Tell Me More

 
There was a black dog in the park.

There was a black dog in the park? True, there was a black dog in the park, but is that all that is happening in the picture? Of course not. The thing about this is, the student writer is technically right. If I was to envision a dog in the park, I might come up with this picture. 

Writing, at least the act of putting the words to the paper, is a bit like this picture for most people. We see that there is a million other things going on in this picture, but the ability to convey such thoughts while completing a picture that doesn't seem too wordy or miswritten is not something that everyone can do. If the picture above is what one sees, the picture below is the one we hear or read, most times. 

There is nothing wrong with this picture. In fact, the dog is quite cute. But this picture is nothing near what the picture above is. That is the problem with most writers, at least student writers. The outcome does not usually match the desired intent. 

So as teachers, what do we do about this? How do we take the first picture and make it the only picture that is conveyed? 

According to the works by McAndrew and Reigstad's works, "What Tutoring isn't, The Writing and Tutoring Process, What Tutoring is Models and Strategies," The first thing we need to do is establish the level of help that our writers need. Is the story about a dog in the park, or rather a Sunday evening where there are a plethora of people enjoying the park. As teachers, we are working a bit like editors. When we are in this role, we must remember that we must advocate for the story and not our own opinions or thoughts. If the story is in fact about a singular black dog in the park, then we must accept that. "Editors listen to the writers and invite quality work" while also knowing that the "Editor does not add to the book" (McAndrew 2). This is vital to understanding that the story itself is within the realm of the student. That being said, teachers as editors, help the student through the writing process. "Prewriting, writing, and rewriting" (McAndrew 4).  And by doing that, we encourage the piece to develop at multiple levels. 

Asking the following questions will help address some of the problems that writers may have. 

"What is the central issue of your piece?" -This is if the paper is a meal of spaghetti, all over the place with little or no clear starting and ending points. 

"Tell me more about this." -This is if the student needs a bit of help expanding on the topic.

"In one sentence, tell me what this piece is about." -To help identify and write thesis. 

"If only one person could read this, who is reading it and what do they look like?" - This is to help show audience and how to write for that audience. 

Now, these are just some simple suggestions and ideas into teaching how to teach those to write a better paper. If you have any ideas, let me know! 

Also, I really like the idea of having a skeleton in my room as "the bones" of writing. You could give the skeleton a bow tie for formal writing, or even a baseball cap for informal writing, to help show the students the different types of audience. The bones itself could be like the structure. Also, the different ways the bones are connected could be the transitions. You can't get from the head to the toes without hitting a few other places along the way. Anyways, that is my one possibly too bright idea to work for this post! 

Links below!

https://uwmil.instructure.com/courses/373649/files/28564740?module_item_id=9123317

https://uwmil.instructure.com/courses/373649/files/28564742?module_item_id=9123318

https://uwmil.instructure.com/courses/373649/files/28564775?module_item_id=9123319

My own personal writer's profile is a total nerd who loves to read anything and everything! You'll find mostly classics, but a great array of every other genre as well! To be honest, it is never about the style of the book, but rather the type of the story and the interest that it holds!