ENGLISH DIARY

Lesson #1: Writing is an "output" subject. Unlike most school subjects, which require primarily that kids take in new information, writing requires that kids put it out. In theory, each time a student writes a piece, we expect them to produce something new that they have never produced before. Even when we've given them some input like a prompt or a question or a theme, they won't be successful unless they come up with output that develops what we've given them in a significant and appropriate way.

Lesson #2: Writing requires a high degree of active participation from individual students. In most other subjects, there's a certain amount of "down time" for each student. While one kid is answering a question, the others can just listen; when they're working in small groups, the effort can shift from person to person; even when everyone is working on a worksheet or a chapter from a textbook, the kids all know that the teacher is going to go over the material with them as a group, so intense individual attention is not really needed. But in writing, there is no group work, there are no worksheets or textbook chapters (or at least there shouldn't be), and students can't just wait for the teacher to go over the material because the teacher is counting on them to produce it. When kids are writing, active participation is required of everyone.

Lesson #3: Writing requires original, individual expression. When we work on math problems, the idea is for every kid to come up with the same right answer. Social studies, science, and most other subjects work the same way. But in writing, if everyone comes up with same thing we call it copying or plagiarism. In most situations, don't even want students to repeat the writing of things they've written before.

Lesson #4: Writers face the same challenges over and over again with each new piece they attempt. In math, once I learn to add whole numbers reliably, I don't really have to worry much about it when I tackle new problems that require the same skill. In reading, once I learn to decode effectively, I don't have to learn to decode again each time I read a new book. But even if I am successful at writing a good lead or a good ending, I will face exactly the same problem on my very next piece — and there's no guarantee that it will be any easier the second time. Aside from spelling, even the very best writers never truly master much of anything.