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David Snow

Dr. Shana Hartman

ENGL 683 The Teaching of Writing

13 December 2017

Philosophy of Teaching Writing

Year six, day one. And each of the last five Ive learned a little more about teenagers, a

little more about myself, a little more about teaching. I love what I do, and Im thankful to have

had mentors, fellow teachers, and administrators help me teach high school English a little better

each semester.

When I share with others general observations about the joy of research and writing

analytically, Ive come to realize many people simply do not like to write. I get similar reactions

when I discuss my vocation. When I hear, I hated English in High School or In college I took

as much English as was required, and then I was done, I realize my love for language is not
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universal, and I consider it a significant part of who I am. Helping guide students into reading

and writing is an essential part of this.

In reflecting over my own experiences so far in my development as a writer, Ive realized

there was a common element in many of my most significant writing milestones: authentic

positive reinforcement; the reinforcement I've received from people who "matter" has been one

of the most critical components of growth in my writing journey. Realizing this, I try to provide

similar experiences for my students. In an Chris Burnhams and Rebecca Powells essay

Expressive Pedagogy, Powell offers a summative reflection of a similar revelation: "Because

[my professor] acted as if my writing mattered, I started to treat it as if it did" (111). There have

certainly been times when I have simply assigned a numerical grade to each students paper for a

particular assignment, but Ive always tried to keep in mind the power of a thoughtful comment

as I respond to students writing. We all crave thoughtful feedback, and they--as well all--

desperately want is for someone to notice them and care enough about them as people to take the

time to invest in them. Though the grade is the standard, what's truly the most meaningful is the

feedback. Or, at least knowing that they have an attentive audience.

Another important principle of writing I try to encourage in my students is collaboration

and support. I spend a great deal of time grouping students because I find most students grow as

writers more effectively when they interact with their peers. No one lives his life in isolation, and

neither does good writing spontaneously arise without some form of support, even if its merely

accountability for completing an individual task. This connects to the concept of knowing I have

an audience for my writing.

A third approach to writing I try to incorporate into my instruction is analysis through

creative response. Through assignments such as the Artistic Eye, Extend the Story, or a
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Character Journal, students can demonstrate their understanding of a fictional story through

creative writing. Traditionally, literary criticism was understood as a creative genre; only

relatively recently have they become divorced in common practice--an unfortunate shift

considering the power of such approaches to literature (Belas 38). I love to see not only the

excitement in my students when they get to respond creatively, but also the observations and

connections they generate outside of a formal analysis.

I hope I can not only help my students become better writers, but also offer an

environment where they come to appreciate and enjoy reading and writing at least a little bit

more than they did before they walked into my room for the first time.

Works Cited

Belas, Oliver. The Perfectionist Call of Intelligibility: Secondary English, Creative Writing, and

Moral Education. Philosophical Inquiry in Education, vol. 26, no. 1, 2016, pp. 37-52.

Burnham, Chris and Rebecca Powell. Expressive Pedagogy: Practice/Theory, Theory/Practice.

A Guide to Composition Pedagogies, edited by Gary Tate, et al. Oxford University

Press, 2014, pp. 111-127.