Student Resources, Writing Conventions, and Creative Writing

Class Two: Response to Atwell January 12, 2015

Nancie Atwell's reflection made me excited and worried about teaching. I am extremely excited to be able to reach out and help students grow. I want to, one day, be able to influence students to believe in themselves, and I want to understand the different ways in which students learn. Atwell's reflection makes me a little bit nervous because I fear that I might enter a school where the students have incredible amounts of potential, but they do not have the proper resources to succeed. If students need certain accommodations I would hope that they will have access to them. Atwell's reflection begins with her horror of entering her classroom for the first time to see it basically falling apart. If a school does not have money to fix floor and light bulbs, they most likely will not have enough money to provide students with resources they need to succeed.  

In regard to Atwell's teaching strategies, I must disagree. Atwell writes that she was only concerned with conventions in the final drafts of essays. I believe that students need to be constantly reminded to check their spelling and make sure their grammar is correct. I do not believe that students need to be marked or assessed based on the mistakes in their lessons or rough copies, but they need to be reminded about proper writing conventions. If a teacher does not stress the writing conventions to their students, the students may not see the importance of having correct spelling and grammar in each aspect of their lives. Students need to be sure to have proper writing in each subject, and in the writing they are doing at home; practice makes perfect.

Seeing as my teachable subject is English, there are many opportunities I will have to incorporate writing into my lessons. The most important writing aspect I would like to incorporate into a daily routine is a creative writing journal. I want my students to have the opportunity to have ten minutes where they can work on a story, write about current events, or write about anything they wish. Students need to have access to opportunities of creative writing where they can let their imagination take control. This idea ties into what Peterson was proposing in the textbook. Each day can begin with the students' creative writing journal. The students will be able to start a daily writing routine that gets their minds working creatively.