Readying, Writing, and Oracy: A Reflection

There is a danger for teaching students reading, writing, and oracy in that what has the potential to be fun and engaging can become tedious and demoralizing. Topics need to be relevant and exciting for students. If ELA students are interested in what they are producing, they will naturally strive to develop their skills. No one had to force Michael Jordan to spend every day shooting hoops. The trick for ELA teacher is to create that bond between literacy and student interest.

                I plan on fostering student engagement by making my classes full of naturally interesting activities. This is much easy said that done, however. I have been provided with a large number of opinions and options throughout the course that have given me a great starting point. This diversity not only provides me with many avenues or methods of learning, but it also increases that chances that any given student will find the way of learning that suits them best and captures their attention.

I was really excited about the use of podcasts in the classroom. I listen to podcasts for my own enjoyment, and I like the mixture of casual conversation with interesting ideas. I will likely use my idea of having debates as historical figures in my own classroom. This type of lesson helps to develop creativity, research skills, oracy skills, and the ability to relate to others. Since the debate is through a historical character, a student that ‘loses’ the debate can see the shortcomings as a product of the character’s beliefs. This way, the student’s self-esteem isn’t impacted in such a negative way.

I found the story of Page to be quite similar to my own experiences in literacy. I was motivated to write and to develop my skills at an early age. As time went on, I had fewer opportunities for the exciting type of creativity that allowed me to really develop a piece as I wanted. My assigned projects paid lip service to the idea of creativity, but it was all about colouring inside the lines. Reading about Page, as well as Nancie Atwell’s story of Jack, has helped me to reconsider the importance of freedom in developing earnest writers.

When it comes to developing new ideas, I have mixed feelings about writing prompts. I think they can be great tools for helping students get started when they need that nudge, but I think that they should be presented as optional tools. There were times in class when we were given a writing prompt and were then told to take the prompt in a very definitive direction. I found this stifling and it took away the freedom of creativity that I need to stay engaged. An example of this problem arose when we were read poems featuring nature words and we then had to use the words we remembered to create our own poem. I liked how the words put me in a certain mood, but that mood had little direct relation to the words used in the poems. For me, truly free and creative writing uses as little scaffolding as possible.

                One important thing I’ll take away from our ELA class is the importance of using engaging strategies to get students writing. Throughout the semester, and even during our group presentations, it was evident that a good hook or exciting idea was the difference between wanting to write and having to write. Strategies had to connect the task to a personally relevant idea. If you have sports or action-oriented students reading about a young girl and her doll, they will be no personal connection and the activity will likely fail to produce meaningful work.

The lesson also needs to be exciting. Monster books were one way to provide students with that stimulation for creative writing. If the goal is to get students to develop their ability through a love of writing and oracy, they will do so naturally and without resistance if they enjoy it and are proud of their product. The notion that, “if you find a job you love then you will never have to work a day in your life,” is as relevant for students learning to write as it is for adults choosing a career path. I think that if you can manage this type of engagement in class, students will love to come to class and write, speak, and engage.

The Important Issues for Writing and Representing

Writing and representing make up a significant proportion of the middle school English Language Arts curriculum.  The BC IRP suggests that 20-40% of the time in an ELA course should be allocated in grades 1-3, but this allocation climbs to 30-45% for the Middle Years students in grades 6-7. During this transition, students slowly move away from a strong focus on oral language to the exposure and development of the many forms of written language. This is a crucial time for students because the transition towards more complex forms of communication can be especially challenging. In an ELA class discussion, it was revealed that the Middle Years are a time in which students decide whether to continue to stay engaged in literacy.

With this in mind, I believe that it is important to teach students about the relevance of writing and representing in their lives. This is a central theme in Nancie Atwell’s book In the Middle, and she has provided extensive guidance on how to foster students’ interest. Through workshops, brainstorming, or any other form of creativity, she encourages the goal of finding relevant and personally interesting topics for her students. For this reason, the goal is also prominent in the Strategies and Purposes sections of the IRP.

I think it is important to teach students about the power that they writing can hold. Great writers are not only creators of excellent books, but some of the greatest movies, television series, and inspiring speeches in history. The writers themselves may or may not be famous, but they have a tremendous impact on both individuals and society. Even a succinctly delivered line such as, “One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind” can echo throughout the rest of the history.

Writing and representing are intimately tied to the processes of thinking and reasoning. Students need to be taught that the first ideas in their head are likely to be incomplete and unrefined. Just as a master paint applies layer after layer of paint to create the final piece, writers need to re-examine their work to iron out the kinks and provide sufficient depth of knowledge and understanding.  During a guest appearance from Robin Stevenson, who is a professional writer who has published a number of books at the adolescent level, she described the highly involved process of editing her writing. She receives large amounts of feedback and constructive criticism in the process of completing a book.

The value of critically analyzing one’s own work was also apparent in an article written by high school student Gabrielle A. Habeeb for Voices from the Middle. Habeeb, a passionate reader and writer, stresses the importance of honest and constructive feedback in her writing process. She states that she doesn’t, “want to be humoured just to find a C at the end” of her assignment. Habeeb is a writer who already wants to improve, but she has a mindset and confidence that not all students are going to have.

Since not all students will be budding writers submitting polished pieces for professional journals, teachers need to be realistic about skill levels within their class. Students need to be taught that writing is a learning process, and it is okay for work to be flawed as long as they are on the path to improvement.  In our class focusing on the psychology of learners, we discussed the importance of praising a student’s work ethic - not their natural ability. Modern teachers need to incorporate this into their approach without using the saccharine compliments that were so distasteful to Habeeb.

Not every student will be passionate about writing and representing. It is probably unrealistic to hope otherwise. There are hundreds of art forms, hobbies, and interests that different people will have a natural inclination towards. However, writing is a powerful thread that can connect them all. If students see the power of writing and communicating, they can connect this knowledge to their own passions. In this way, teachers can encourage the development of not only strong writers, but intelligent thinkers who may even connect more deeply to their greatest interest.

  

References:

Atwell, N. (1998). In the Middle : New understandings about writing, reading, and learning. 2nd Edition. Portmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2006). English Language Arts K to 7: Integrated Resource Package. URL: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/welcome.php

            Habeeb, G.A. (2011). An Open Letter to Language Arts Teachers. Voices from the Middle, 18(3), 2011.