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The “We-Do” Model of Writing Instruction
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Learning to write well is certainly rewarding, but it is not simple. During her keynote address at the 2020 National Reading Recovery Conference, literacy expert Adria Klein said, “Literacy is complex and dynamic. Teachers make minute by minute decisions and all of these decisions are dependent upon who our students are—their current situations, their experiences and how all of this changes over time.” As a literacy consultant, I am always looking for ways to support teachers in this complex and ever-changing endeavor. I have found that one way to help teachers is to create simple tools that help them plan, teach, and reflect upon their writing instruction.
The “We-Do” model is an example of one of these simple tools. Yes, learning to write well is a complex endeavor, but our teaching methods can still be simple. When they are simple, our focus can be squarely on the complex students in front of us. I have created the “We-Do” model with the intent that different teachers will use it in different ways. Some may use it alongside their current writing curriculum; while others may use it to help them create their own curriculum.
The “We-Do” model of instruction was created in response to two problems that countless teachers have shared with me.
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Teachers were struggling to get all of their students to transfer what had been taught into their independent writing. Sure, some students used their independent writing time well. They were practicing many of the things that their teachers had taught them, and because of that they were growing as writers. Others were unable to transfer what they had learned or were not learning what they needed. I knew there had to be better and different ways to instruct that ensured that all students had equitable access to becoming independent writers.
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Teachers were not only intimidated by teaching writing, they were paralyzed by the vast number of available choices, both in terms of resources and schools of thought. Many teachers have confided in me that even with the abundance of materials they have, they’re unsure about where and how to begin. Which advice do I take? Which do I ignore? How do I maintain the right balance of instruction? And the biggie: How do I meet the needs of diverse classrooms of students?
My hope is that the “We-Do” model brings clarity to both of these problems and assists you in teaching writing in more, responsive, more deliberate and more equitable ways. Let’s dig into the model and see how it can help you solve those two problems.
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By David L. Harrison
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