Struggles and Satisfactions
Many see themselves as mediocre writers, not realizing that we all find writing difficult. They may have trouble starting a writing or reading assignment either because of insufficient notes or procrastination; some hit their stride after the first few sentences and break the inertia, while others begin well, then run out of gas. There may be gaps in their schooling, since not all classes are taught to write often because of class size and work load.
Since writing is a teachable skill, I can help by:
Many see themselves as mediocre writers, not realizing that we all find writing difficult. They may have trouble starting a writing or reading assignment either because of insufficient notes or procrastination; some hit their stride after the first few sentences and break the inertia, while others begin well, then run out of gas. There may be gaps in their schooling, since not all classes are taught to write often because of class size and work load.
Since writing is a teachable skill, I can help by:
- Creating a relaxed, chummy rapport with students by varying the pace and materials, engaging them with the best teaching method ever invented: questions.
- Devising prewriting exercises such as creating key words, making lists or maps, and emphasizing note taking.
- Building a program of activities based on the individual’s needs.
- Showing students how to read for meaning and picking out important ideas and details, progressing from avoiding reading to avidly responding.
- Critiquing essays for such features as word choice, sentence order, relevant evidence, and overall unity.
- Providing opportunities to write. We learn by practice.
Words, sentences and paragraphs should fit together like parts of a well-built dry stone wall.
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A favorite sentence: "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." L. P. Hartley
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es·say. transitive verb \e-ˈsā : to try to do, perform, or deal with (something).
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"Surely mankind's greatest invention is the sentence." John Banville
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The book I am presently reading: The Gardens of the British Working Class.
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