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a High School English Teacher
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Model it, literally write in front of your students or do it in advance and show them the steps. This was the first year I wrote in front of/with the kids, as in an essay, and it was revolutionary.
One of my students made the observation of your supposed to write between the lines on the paper because they had never directly been told.
Especially the revision piece! Whenever I read or present a model to them, I end up revising as I teach it so double modeling
Also, figure out ways to give them feedback as they are writing rather than after they turn in their work for a grade. I use stations in my classroom To allow me to work with students individually while others are working on something else. Google is awesome for students to share work with you and other students and get feedback as well
Chunk everything. Most things are just too big picture for kids to conceptualize. Work on pieces and show them how to put together. Stress recursiveness. Acknowledge it’s tough to writ an intro for something that doesn’t exist. Encourage them to go back and make sure things match up
Lucy Calkins, Jennifer Seravallo, Ralph Fletcher: all awesome resources
Another technique, as they often times don't like being told what to write about, is to have them write creatively. It's gets them comfortable putting words down and not being 'wrong'. They don't have to be long writings, even quick character sketches can work to help break the ice and intimidation they may feel.
What kind of writing? One of the best things I have found is have them write many different things over a time frame, and then pick one that we revise and edit. It gives the student some choice and ownership of the work.
Read write like this by Kelly Gallagher.
Write like this! Whoops
Give them a basic outline that will carry all of their writing moving forward. Model the writing, in chunks, based specifically on that outline. Refer to it continuously and have them read good examples (and bad examples) of writing...then analyze it with them. Your feedback should be specific to the student (which is why chunking is important. Read paragraphs, not papers). Wash, Rinse, Repeat (with a rubric).
Dave Stuart Jr is a blogger I follow who teaches English and History and he follows a simple three step framework: claim it, prove it, and wrap back around. It works for anything but narratives
Start with the writing process and allow time for each step. Start out with a simple writing prompt - remember it is about getting them writing so it doesn't matter what the topic is at first. Model the pre-writing process and each step along the way.
My favorite pre-writing exercise is to "tell your story" I tell a personal narrative that is funny and then allow students to turn and tell a story to other students. The kids love talking to one another and this gets them really thinking about what they want to write.
I then model how I turned my oral story into a written draft. I explain how a draft might be messy and should be imperfect because thoughts do not translate perfectly the first time.
Each step should be give time and respect with the kids participating in each with each other. After they get the process down you can add more complex writing assignments as you go.