Formulaic Writing

              A teacher could approach reading and writing in many different ways to create meaningful experiences for their students in order to meet the Common Core Standards. One way to create these experiences would be to construct lessons or activities that are really hands on for the students. I think when students are really interacting with each other is when they learn reading and writing in an easy, fun way. I remember in elementary school we used to read in partners and we would set up two chairs, with the corners touching and facing each other, while we read. This has always stuck with me because it was a way for us to interact with each other while we read to one another. This made writing a fun activity for us. After students read something and they have to write about it, teachers tend to make the writing assignment very typical or boring. Teachers could open up the students’ minds about what they just read and really get them to divulge into the story. They could do something to get them to visualize what they just read and this would help them understand it a little bit more. For me at least, when I was in elementary school through today, I respond well to seeing visual representations of what I am reading or just learning in general. It helps me understand what I am trying to learn much easier.

            Wiley is warning us that “formulaic writing” could prevent students from becoming really creative with their writing and further their writing abilities. He states that this type of writing, “sends the wrong message to students and uninformed teachers about what writing really is (Wiley, 5).” He goes on to say, “To develop as writers, students must develop a repertoire of strategies for dealing effectively with various writing tasks presented to them in different situations (Wiley, 5).” I couldn’t agree more with that statement. When I was a freshman in high school my English teacher taught us that building our own “strategies” would help us with future writing assignments in high school. I still think about some of the things he told us that year. I think writing should be an expression of one’s creativity. This style of writing will prevent students from advancing as writers and showing their creative side through words.

            In the past I have experienced this type of writing task. During my time in high school I had some great English teachers, like I explained above with my freshman English teacher, but I also had teachers that in the end didn’t help me advance as a writer. During my senior year I took a British Literature English class that was offered at my high school. I could tell my teacher was passionate about teaching us the material, however he didn’t really give us writing topics that got me thinking beyond what the prompt was. Wiley says, “Consider that in Schaffer’s approach the goal of writing is to produce an essay of requisite length that contains the correct ratio of detail to commentary (Wiley, 5).” I remember turning in papers that had just this; enough information for me to get my point out, but it wasn’t getting me to think beyond the assignment. I felt that this teacher I had senior year just gave us writing assignments because he had to. That year I really didn’t know who I was as a writer, so this type of writing had a bad effect on me. Since then in college I have had some great English classes that have really opened my mind and I feel that I sort of understand who I am as a writer now.