Steve Moore tweeted something interesting today from a site that gives daily writing prompts that lead to this:
Too often teachers try to teach kids to write creatively or make their writing more interesting but it borders on the impossible. Always, the kids who have lived the least write the least. Kids who think the least write the least. Kids who can’t have a conversation, can’t write anything worth talking about. I never succeeded in making my students better writers until I made had them think deeply in class. I wasn’t able to have them write about things worth reading until we started to do activities worth doing. And they didn’t start to write in a way that was interesting, until we started to have interesting dialogs in class. Their language wasn’t “learned,” it was experienced. They first have to ponder, think, laugh, cry, and live…then write. Language grows out of life.
3 responses so far ↓
Exactly. That is what I have argued for 20 years. My students have very limited lives and experiences so they have little to nothing to say. I try so hard to expand my students’ lives by taking them places, bringing guest speakers, and showing them what can be. They have a six block mentality that is so hard to break, and don’t want to go out of their comfort zone.
[Reply]
[...] in a while someone will email or comment, as did Paul Bogush said something like this, in a comment on yesterday’s Writing Prompt: Too often teachers try [...]
Hey Mr. Bogush!
I was commenting on your blog to say that I went on to my blog for the first time since June 24, I think, and I was re-reading my last post. That post was my end of the year reflection. I was amazed by how well I wrote it, to be totally honest! It doesn’t even sound like me. I just wanted to say thank you for the 100th time for helping me reach outside of the box and to being more myself every day. I enjoyed our class discussions, and my new social studies class is nothing like last years; it will never be the same. You will always be one of my favorite teachers, so thanks. (;
-Olivia-
[Reply]
Leave a Comment