As we prepare to transition to the ELA Common Core State Standards next year, writing has come up in discussion over and over again. The phrase that bothers me most in these discussions is, “We need a writing program”. A writing program does not teach writing instruction, does not address specific students’ writing strengths or needs, and a writing program definitely does not teach the joy of writing.
I have always loved to write. I never knew how easily it came to me until I saw my colleagues struggle with their own writing during professional learning opportunities where we, the teachers, had to go through the entire writing process. It was through that experience that I realized I enjoy teaching writing as much as I enjoy writing. But that is not a common joy for many teachers nor for most students.
We need to infuse our curriculum, instruction, and professional learning with writing knowledge- as writing crosses content areas, grade levels, ages, genres, and standards. Our teachers need to experience the joy of writing so that they can share that with their students. I just pinned the following quote (I don’t know the origin of it, but I love the message) on Pinterest this week:
“You learn to write better by reading. You learn to read better by writing. Reading and writing work together to improve your ability to think!”
Other posts on writing:
The Writing Process for a Blog Writer
Reflections on Leadership and Learning 