thesisthoughts

http://books.heinemann.com/authors/100.aspx

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In a paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCTE in 1992, Tom Romano relates to Karin Dahl’s, Teacher as Writer , as an important book.

He has two main problems with the way teachers were being encouraged to write at the time:

1. Romano negates the prevalent assumption of the time that only publication confirms the value of writing, that writing without publication is basically worthless for teachers. (If this is the case then only the product is important – in contrast with later theories of writing for learning, where the process is at least as important as the product).
2. Romano argues that it is wrong to  promote the writing of a single genre, professional journal type writing, among teachers. (Even though the variety of genres accepted by professional journals is certainly broadening today, it is still definitely important for teachers to realise that they aren’t limited. If many of the benefits are in the writing process itself, then the most important thing is for teachers to start composing.  As I have learned, journal entries, blog posts, and emails can transform into articles if the writer wishes and pursues them.

“Stories offer a vivid and compelling way for teacher-writers to connect with their inner voices and to write passionately about subjects that matter to them. We can deeply understand the meaning of our real and imagined experience by writing the significant, sensory details that make stories real to us and to our readers should our stories happen to find some form of publication” (p. 4).

“Through telling our stories we come to know that which is significant in our lives. stories help us experience the abstract, not just understand it” (p.5).

“The telling of stories leads us to abstract ideas during our writing” (p. 5).

“I believe firmly in teacher as writer, not just in teachers writing professional articles, and surely not in the elitist idea that writing that isn’t published isn’t worth anything. I believe in the value of teachers engaging in the act they want students to engage in, in experiencing the psychological delight that can come with using language on paper. I believe in teachers telling the stories that are meaningful to them, the stories they are passionate about, wherever those stories occur–in school or out” (p. 14-15).

“As William Stafford (1986) advocates, lower your standards as much as you need to in order to get language on paper. Take the pressure off. This is not a test of your intellect, not a rating of your talent. This is fifteen minutes to pay great respect to your perceptions and feelings and ideas, the great respect of exploring them through writing” (p. 15).

That certainly is a quote to remember and use – could prove to be very encouraging for teachers unaccustomed to writing. Good also for motivating teachers and students to blog.

By Francisco Gomes De Matos

Appeared in Reading Today, April/May 2008

Writing is/involves/has to do with the following:

scribing

inscribing

prescribing

transcribing

wording

rewording

forewording

tending

intending

extending

pressing

expressing

impressing

compressing

citing

inciting

exciting

creating

co-creating

re-creating

forming

reforming

transforming

instructing

constructing

obstructing

posing

imposing

proposing

composing

selecting

connecting

correcting

perfecting