When we teach writing, we need to keep focus on the whole part of writing and not the little skills that go along with it. While we do teach those skills, the focus still needs to remain on the “whole” and how the skills fit into the entire part of writing. With solely teaching writing skills, the audience is forgotten, which is one of the most important purposes for writing. Voice is one of the most important elements in writing. Without voice, writing lacks most of its “body”. Voice is in the details as well as the purposeful words that students place in their crafting of writing.
Students need to understand and feel a purpose for writing besides, “the teacher told me to.” Successful teachers of writing get to the point with students that they clearly state the purpose and the students feel that it is worth-while and meaningful. In our explicit modeling of writing, we need to state “why” we do the things we do as writers.
In keeping our audience at the forefront of our purpose for writing, it is respectful to display our message in a way that does not distract from the message. When we teach revising and editing, we need to do so in a way that students understand: 1) what each of them are, 2) the differences between them, 3) when to use them and when NOT to use them. Revision means to “look again”- hopefully with a fresh perspective. When we change our perspective from writer to reader, we can make the revisions that we need to make our message clearer to the audience.
Some questions to ponder about this chapter:
• How can I engage my students so they want to be the best writers they can be?
• Is voice heard in my student’s writing?
• Are my mini-lessons purposeful and pertaining to exactly what my students’ needs are at that particular time?
• How do I teach spelling?
• In what ways do I approach revising and editing in my writing classroom?
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