I Write. You Write. We Write.

Responding to a question about seeing the writing process to fruition posted on his blog, author Neil Gaiman wrote, “There's no magic answer, I'm afraid. This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard, and you put one word after another until it's done. It's that easy, and that hard.” (2004) A rather simple answer, for a sometimes-arduous process, but true none the less. Writing is hard, and the only way to write, is to write. The onus is on teachers to lead students through the writing process, encouraging success by embracing the struggle even “real” writers face.

In his book, Teaching Adolescent Writers (2006), Kelly Gallagher shares best practices gathered during his tenure as a high school English teacher. I found many of his stories and metaphors regarding critical reading and writing practices insightful. He relates the skill of writing well to surviving an oncoming stampede, not of livestock, but the ever-growing onslaught of literacy demands students will face as they enter adulthood (p. 3). By simplifying the never ending need to be a critical thinking, literate, and conscientious adult into an unforgettable mental picture of livestock stampede, Gallagher sets the stage for his students to embrace a lifelong relationship with not only writing and well, but also reading critically.

One favorite suggestion, detailed in “Chapter Three: Beyond the Grecian Urn: The Teacher as a Writing Model,” is the teacher demonstrating the writing process by completing it alongside the students. By modeling the process, he is showing students that he must let “go of the idea that this first draft has to be the best thing I have ever written” (p. 53). Gallagher demonstrates that the writing process, at its core, is the same for everyone by actively participating in the assignment with his students.

My next favorite take away, found in “Chapter Six: The Importance of Purpose and Audience,” is exploring writers and why they write. Gallagher suggests:

If we want our students to understand the value that writing can play in their lives, maybe we should consider shifting instruction away from strict adherence to the traditional discourses and begin having our students explore the reasons real writers write. When students understand the real-world purpose for writing…they begin to internalize the relevance of writing…When students begin to understand this relevance, their writing improves (p.120).

Gallagher contends that by teaching his students to read critically, consider the target audience, look for the purpose of the piece, they begin to understand how writing can be used to not only inform and entertain, but also sway opinions.

Undoubtedly, I will implement these practices into my classroom, as well as many others from this book. For students to write well, they must understand what they are being asked to write and the intended audience; they also must trust the writing process. I cannot think of a better way to encourage students than to model for them brainstorming, writing, revising, and editing in a continual loop while crafting their piece.

Works Cited

Gaiman, N. (2004). Pens, Rules, Finishing Things and Why Stephine Merritt is not Grouchy. journal.neilgaiman.com. Retrieved 24 March 2022, from https://journal.neilgaiman.com/2004/05/pens-rules-finishing-things-and-why.asp 

Gallagher, K. (2006) Teaching Adolescent Writers. Strenhouse Publishers.