Teaching Writing Using Writing

"Writing is one of the great human pleasures and is done in the energy of that pleasure" (Ponset & Deen) 1). Teaching writing is much more exhilarating when the instructor moves away from giving assignments, writing comments on papers and then assigning grades. Generally students look only at the grade, and the next assignment includes the same mistakes. The method described in Beat Not the Poor Desk helps break this cycle and can be used in any class where instructors wish to improve student writing. It well worth the time in class the instructor must allow for writing and listening to student responses. Using students' own writing is especially effective as the basis for developmental English instruction.

After completing a writing assignment, participants form circles. Then the instructor joins one of these circles. The ideal is a small class where everyone is included in one circle. Nevertheless, it is important in any size class that the instructor joins a circle as a member as much as a leader. Instructors will generate the most beneficial participation when they fully share in a group. However, once the students understand instructor expectations, the technique works well, regardless of class size.

Developing the art of observation is the most significant aspect of this technique. First, all members of the group must share their writing. Then everyone, instructor included, writes an observation of the piece just read. No one may take notes while someone is reading, so everyone writes observations from memory. Instructors neither ask for any form of evaluation nor give one. Instead they encourage participants to record what they remember hearing or comment on techniques or vocabulary that impressed them. Generally, writing a summary is the best approach in the beginning.

Then all participants read aloud their observations. All members of the group must read even if they feel that their comments are repetitious. It is fascinating to hear the different points each group member recalls. It is especially interesting when listeners arrive at different conclusions than the writer intended. Students discover the same ideas can be expressed in many ways and learn which points are clear to their listeners. After listening to the observations, writers often wish to make changes and are ready to revise or "look again" at their work.

Instructors may use student writing to address grammar issues with the whole class. They may ask students to select good sentences from their writing and have everyone rewrite the sentences. In other classes, the instructor may lead the students in analyzing their own sentences using the traditional grammar terms. An English handbook is a good reference, and students can learn to use it to answer grammar questions. Students generally improve their grammar skills through these activities as much or more than by completing exercises.

Obviously, using these ideas for improving writing is time consuming. Developmental English classes often have ten or fewer students, so the group of writers is easier to manage than a class of twenty or more. If instructors have large classes, they must divide the writers into groups, and the amount of time they can spend with each group is diluted. They will not reap the full reward of sharing their own writing and observations. However, as students become more comfortable with listening and observing each other's writing, they learn to function well on their own. Additionally, following the same procedure in every class can become boring. Developmental students seem to react better to the repetition of reading and responding than those in more advanced classes. In college-level classes, instructors may want to incorporate outside reading and assign research projects.

However, the benefits of using this approach make it well worth trying. Listeners concentrate on content because they know they will need to recall what they have heard. They can suspend their judgment and focus on content because they are not asked for an evaluation. Students are generally more comfortable with remembering what they have heard when they are not asked to judge their peers. Generally everyone in the group is very attentive.

After hearing the observations, students are more likely to consider the whole piece and its meaning than to correct errors only. Writers may ask themselves questions similar to these. Did the audience really grasp the meaning of the writing? What part of the piece made a lasting impression? This leads students to revise more readily by offering them an objective view of the whole rather than its parts. Moreover, grammar takes its proper place in leading to better understanding of the piece rather acting as a stumbling block to creativity.

Students also learn to summarize and take notes, which can benefit them in all their classes. Many students come to college without this skill and sometimes have difficulty recognizing main ideas. This method gives them practice in note taking in a situation where it is irrelevant if they identify the main points correctly. It is also a highly effective way to improve listening skills.