E U R O P E A N L E A G U E F O R M I D D L E L E V E L E D U C A T I O N
work but the intrinsic motivating factors that move students forward with enthusiasm for the project .
It Starts with Reading
The best writers seem to agree : Good writing starts with good reading . Thus , in my class , a writing project begins with reading great models in the same genre . If we ' re writing short stories , we ' ll read and analyze Hemingway , Chekov , and Shirley Jackson ; if memoirs , we look at excerpts of Stephen King , Maya Angelou , Malala , and Malcolm X . I also bring out former student work and something I ' ve written for the students to critique and practice giving feedback . This portion of the prewriting process could last a few days or a few weeks . During this time , we ask questions about story elements , the author ' s voice , intention , audience , theme , characters , organization — all of the Common Core reading standards can be covered . Of course , all language arts teachers hit these standards throughout the year , but the difference is that the students are engaging these standards with a greater sense of purpose within the larger publishing project . They begin to ask : How will reading this make my writing better ? Which author will I use as a model for my writing ? What will my voice , theme , and organization be ? How will it come across to the audience ? These questions are not posted on my classroom wall . They emerge organically because all of the students know that their stories will be in a printed book that ' s sold on Amazon . It becomes a big deal , and some students even begin to see stars and dream of dollar signs ! In most cases , the letter grade ( extrinsic motivation ) becomes secondary , and their pride in publishing a quality story ( intrinsic ) becomes the primary goal .
Bad First Drafts and Good Feedback
It ' s difficult to write and perhaps even harder to share your writing with a group of peers . So there has to be a protocol for giving feedback . I recommend dedicating a full class period to discussing bad first drafts . I begin with a warm up asking " What is difficult about writing ?" After " pair-sharing ," or however you prefer to spark discussion , we read and discuss Anne Lamott ' s Shitty First Drafts . If you teach young or sheltered kids , this brief excerpt can be photocopied and censored , but it usually initiates great conversations and reinforces the idea that good writing is crafted through revision and editing , not some mysterious inherent talent . Lamott ' s mindset gives students the courage to write and the idea that their first drafts will improve ; they just need to stop thinking about it and write !
After students have had time to write their first draft , the writing workshops begin . Based on a common workshop seating arrangement , we move the desks into a large circle so all the students are facing each other . To relieve any tension or stress that students may have in sharing their work , I make anonymity an option , where I ( or other volunteers ) can read the work of other students . But before anyone starts sharing , I try to establish what Ron Berger calls the " Culture of Critique ." I explain that writers don ' t want just any feedback ; they want specific , quality feedback . While I encourage starting off with a positive comment , I clarify that saying " Good story , I liked it " might momentarily boost the writer ' s ego , but is not very helpful . On the other hand , commenting that a writing piece was " boring " or " sucked " isn ' t a critique ; it ' s rude and hurtful . The emphasis is on giving helpful and specific
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