"When students are not constantly exposed to the process of being judged, they are more likely to develop and trust their own standards and those of their peers."
This sounds true. I know it is true. Why do I know it is true?
I don't have to look any further than myself and my own writing to know that this is true. I came into teaching out of a career in which I was paid to write (for newspapers and magazines). My writing was never "graded" or judged. Certainly, it was edited in some part, but never judged the way we are tempted to judge student writing. In the world of professional writing, the pressure to meet deadlines was greater than that to be "perfect." Read any newspaper any day of the week and you'll see what I mean. Especially in the dailies, there is a level of perfection that one never expects journalists to achieve. In some regard, we expect more of high school students than we do reporters. But I digress.
When young writers are no longer writing for a grade (some are satisfied with a C--they just want to get by), but for the sheer pleasure of writing, they tend to be motivated to write for writing's sake, to explore, experiment, play. I have had students like that, though some sarcastically referred to them as "overachievers," or "suck-ups." No, not really. They merely loved to write. Grades were secondary or even inconsequential.
More importantly, they learn to trust their instincts. You can see the evidence of this assumption in their revisions. They are making writers' choices--they're moving whole blocks of text around, using stronger verbs, adding more details, paring down a sentence, etc. Of course, not all of our students operate at that level, but many do. And if I as a teacher can take off the pressure of grades in order to encourage them to write for the sheer pleasure of writing, I will have done my job well.
"I have a dream...."
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I have found that what I value my students will value. Since you love to write--and if you can convey this to your students--they may learn to love writing. Or at least appreciate it at a new level.
ReplyDeleteI also think that students who have had their work subjected to poor assessment and harsh grading practices lose all confidence, shut down, and sadder still lose their voice. Imagine a life without the self written word. Think of the countless ideas that have been stifled in classrooms across this country; ideas that could have added to the quality of life for all of us.
ReplyDeleteYes, and they need to see it. I tried to model my own love of writing. Some of them got it, some of them did not. I'll just keep on keepin' on.
ReplyDeleteWarren's Firefly story has really reminded me of the importance of modeling myself as a writer. I might be the only adult in a child's life that models writing. It seems like I let go of this quickly when the going gets tough. I need to make time to writing with, and in front of, my kids. I think that it is powerful when I throw a draft of my own writing on the overhead for students to comment on during a revision conference. Teachers are human, so many students don't know this.
ReplyDeleteNewbie: I think if we write with them on the overhead or DocuCam, we build credibility; when we let them crique our work, we build trust and reciprocity.
ReplyDeleteHmmph...that would be, critique.
ReplyDelete