Saturday: Writing Workshop

I conducted a Writing Workshop on Saturday. Students from the high school, college, and the journalism program attended the session. The three hour workshop focused on understanding rhetoric, invention techniques, and the role of the writer in culture. It was another awesome experience with very attentive and enthusiastic LLC students who were eager to learn, ask questions, provide insights, etc.

To start the day, Arturo, one of our LCC students, lead the group in a prayer. Have a look:



He was amazing.

I always enjoy speaking to students who are serious about writing. There is a kinship I feel with such students because I see so much of me in them, and I always hope that the feeling is mutual. About the only thing that separates me from these kids is age. The passion for writing--it's value in terms of thinking, learning, experience, etc. is something that only those who truly value the craft appreciate. I often think about the writers I teach at North Allegheny and how their collective skill level is so high. As such, I feel a tremendous degree of responsibility as a teacher to nurture this skill, and press the students to take their work to an even higher level. I felt the same degree of responsibility during the workshop. While I was speaking to the students and sharing with them the presentations I put together for the workshop, I could see how interested and excited they were about what we were discussing.

Of course, so much of what goes into being a good writer requires time, effort, and the desire to explore writing along various genres. To this end, I often steal from Stephen King's wonderful book, On Writing, and I remind the kids that good writers are also good readers. In his book, King writes about having at least one book with him at all times, and he encourages his audience to do the same. Reading broadens one's exposure to different writing styles, techniques, voice, etc. And as such, I references King's advice during the workshop. I also talked to the students about the importance of keeping a writer's notebook, and how ideas for writing can strike at any time, and it's always helpful to be able to put down on paper whatever ideas come about during the day to day goings on in life.

A few years ago, the National Commission on Writing released a lengthy report entitled "The Neglected R, The Need for a Writing Revolution." You can read the full report here: http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2523
In a nutshell, the authors of the report concluded that writing instruction as a focus of teaching has suffered in large part during the school reform movement associated with NCLB. The most significant reason for this is that teaching good writing requires time and effort--it cannot be done in a vacuum, it cannot be done quickly, and it requires that teachers take time to conference with students, provide extensive feedback, and be versed in writing instruction. You may be surprised to know this, but in the United States (and perhaps other countries, I am sure), English teachers are not required to study writing instruction to become a certified English teacher. What's more, there are very few opportunities for teachers to study writing instruction in their professional development programs. Crazy, isn't it? The reasons are simple: In order for good writing to be taught according to the standards set by the National Commission on Writing, classes must be smaller, and teachers must be given more time to provide feedback, conference with their students, etc. There is no way around these facts. It's plain and simple. And if someone tells you otherwise--that good writing instruction can be homogenized and taught to classes of thirty, forty, or fifty kids, they are lying to you.

Anyways, the workshop on Saturday was a success, and I so enjoyed working with the students and teachers at LLC once again.

I was able to enjoy some free time following the workshop on Saturday, and I had a free day on Sunday. I went to the mall, did some shopping, worked out, and relaxed. I also had a chance to have a video chat with Rocco and Dani on both days. I miss them so much! Sunday was especially calming. I had coffee on the top deck of my hotel and enjoyed the bright morning. The view was spectacular, as you you can see:






Week two begins tomorrow. My big presentation on the Art and Science of Teaching is on Tuesday, and I wouldn't be surprised if the day tomorrow is shortened in order to provide some extra time for Tuesday. We'll see. :-)

As always, thanks for reading.


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Location:Bacolod, Philippines