Written by Anna Gratz Cockerille
There is so much that writing teachers want for their students. They want their students to see the world as filled with things to write about and to collect ideas widely. They want their students to become skilled at organizing ideas and information coherently. They want their students to elaborate in a variety of ways and to draw upon multiple sources as they do so. But perhaps what they want most for their students is independence. Independence to make choices, to take great leaps of faith, to choose the ways that they are trying to get better. In short, writing teachers want their students to truly see themselves as writers.
Written by Anna Gratz Cockerille
There is so much that writing teachers want for their students. They want their students to see the world as filled with things to write about and to collect ideas widely. They want their students to become skilled at organizing ideas and information coherently. They want their students to elaborate in a variety of ways and to draw upon multiple sources as they do so. But perhaps what they want most for their students is independence. Independence to make choices, to take great leaps of faith, to choose the ways that they are trying to get better. In short, writing teachers want their students to truly see themselves as writers.
To teach writers this kind of independence takes work and planning. First, students need instruction in the skills and strategies that will lift the quality of their writing. They also need instruction in the steps of a writing process that they can use to plan, draft, and revise their work to the strongest version of itself. Next, students need plenty of opportunities to practice. Then, as they practice, they need support from a skilled teacher to help them apply all they have learned about good writing.
Tomorrow night at 7:30 pm eastern, Brooke Geller (@brooke_geller) and Valerie McQuade (@vmcquade728) will lead the #TCRWP community in chatting about ways to help writers to be more self-directed and reflective, and to set goals. This very important work is what students need to carry with them most as they move on to the next unit, the next grade level, and the next and future phases of their writing lives. If we teach writers to do these things, they can do anything.
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we mourn the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Senior Deputy Director of The Reading and Writing Project Kathleen Tolan. In Building a Reading Life (2015), Kathleen wrote, “Say to your students, ‘My goal is for each of you to do nothing less than build a life in which reading [and writing] matters. Go for it!’ Then pull your chair alongside them to learn how you can help.”
Kathleen Tolan was a teacher, coach, and mentor who saw the absolute best in everyone with whom she worked. Each time we nudge our students closer to independence, we honor Kathleen. Each time we teach with truth and precision to give students the exact coaching they need, we honor Kathleen. Her vision was steadfast and her dedication constant to help kids and teachers to be their strongest, most capable, brightest selves. This week, and always, we remember Kathleen as we remember to look for the best in the students we teach, in our fellow teachers, and in ourselves.
