Writing the Word and the World

Again Christensen provides wonderful examples of topics for students to write about to get them to really think. First the forgivness poem is a clever way to get students to really write about deep things that are bothering them in their lives. It also gets them to think on a more compassionate level. They write about things they will forgive or won't, but whoever they are writing about it should help them view that person from a deeper level.

The read around for students feelings about testing seems very beneficial to the students and the teachers. First students see how others struggle the same way as they do. Teachers can appreciate the stress testing can cause students and the areas that they may need extra help or a boost in confidence about.

Christensen also provides great strategies for essay writing. The first thing I really appreciated was not making students write out an introduction immediately. I find that the intro is the worst thing to write, and at times I have even written my introduction after I had written the body of my essay, so I knew exactly where I had taken my writing and knew for sure what my thesis really was; instead of writing a thesis and vearing off topic through the body of the essay.

I have always had a hard time really revising my essays. I don't like rereading my work, and I can usually whip out an "A" paper in a few hours. I really don't want my students to carry on my habits, although they have worked for me. Christensen makes a great point that if the topic is something the kids care about and it provokes deeper thinking, the students may care more about what they produce. Giving the students the opportunity to write for a public audience again gives them more incentive to want to write well and revise if they can. It won't work for all your students but if you can change the habbits of a few students, you have accomplished a lot.