...seeking to be strategic in my guidance and direction
I believe that much of what I am after in teaching writing is helping students learn about the activity of writing. Much of what I do is guide students through certain behaviors and strategies of the writing process in the hopes that they begin to engrain some of these activities and take ownership of them. My constant challenge is to balance being open and strategic with my heuristic guidance so as to trigger my students own expressiveness and inquiry against the possibility of being too directive.
I often have my students do a series of invention questions to get them started on a writing assignment.
--example of invention exercise from English 1301
Reflection
Between and after drafts, I almost always have students reflect upon the draft. This reflection helps them become more aware of where they have been, where they are, where they are going with a piece of text.
--example of English 1301 Writing Review
--2nd example English 1301 Writing Review
For my online and computer classroom sections, I post regular class announcements that provide extra guidance and resources for my students.
--see English 0301 Class Announcements
--see English 1301 Class Announcements
created July 2007, updated Oct. 2011 | L. Lennie Irvin