Personal Philosophy on the Teaching Writing by Nerissa Jarvis

 

My Personal Philosophy on Teaching Writing

My personal philosophy on teaching writing involves a number of questions that are pondered upon since being exposed to 'Promoting Writing in the Primary Grades'. For me, the most important thing about teaching writing is the hidden curriculum that it encompasses. For instances, building students’ self-esteem through writing. Writing is an effective means of communication, self-expression and creativity. Through the writing assignments and opportunities offered, students may pick up on the idea that their opinions and voices are valued. I was very appreciative of being taught the process vs product approach, which is also linked to my specific objectives when teaching writing. I want to show them that writing is not as hard as it might appear and that writing can be very important. By creating connections between writing and all of the core subjects, students will be able to practice writing, which will help them write well. Incorporating the process approach which was the opposite of what I got in primary school, will allow the students to get a better outlook on writing earlier on in life. Lev Vygotsky thought that teaching children under the guidance of an experienced adult is quite beneficial. I can agree with his theory and see how providing scaffolding in the form of a step-by-step process would help them develop into competent, autonomous writers. Moreover, providing differentiated instruction, technology integration, visual aids and have the students rely on each with strategies like 'Think-Pair-Share', are all great ways I can to cater to the different learning styles to accomplish quality writing.

Writing that successfully conveys its intended message or purpose, holds the reader's attention and exhibits mastery of language, structure, and content is referred to as "good" writing. The six characteristics of writing and the writing process serve as model criteria for demonstrating high-caliber writing. In my opinion, imagination is at the forefront of writing. In order to create gripping stories, strong arguments, and expressive prose that connects with readers, writers need creativity. Creativity gives the writing process life, uniqueness, and depth. Students are authors of the future and giving them some wiggle room to write their own ideas could help them foster a love for writing. Furthermore, giving them positive feedback to them and their parents could go a long way in their writing journey.

All of this is possible due my experience at teacher training that gave me an opportunity to further improve my writing skills as a teacher/author. Having firsthand experience of the different ways to improve my writing skills as a student teacher has giving me the opportunity to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses in writing. Instead of teaching writing like how I was taught which is primarily product approach, I can now teach it in a different way that makes more sense especially with the type of students we have in the classrooms today. Additionally, apart from research, the writing community amongst my peers and I, will help keep me up to date on the best practices in teaching writing. Therefore, teaching writing will always be of great significance.

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