Loved the theme that went thought the day about responding to and evaluating writing. It was a planned thread, but like the first couple of days, today went even better than was planned.
I've been wrestling with this idea of assessment of writing the last couple of years in my classroom. I feel like I am at a good place with feeling the need to not correct every mistake that I see and giving students authentic feedback on how I am receiving the meaning of their words. This has had a huge effect on the environment of the class, students' engagement with writing and identity as writers, and my role in helping my students developing their writing. It's plain as day, and I have no question that Peter Elbow's approach to responding to writing is far more effective than the red pen.
But it's weird. Even though that students on some level know know that the environment of my class is good for them as writers, I still see that past years of 6-traits style rubric based writing instructions creates problems for my students with buying in. Sometimes they'll say (especially at the beginning of the year....could you just tell me what I need to change and I will). Sometimes they'll judge me for letting someone post a blog post with errors. Sometimes they'll tell me that we need to have spelling words. And there are plenty of times where they cast jugement on my integrity as an English teacher because I struggle in front of them with my own writing as up work through my crappy first draft in front of them.It's an evolving process...engaging my students not just as English students, but as writers, and creating a writing community as a class. It's been a work in process, and even though I am feeling way good about what has been happening in my class and my ability to articulate the pedagogy that's driving my decisions as a teacher, the reality of my students' schooling and perceptions as writers is one works against them buying in. It creates doubt, and also the need for me to bring students into the process of not just writing but thinking about what they need as writers. I've been playing with this component of my class a little more this past year. I'm pretty sure that a modified version of Kendra's demo will work it's way in :)
Hey Steve,
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a fabulous 4th! I really like the ideas that you bring up in this blog post. I think not only do we get judgments from our students when we "allow" errors, or overlook mistakes, but we also get judgments from our colleagues. I have had other teachers think their writing is "better" from their students because they follow the "rules." But isn't this where audience and purpose comes in? Because if content is lacking...but rules are present, aren't we defeating the writing process? Students are not writing their thoughts and opinions, but rather what is expected? What they think they are supposed to be writing? Correct? Whoa, this gets deep :)
Way deep. Even deeper when you consider how well you got the meaning I was trying to convey through this post that had a ridiculous amount of usage errors because I published it so hastily. It's awesome to have you think with me about my ideas, drawing on some of your thinking from your revelations today. Wish there was an emoticon for my mind being blown...
DeleteI really like what you are wrestling with in this blog post and even more so with what you are doing in the classroom. I really commend you for taking these ideals of the NWP and applying them to the middle school setting. I know I've been hearing some people say, "I like these ideas, but I don't see how they could possibly work in a classroom," but you are living proof that they are!
ReplyDeleteI also really like that you are willing to be so vulnerable and honest with your students about who you are as a writer too. I struggle with that a bit because it makes me feel like I will lose control as the authority on the topic (How uncool am I?) I hope that after SI, I will feel much more comfortable letting go and writing/learning alongside my students.