encourage development, and continue to ask questions: has the purpose been achieved?  is the thesis fully developed?  is the support relevant and convincing?  does the organizational plan need to be reconsidered?

Editing for Publication

 Staples High School English teachers value polished pieces of writing.  Therefore, students must learn to edit their work before they offer it to an audience. They should conference with teachers and/or peers to check for errors and to refine the final draft.

Editing should focus on replacing general words with specific terms; deleting irrelevant details; supplying additional (necessary) details; improving transitions; using varied sentence structure and appropriate diction.

Editing should achieve grammatical and mechanical correctness, including appropriate spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage, readability, and format.

EFFECTIVE WRITERS

• use the process of writing, reflecting upon their own strengths and weaknesses, to improve their writing over time.
• are reflective and develop the ability to diagnose weaknesses in their work, thus becoming critics for themselves and others.
• use documentation and sound reasoning to establish credibility. (A writer must ask: Where is my proof or evidence for this statement?)
• write for an intended audience (put the reader there, make him believe).
• use the appropriate genre for audience, subject, and purpose.
• limit and focus the topic. (Students often try to cover too much.)
• write from their own experience and come to believe that their own experiences are worth writing about.
• write in an authentic, personal voice.
• use specifics and details to develop their piece.
• show, not tell.
• use active and passive voice appropriately.
• revise to achieve clarity, unity, coherence, and organization
• do not waste words.
• use stylistic elements (for example, repetition, metaphor, opposition, the element of surprise) to create meaning.
• use language creatively.

THE STAPLES ENGLISH TEACHER

• develops a nurturing and safe environment, creating a climate of respect for students' abilities and the writing process. By encouraging curiosity, inquiry, and risk taking, our English teachers help students write well.

• knows that the task is to nurture and create confident writers with the internal discipline to move independently through the writing process.

• crafts  assignments that require students to practice critical thinking, to develop abstract ideas, to achieve a deep understanding of their topics, and to use language creatively.

• provides clear criteria and expectations for writing assignments, including rubrics and exemplars.

• helps students to analyze the development of individual pieces as well as their development as writers.
• knows that conferences with the teacher and feedback sessions with other students are an essential part of the writing process.
• allows time for writing and sharing of writing in the classroom.

• insists on high standards of written expression: unity, coherence, clarity, organization, support, grammatical and mechanical correctness.
• encourages students to reflect on their growth as writers over time.

The Staples English Department acknowledges many researchers and teachers of writing who have helped us to shape our philosophy, including, but not limited to, Donald Murray, Donald Graves, Ann Berthoff, Barry Lane, Toby Fulwiler, Peter Elbow, the College Board Advanced Placement Program, the Connecticut Writing Project -Fairfield, and the Lenox, Massachusetts Public Schools Writing Program.