If you had free rein to teach writing, what would you use?

[quark]

This is for a very bright 9th grader. Her mother is a very dear friend and I've known this kid since she was 4 so I am not charging them any money for it. They private school and the mom needs some help with teaching writing in addition to what happens in school. This school uses PhDs to teach English! But the mom would love for me to work with her DD! I feel so touched.

 

I will be teaching online. Her DD is interested in journalism as a possible career path and maybe why I feel some pressure. I have some free rein over what to teach although I think the bulk of our lessons will be on literature/ analysis. I get to work with her for an hour a week and she will send me essays for feedback when she needs that guidance.

 

Given this scenario, what would you do? I am a very haphazard writing teacher. I tried using curriculum with my kid but nothing stuck. We ended up using lots of whole books, classic lit, The Economist, and discussions/ Socratic method to work on my A's writing. My A read widely and deeply and rigorously for years and years. I went hands off in the last 2 years so that our bond would not be affected (I can be critical/ A can be reluctant with writing). But we did a lot of oral lit analysis that definitely helped. A flourished under DE profs and obtained a 5 in AP English Lit and is now taking and loving a writing-heavy literature/philosophy class as a college freshman.

 

Why do I feel like such an imposter with my friend's kid though? My friend and her DD loved the first session I did with them (comparing two novels that on the surface seem very different but are actually similar in theme). My friend is going to write a review for me so that I can try to get some paying students that way. I know I can do this. I also know you guys would probably do a much better job!

 

I wish I could use WWS but it drives me crazy. I have a love-hate relationship with it. Right now I am using bits and pieces off Strunk and White, misc. essays, articles from The Economist, and the student's own essays plus books she is reading (typical honors 9th grade English literature).

 

I feel a little scattered not knowing how to plan it. I did not plan writing with my kid. We were so organic about writing. I'd love to know what you guys would recommend if you were in this situation. Maybe I am just seeking validation from the Hive about being organic?

 

Thank you!

[EKS]

I would use a combination of Habits of the Creative Mind, They Say/I Say, and Engaging Ideas.

[regentrude]

If being organic and free form worked for your kid, why do you think it would not work for your friend's kid?

 

I have never used a writing curriculum or planned writing instruction - my kids just wrote, and we went over their writing.

[RootAnn]

The thing that most helped my reluctant writer & my natural writer was specific writing feedback. Detailed feedback.

That's the biggest complaint I see about writing classes, too.

[quark]

Thank you! You ladies are confirming what my gut is telling me. Do you have any favorite books that help you to feel inspired before a writing lesson? I am slowly expanding my collection. I will check out the books you mentioned, Kai, thank you! I have They Say, I Say but not the other 2!

[JanetC]

She's got four years to learn literary analysis and is already doing that in private school, right?

 

I'd maybe go with a broad spectrum of personal, journalistic, and academic writing, and the academic would be writing across the curriculum, not just English. Something different from what she's lady doing in school.

 

I agree that the best thing you can give in a one on one situation is the close reading and detailed feedback that a busy teacher can't always give.

 

I don't have a text to recommend as I was pretty organic myself.

[daijobu]

I don't know much about journalism except that I love to read it.  You might suggest she get subscriptions to the Sunday NY Times, New Yorker and Atlantic magazines.  If she's in So Cal, then the LA Times is also very good.  

[MamaSprout]

Journalistic writing is very formulaic (except for features and sports). I wouldn't spend a significant amount of time specifically on it other than to maybe have her take something like a National Geography article and re-write it as a news piece. When I have students write about literature, I work from some TEs for college anthologies to help me come up with essay/ discussion topics. If she likes feature writing (or sports), start by reading good feature writing and emulate the style with a topic that interests her.

 

What does she want to write about? I also like They Say. What is her skill level? Power in Your Hands is pretty adaptable if you want something independent that covers lots of writing types. It is somewhat religious, but not preachy. Fairly easy to add and subtract from if you need something written to the student.

 

When I teach groups, I do work from a spine and expand out from there. I find students need something written to them to get them through to the next week.

[nansk]

I have They Say, I Say but not the other 2!

I have no experience, but in your place, I would go with books I was already familiar with, esp. since lessons have already started.

 

You have read/used The Lively Art of Writing. Can you use that for the first few weeks?

[8filltheheart]

I have enjoyed using Patterns in College Writing with my kids around that age. It includes essays that demonstrate the different techniques being addressed. I don't use it as written, but it is a good, simple, go-to single source. If you Google the 12th ed, you'll find a PDF version online that you can look through to see if it appeals.

[Lori D.]

What a wonderful gift to give to this family, Quark! :)

 

... I have some free rein over what to teach although I think the bulk of our lessons will be on literature/ analysis...

 

I don't know what level this student is at for Writing, so the following may not be applicable at all -- use or toss as needed. :)

 

From my own co-op Lit. & Comp. classes, I find that a high percentage of the 9th graders are only *just* starting to get the foundations of writing down. So in the first semester I tend to focus on:

- writing in format (MLA or APA)

- the writing process (stages)

- solid paragraph structure

- short expository essays (process paragraph, definition paragraph, 

- and the expository research paper with citations (on a science or history topic they are already covering, or other factual topic they are knowledgeable about)

 

Depending on the length of the class, I have sometimes included some real-life expository writing with making a resume and cover letter, and business letters of different types.

 

I usually save the harder persuasive essays -- which require building an argument, thesis statements, sentences of commentary, etc -- along with the literary analysis essays for the second semester. Some of the specific literary analysis essays we've done: comparison (compare/contrast), character analysis, analyze how a literary element is working, key quotation and how it is working, show how a theme is developed/runs through the work, personal application essay -- what spoke to you and how (develop your thesis and support with examples from the text).

 

I have never found any one program that works for me, so I pull bits and pieces from various things. I now have a full shelf of writing programs. ;) Things that I seem to pull more from:

- Windows to the World -- the literary analysis units are esp. clear and step-by-step

- Power in Your Hands -- covers a lot of different types of essays

- Elegant Essay -- step by step of the basic essay -- developing a thesis, etc.

- Owl at Purdue website resources -- esp. for citations

- online articles and "how to's" on various specific aspects of writing

 

Occasionally:

- Jensen's Format Writing -- for ideas for real world business writing 

- Scholastic 4-book series: Descriptive, Expository, Narrative, Persuasive Writing -- at a middle school level, for in-class activity ideas and the occasional assignment idea

 

Currently on the shelf to look at when I have time:

- Writing with a Thesis

- They Say/I Say

- Grading with a Purple Crayon (Luchsinger)

- WWS -- this is looking like it will be a bust for me for classroom use

- Write On (Karen Newell) -- this is looking like it will be a bust; I was thinking it might provide ideas for in-class activities and writing assignments, but it's not quite right for me

 

If you continue into the future with other students, I can guarantee that you will be getting a LOT of students who are struggling writers, or who have LDs, or who are at a remedial level of writing. In my own classes, I'd say on average, about 25% of the homeschool students in my classes fit that description. Another 20-25% are more like your student -- bright, and already know how to write and analyze literature. The other 50% are somewhere in the middle.

 

That's when the real adventure begins, as you work to figure out how to teach writing -- what is the core of writing and how to build a logical argument/paragraph -- to be able to walk a struggling student through how to write -- a student with unique needs and a very different way of thinking than yourself. ;)

 

 

... I will be teaching online. Her DD is interested in journalism as a possible career path and maybe why I feel some pressure. I have some free rein over what to teach although I think the bulk of our lessons will be on literature/ analysis. I get to work with her for an hour a week and she will send me essays for feedback when she needs that guidance...

 

At some point, you might find that going over a journalism program or resources on news writing for a semester to be very useful (and fun, if that is the student's interest!). It is absolutely possible to teach Composition (the process of writing) through focusing on Journalistic writing.

 

Journalism covers the four types of writing:

Expository Writing (news)

Narrative and Descriptive Writing (features, sports)

Persuasive Writing (editorials)

 

And Journalism involves the writing process (stages) in a similar way:

- brainstorm/research (interviews/research)

- organize ideas into a structure or outline (sift through facts/quotes & organize in "inverse pyramid" outline)

- rough draft (same)

- revision (same)

- proof-edit (same)

- final version (print)

 

free high school resources:

Annenberg Learner: News Writing -- videos

Newton Public Schools: Journalism Curriculum -- a teacher-made 6-unit outline of what to cover and resource ideas, with glossary of journalism terms, etc.

Five J's blog: DIY Journalism Curriculum for Homeschoolers -- big list of resources with links of what this homeschool family used

School Journalism website -- lesson links

American Press Institute: News Literacy -- lesson links

Adorable Chaos blog: Journalism Courses for High School Homeschoolers -- list of resource links

The New York Times: The Learning Network: Teaching & Learning About Journalism -- big list of resource links

 

high school journalism programs/curricula:

High School Journalism (Hall & Aimone) -- student text, student workbook, teacher guide

IEW: Journalism Basics (House & Viet)

K12: ENG010 Journalism

 

advanced high school / college level resources:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Journalism (Passante)

Journalistic Writing (Knight)

Associated Press Guide ot News Writing: The Resource for Professional Journalists  (Cappon)

Writing the News (Fox)

 

 

BEST of luck in this wonderful venture! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited September 18, 2017 by Lori D.

[quark]

I have been so overwhelmed with my new work/ life schedule that I could not check back till today. Thank you all so much!