This week’s reading focused more on the process of writing and how we teach others to write. In Yancey’s piece we are introduced to the identity of writers having identities and how that affects or influences their writing. I completely agree with that thought. All writers write from the lens that they experience. While reading, I was wondering if there is a specific way to teach writing when we all have different identities. As a teacher I cannot tell you what to write or how to think. I simply guide you into making that possible, right? Of course, I work with younger students, but I think this still applies to them, especially them. They are naturally creative and have less restriction to their thoughts. We damper those with formulaic writing. Having a balance of teaching structure, grammar and genre without inputting our own biased thoughts can be possible. I hope so. Grading systems would have to change in order to achieve that though, at least in the lower grades.
Lunsford discusses how all writing is a response to something. I also can see this as being true, even if it’s a response to internal thoughts or traumas. That’s how we reach others and communicate through writing, without it being a response or allowing people to respond, there would be no point.
Penrose and Geisler`s piece probably struck me the most. Only because of a lot of the ideas they express, specifically the idea that teaching methods should encourage students to almost discover their own response. I immediately thought about all the talk about “modeling” for the students. Everywhere I turn someone is telling me to model this and model that. The worst part is modeling is supposed to be more guided, giving maybe boundaries. Modeling now is literally answering the open ended question in front of the class, then having them “try it on their own”. Of course that results in a bunch of miniature copies of my work. I understand that there are some things they are going to struggle with, but isn’t that the point? To try to figure it out… To actually get the juices flowing. Then we complain that students cannot do anything, but are we even allowing them to think for themselves in the first place?
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